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Job Description Senior Automation and SCADA Solutions Architect Location: Houston, Texas Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire Work Arrangement: Office-Based Travel: Approximately 20% Team: Professional Services Position Summary A Houston-based industrial systems integrator is hiring a Senior Automation and SCADA Solutions Architect to lead the technical design and hands-on development of advanced control, monitoring, and industrial data solutions. This is not a purely managerial or advisory position. The selected professional will establish system architecture while remaining actively involved in PLC programming, HMI and SCADA development, system configuration, testing, troubleshooting, documentation, and deployment.

The position covers the full industrial technology environment, including instrumentation, PLCs, RTUs, operator interfaces, SCADA servers, historians, databases, communication networks, cloud environments, and enterprise data connections. Projects will support customers in oil and gas, water and wastewater, utilities, and other industrial markets. The architect will also help improve engineering standards, modernize legacy SCADA environments, mentor technical staff, support proposal development, and create repeatable automation solutions that can be delivered across multiple customer environments.

Primary Responsibilities Develop and implement automation solutions combining PLC controls, operator interfaces, SCADA applications, industrial communications, databases, and software integrations. Remain directly involved in programming, configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and technical documentation throughout the project lifecycle. Create and review PLC code, HMI graphics, SCADA screens, reusable tag models, UDTs, alarm structures, historian configurations, reports, scripts, and operational dashboards.

Establish system designs connecting field instrumentation, control devices, RTUs, servers, historians, databases, networks, cloud resources, and secure remote-access technologies. Provide technical direction for modernization projects involving legacy or aging SCADA environments. Develop practical migration plans for moving applications from Cygnet, Wonderware/AVEVA, and comparable platforms into Ignition-based architectures.

Identify project risks, technical dependencies, system limitations, and deployment requirements before implementation begins. Produce architecture drawings, functional descriptions, technical specifications, test documentation, verification checklists, release notes, and commissioning materials. Build and execute testing strategies for development environments, Factory Acceptance Tests, field validation, and final system turnover.

Diagnose difficult issues involving control logic, communications, industrial protocols, networking, databases, server infrastructure, SCADA applications, and field equipment. Assist with project startup, commissioning, operational verification, and post-deployment technical support. Help establish consistent practices for requirements gathering, peer reviews, configuration management, version control, change approval, testing, and software releases.

Contribute to the development of reusable automation products, packaged control panels, remote-monitoring solutions, cloud-hosted SCADA services, and industrial data applications. Guide and mentor SCADA engineers, controls engineers, automation developers, analysts, and less-experienced technical personnel. Coordinate with engineering, field services, project management, operations, and commercial teams to improve project execution and field readiness.

Participate in customer discovery meetings, site evaluations, technical workshops, and solution demonstrations. Assist sales and estimating teams with project scoping, labor estimates, proposal content, technical exceptions, and statements of work. Confirm that proposed solutions are technically achievable, appropriately estimated, maintainable, and suitable for the customer's operating environment.

Required Background Eight or more years of professional experience in SCADA engineering, industrial controls, automation systems, systems integration, or a related discipline. Demonstrated ability to independently develop, implement, and support PLC, HMI, and SCADA applications. Willingness to perform hands-on engineering work while also serving as a system architect and technical mentor.

Practical experience with Ignition, Cygnet, Wonderware/AVEVA, VTScada, or another widely used industrial SCADA platform. Experience designing solutions that connect PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, application servers, historians, databases, and industrial communication networks. Working knowledge of multiple industrial communication technologies, such as Modbus, DNP3, OPC UA, EtherNet/IP, and MQTT with Sparkplug B.

Ability to evaluate control code, HMI and SCADA configurations, alarm designs, architecture diagrams, testing procedures, and commissioning packages. Previous responsibility for technical leadership, engineering reviews, employee mentoring, or development of internal standards. Experience contributing to project estimates, technical proposals, client presentations, or pre-sales engineering discussions.

Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to engineers, operators, project managers, field technicians, executives, customers, and sales professionals. Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, controls engineering, computer science, systems engineering, or a related field. Substantial relevant experience may be considered in place of a degree.

Preferred Experience In-depth knowledge of the Ignition platform, including Perspective, Vision, Gateway configuration, UDT development, alarming, scripting, tag history, and redundant architectures. Previous involvement in migrating Cygnet, Wonderware/AVEVA, or another established SCADA environment to Ignition. Automation or SCADA experience within upstream oil and gas, midstream operations, pipelines, artificial-lift systems, water or wastewater facilities, utilities, or industrial infrastructure.

Experience working with SQL, Python, JavaScript, REST APIs, industrial data services, Microsoft Azure, or other cloud platforms. Familiarity with Git-based version control, issue-management systems, controlled software releases, and CI/CD principles. Understanding of industrial visualization, alarm-management, and cybersecurity practices associated with ISA-101, ISA-18.2, ISA/IEC 62443, or NIST guidance

Background developing repeatable control packages, standardized panels, hosted SCADA services, industrial dashboards, or connected Industry 4.0 solutions. Relevant credentials such as an Ignition certification, ISA Certified Automation Professional, PE license, PMP, or applicable manufacturer certification.