Senior Operational Technology Engineer Jobs in Tennessee

SpaceXAI is seeking an exceptional Operational Technology (OT) Engineer to own the design, implementation, optimization, and long-term reliability of industrial control and monitoring systems across our next-generation hyperscale data center campuses and co-located power generation facilities. You will architect and deliver resilient OT infrastructure supporting BMS, EPMS, SCADA, PLC, and related OT systems capable of supporting ultra-dense AI compute loads, massive power infrastructure, and aggressive deployment timelines that redefine industry standards. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role for an exceptional engineer who thrives in fast-paced, technically demanding environments. You will combine deep expertise in industrial automation, control systems, and mission-critical infrastructure with exceptional speed of execution, while seamlessly collaborating across mechanical, electrical, facilities operations, networking, and construction teams to deliver the control backbone that powers the future of AI.

• Own end-to-end OT critical infrastructure design, programming, configuration, commissioning, sustainment, and ongoing optimization. Deliver high availability OT infrastructure for critical hyperscale cooling & power control systems, including datacenter facility networks (MDFs/IDFs), industrial control networks (PLCs, turbines, etc.), and server rooms with switches/hosts/virtualization.Provide on-call network infrastructure support for BMS, EPMS, SCADA, PLC, and related systems (connectivity, addressing, protocol transport, troubleshooting at Layers 1–3/4).
• Hands-on design and sustainment of Juniper fiber/copper networks in OT/facility environments (EX/QFX series preferred), including segmentation, VRFs, and integration with industrial control networks.
• Design, implement, and secure OT networks and communications (BACnet, Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT, Ethernet/IP, and related protocols) while driving robust segmentation, monitoring, and cybersecurity practices.
• Drive cross-functional multidisciplinary coordination with mechanical, electrical, structural, facilities operations, IT/OT networking, and construction teams to ensure seamless integration of control systems with overall campus infrastructure.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement of OT systems to maximize availability, and operational resilience.
• Deliver rapid, high-quality responses to field issues, design reviews, RFIs, and operational needs while maintaining rigorous documentation, change control, and design intent.
• Identify and implement innovative solutions in industrial automation, advanced monitoring, predictive analytics readiness, and standardized control architectures to support SpaceXAI's aggressive growth trajectory.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians and contribute to the continuous improvement of SpaceXAI's OT design standards, programming standards, and best practices for mission-critical facilities.

• Bachelor's degree in Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 5+ years of progressive, high-quality hands-on experience as a Controls / OT / Automation Engineer on data centers, semiconductor fabs, power plants, heavy industrial, or other mission-critical facilities.
• Direct experience designing, implementing, and sustaining OT infrastructure in large-scale critical infrastructure environments for control systems such as BMS, EPMS, and SCADA.
• Systems administration experience for virtualization platforms (Proxmox/VMware), Juniper networks, and SQL databases.
• Experience hardening and monitoring OT servers (RAID, UPS-backed, isolated management planes
• E experience with industrial communication protocols (BACnet, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, MQTT, Ethernet/IP, DNP3) and OT network design/segmentation.
• Track record of delivering complex control system projects with exceptional speed and uncompromising quality in fast-moving environments.
• Familiarity with OT cybersecurity principles, secure remote access, and coordination with IT networking teams (VLANs, VRFs, firewalls, jump hosts, remote access, monitoring).
• Optional experience with control systems programming (Ignition SCADA, Siemens TIA portal).
• Experience supporting commissioning of major mechanical and electrical systems in data centers or industrial plants.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration skills with mechanical, electrical, facilities operations, construction, and networking teams.
• Willingness to travel to project sites as required and to work extended hours or non-standard shifts when needed to support critical operations and deployments.