Senior OT Network and Cybersecurity Engineer, Solar and Storage

Senior OT Network and Cybersecurity Engineer, Solar and Storage

Rocklin, CA or Texas preferred, remote considered

LOCATION AND WORK MODEL

This position is preferably based at our Rocklin, California headquarters or in Texas, and remote candidates will be considered. Periodic domestic travel is required, and international travel may be required.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Senior OT Network and Cybersecurity Engineer supports the design, integration, and operation of communication and control systems across utility scale renewable energy assets, including solar PV, battery storage, and hybrid plants. This role owns site level communications architecture, machine to machine (M2M) communications integration, and secure connectivity between sites, utilities, and cloud platforms.

PRIMARY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead integration of site controllers, inverters, and auxiliary equipment into a unified plant communications architecture

Design and configure machine to machine (M2M) communications between site controllers, inverters, and plant level gateways and data concentrators

Define and deploy end to end communication networks, including industrial Ethernet (fiber/copper), layered OT network segmentation, and integration of secure connectivity platforms, data collectors, and industrial gateways

Design and support OT networks, including firewalls, routers, switches, VLANs and segmentation, and fiber optic networks

Manage secure communication interfaces between sites and utilities, transmission operators, ISOs/RTOs, asset owners, and cloud based platforms

Configure and validate protocols for wide area communications, including real time telemetry, dispatch and control signals, and event and disturbance reporting

Design and implement multi layer cybersecurity architectures, including segmented network zones, secure data replication layers, and unidirectional gateways (data diodes) for critical assets

Support compliance with NERC CIP standards, utility interconnection requirements, and internal cybersecurity frameworks

Enable inverter monitoring, diagnostics, and fault detection through integration with cloud based dashboards

Collaborate with O&M and engineering teams to troubleshoot issues and optimize system performance

Maintain auditable data and communication structures to meet regulatory compliance requirements

Other duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant work experience

At least 5 years of utility communications, industrial networking, OT systems, or energy management systems experience

Strong understanding of firewalls and network security fundamentals

Ability to debug network connections using tools such as Wireshark

Extensive hands on experience with utility scale OT communication systems, including RTUs, PLCs, industrial gateways, and edge/data collection devices

Strong experience with industrial and utility protocols such as Modbus TCP/IP, DNP3, IEC 61850 (preferred), and OPC UA

Strong understanding of OT cybersecurity principles, including defense in depth architectures, secure remote access/VPNs, and network segmentation and monitoring

Experience implementing secure communication paths between OT and IT systems

Comfort working with field data, diagnostics, and system telemetry

Proficiency in English, both written and verbal.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Background in commissioning or field deployment

Experience implementing unidirectional security solutions (data diodes)

Knowledge of ISO/RTO integration requirements

Strong cross functional collaboration across engineering, O&M, and IT/security teams

Excellent troubleshooting and problem solving capabilities

Ability to clearly communicate technical architectures to both technical and non technical stakeholders

Familiarity with NERC CIP and cybersecurity frameworks for critical infrastructure

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Proven ability to work effectively in a matrix organization

German or Spanish language skills.

WE OFFER

Compensation: $138,000 to $158,000 base salary, commensurate with experience.

Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.

Medical plan options through Aetna, plus Kaiser in California, including a $0 premium option, with SMA covering about 90% or more of medical premiums and contributing up to $1,500 a year to your HSA on the high deductible plan.

$0 employee only dental and vision options, plus short and long term disability and $50,000 in life and AD&D insurance at no cost.

16 days of PTO, increasing with tenure, plus 12 paid holidays.

401k plan with a 100% match up to 5%.

Tuition reimbursement and opportunities for professional development.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full time basis. SMA America does not offer employment visa sponsorship of any kind, including H-1B, OPT, CPT, or TN visas. Candidates who currently require or will in the future require visa sponsorship are not eligible. Candidates operating under a temporary work permit or any visa tied employment authorization are also not eligible.

AI ASSISTED APPLICATION MATERIALS

We welcome candidates who use AI tools to organize or polish their application materials. Your resume and responses must accurately reflect your own experience and be written in your own voice. Applications that include fabricated or exaggerated experience, hidden text or embedded instructions, or prescreen responses that do not reflect your own knowledge may be removed from consideration. We want to hear your story: the work you have done, the results you have delivered and the experience you would bring to SMA.

RECRUITMENT FRAUD NOTICE

All SMA America openings are posted on our official careers page and all recruiter communication comes from an @sma-america.com address. We never request payment, banking information, or a Social Security number during the recruitment process. If you are contacted about an SMA America role from a personal email account, or asked for any of the above, please forward the message to HRGeneralmailbox@sma-america.com.