What are the responsibilities and job description for the OT Systems Engineer position at ASCENDING?
OT Systems Engineer – Utility-Scale BESS
Location: Atlanta, GA OR Houston, TX
Direct Hire
Travel: Yes – Project/Commissioning Site Visits Required
Role Summary
We are seeking an OT Systems Engineer to deploy, configure, and support operational technology (OT) networks for utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects. This field-facing, deployment-centric engineering role is critical for bringing new projects online, ensuring robust communications between site control systems, SCADA, EMS, PCS, Client, and remote monitoring platforms. You'll play an essential part in commissioning and system handover, collaborating closely with field and technical teams to deliver reliable, secure energy infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities
Location: Atlanta, GA OR Houston, TX
Direct Hire
Travel: Yes – Project/Commissioning Site Visits Required
Role Summary
We are seeking an OT Systems Engineer to deploy, configure, and support operational technology (OT) networks for utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects. This field-facing, deployment-centric engineering role is critical for bringing new projects online, ensuring robust communications between site control systems, SCADA, EMS, PCS, Client, and remote monitoring platforms. You'll play an essential part in commissioning and system handover, collaborating closely with field and technical teams to deliver reliable, secure energy infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities
- Deploy and configure OT network infrastructure for BESS sites, including switches, routers, firewalls, cellular modems, and communication devices
- Support commissioning by ensuring reliable connectivity between EMS, PCS, Client, meters, protection relays, and SCADA systems
- Configure network segmentation, VLANs, routing, and secure remote access for OT environments
- Troubleshoot network and communication issues during project commissioning and early operations
- Collaborate with Deployment Engineers, Controls Engineers, EMS teams, and Field Commissioning teams to resolve integration challenges
- Support site bring-up, FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing), SAT (Site Acceptance Testing), and site handover to service teams
- Document site network architectures, configurations, and generate as-built network diagrams
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of standardized network designs, configuration templates, and deployment playbooks
- Support remote data acquisition and secure connectivity to monitoring platforms
- Travel to project sites as needed during deployment and commissioning phases
- Experience deploying OT or industrial networks in utility, power, renewables, manufacturing, oil & gas, or equivalent environments
- Strong understanding of TCP/IP networking fundamentals and protocols in operational/industrial contexts
- Hands-on experience with industrial switches, routers, firewalls, and network diagnostics
- Familiarity with SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, EMS, or other industrial control systems
- Ability to troubleshoot network, software, and control system integration issues
- Comfortable working in dynamic, commissioning-focused environments under time pressure
- Willingness to travel to project sites during deployment phases
- Experience with utility-scale BESS, solar, wind, or electrical substation environments
- Exposure to cellular networking, VPNs, and secure remote access for OT networks
- High-level familiarity with industrial protocols such as IEC 61850, Modbus, or DNP3
- Demonstrated support of field commissioning teams in a project environment
- Experience bridging IT and OT networking concepts