Description
Job Title: Senior Automation & SCADA Systems Architect
Location: Houston, TX
Industry: Industrial Automation, SCADA, Water/Wastewater Utilities, Oil & Gas, and Emerging Industrial Markets
Job Description:
GLX is seeking a Senior Automation & SCADA Systems Architect to design, develop, deliver, and technically lead complex automation, PLC/HMI, SCADA, and software-integrated solutions.
This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who is comfortable operating across the full industrial technology stack, from field devices, PLCs, RTUs, and HMIs to SCADA platforms, historians, databases, cloud-hosted systems, and modern data integration. The ideal candidate is not only an architect and mentor, but also a hands-on engineer who can personally develop, configure, test, document, and deliver high-quality client solutions and productized offerings.
This role will work closely with Engineering, SCADA, Technical Services, Project Delivery, and Sales to ensure GLX solutions are technically sound, accurately estimated, commercially viable, well-tested, supportable, and ready for successful field implementation.
Key Responsibilities:
• Design, develop, configure, test, document, and deliver PLC/HMI, SCADA, controls, and software-integrated solutions for client projects and GLX product offerings.
• Personally contribute to PLC logic, HMI screens, SCADA applications, tag structures, UDTs, alarm configurations, historian setup, reports, scripts, dashboards, and integration components.
• Lead architecture and technical design for automation, PLC/HMI, SCADA, controls, and software-integrated systems.
• Support SCADA modernization efforts, including migration strategies from platforms such as Wonderware/AVEVA and Cygnet to Ignition-based architectures.
• Define system architectures involving PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, SCADA servers, historians, databases, networks, cloud infrastructure, and secure remote access.
• Support development of standardized hardware and software products, including PLC-based panels, monitoring systems, cloud SCADA offerings, and future industrial automation solutions.
• Strengthen engineering practices for requirements management, design review, configuration control, testing, FAT readiness, release management, and change control.
• Develop and execute test plans, FAT procedures, verification checklists, release notes, and technical documentation.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues across controls, SCADA, networking, databases, communications, and field integration.
• Support Sales in technical discovery calls, client workshops, site walks, solution presentations, estimates, proposal narratives, technical clarifications, and statements of work.
• Mentor SCADA Engineers, Control Systems Engineers, software-oriented Automation Engineers, analysts, and junior technical staff.
• Collaborate with SCADA leadership, Technical Services, Project Delivery, and other technical leaders to improve engineering consistency, handoffs, commissioning readiness, and delivery quality.
Required Qualifications:
• 8+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, SCADA engineering, systems integration, or related technical roles.
• Strong hands-on experience developing and delivering PLC, HMI, and SCADA solutions.
• Ability and willingness to personally execute development work while also providing architecture, mentorship, and technical leadership.
• Experience with at least one major SCADA platform such as Ignition, Cygnet, Wonderware/AVEVA, VTScada, or similar.
• Experience designing and supporting systems involving PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, SCADA servers, historians, databases, and industrial networks.
• Strong understanding of industrial protocols such as Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT/Sparkplug B, DNP3, and EtherNet/IP.
• Ability to develop and review control logic, HMI/SCADA configurations, architecture diagrams, test plans, and commissioning documentation.
• Experience mentoring engineers, leading design reviews, developing standards, or serving as a technical lead.
• Experience supporting estimates, proposals, technical scope development, or pre-sales client conversations.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work with clients, operators, engineers, project managers, field teams, executives, and sales teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Strong experience with Inductive Automation Ignition, including Perspective, Vision, Gateway architecture, UDTs, tag historians, alarming, scripting, and redundancy.
• Experience with Wonderware/AVEVA or Cygnet migrations to Ignition.
• Experience in Oil & Gas, upstream production, midstream operations, artificial lift, pipeline systems, water/wastewater utilities, or industrial infrastructure.
• Experience with Python, SQL, JavaScript, APIs, cloud services, Azure, or data integration.
• Familiarity with Git, issue tracking, release management, configuration management, or CI/CD concepts.
• Knowledge of ISA-101, ISA-18.2, ISA/IEC 62443, NIST cybersecurity guidance, or related industrial standards.
• Experience with product development, standardized panel solutions, cloud SCADA services, industrial dashboards, or Industry 4.0 initiatives.
• Relevant certifications such as Ignition, ISA CAP, PMP, PE, or vendor/platform certifications.
What Success Looks Like:
A successful candidate will deliver high-quality PLC/HMI, SCADA, and software-integrated solutions while helping GLX improve engineering consistency, estimating accuracy, testing discipline, release practices, and technical maturity. This role will directly support GLX's growth in Oil & Gas SCADA modernization, Ignition-based solutions, cloud SCADA, product development, and emerging industrial markets.
Work Environment:
• Up to 20% travel to client sites, project locations, commissioning activities, and technical workshops.
• Office-based role in Houston, TX with client-facing and field-facing responsibilities as needed.
• Work may involve industrial facilities, control rooms, utility sites, oil & gas facilities, construction environments, and other safety-sensitive locations.
• Occasional support outside normal business hours may be required for critical client needs, commissioning events, or system cutovers.
Benefits:
• Competitive compensation based on experience and qualifications.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off.
• Health savings account options.
• Life insurance and additional company benefits.
• Professional development and certification support.
