OT Controls & Automation Engineer

Total Number of Openings

1

Chevron is accepting online applications for the position OT Controls & Automation Engineer through February 14th, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (CST)

Chevron's OT Product Line Mechatronics team is seeking an OT Controls & Automation Engineer (Innovation) to accelerate the safe, scalable adoption of emerging operational technology (OT)—moving from makerspace prototypes to lab/field trials and into operational deployment. This role sits at the intersection of industrial control systems, instrumentation & electrical (I&E) integration, and IT/OT convergence, ensuring solutions meet enterprise technology standards and can transition cleanly into platform operations.

You will lead short-cycle technology "adoption spikes" (typically 2–6 weeks) to de-risk new capabilities, validate performance in real environments, and capture learnings to enable repeatable scale-up. Modern OT increasingly relies on IT-based infrastructure (e.g., virtualization, identity services, segmented networks), and this role helps bridge engineering rigor with operational reliability and cybersecurity expectations.

Responsibilities for this position may include but are not limited to:

- Design and implement industrial control solutions across OT environments, including PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) architectures, control narratives, I/O design, and configuration aligned with enterprise standards and site requirements.

- Engineer instrumentation and electrical integrations for prototypes and deployments, including sensor selection, loop design support, wiring/termination planning, panel/interface concepts, power considerations, and field commissioning support as required.

- Execute rapid technology adoption spikes (2–6 weeks) by defining scope, success criteria, risk/assumption logs, and test plans; building and validating prototypes; and rapidly iterating based on results and stakeholder feedback.

- Plan and perform testing, validation, and troubleshooting for lab and field trials (e.g., FAT/SAT-style validation, loop checks, point-to-point verification, protocol/network validation, and reliability/performance troubleshooting).

- Drive "prototype-to-operations" readiness by aligning trial outcomes to acceptance expectations (e.g., cybersecurity hardening, patch/upgrade planning, documentation completeness, and "Ready for Operations" checklists) so validated capabilities land cleanly into platform operations.

- Support IT/OT convergence and industrial connectivity by collaborating with IT, OT platform operations, and cybersecurity on segmented networking, secure remote access, industrial DMZ patterns, identity/access dependencies, and lifecycle management for OT systems that run on IT platforms.

- Produce high-quality technical documentation and learnings capture including architecture diagrams, control narratives, test reports, commissioning checklists, and "trial learnings" packages; apply disciplined version control and ensure artifacts are easy to find and reuse across teams.

- Collaborate cross-functionally and mentor others by working with facilities/smart building stakeholders, OT platform operations, IT, external vendors/technology partners, and internal innovators; coach teammates on controls/I&E fundamentals and share reusable patterns through demos, templates, and knowledge bases.

Required Qualifications

- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Experience: 3–7 years in controls engineering, instrumentation, electrical systems, industrial automation, or related OT engineering roles (energy, chemicals, manufacturing, or other capital-intensive industries).

- Controls & automation foundation:

- Hands-on experience designing, configuring, commissioning, and troubleshooting PLC- and/or SCADA-based systems in industrial environments.

- Familiarity with at least one major automation ecosystem (e.g., Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Emerson, Honeywell, Schneider; depth in one is acceptable).

- Working knowledge of control system lifecycle deliverables (e.g., I/O lists, control narratives, cause & effect where applicable, configuration baselines, commissioning checklists, FAT/SAT concepts).

- Instrumentation & electrical integration:

- Practical experience integrating field devices with control systems, including loop checks and troubleshooting of common measurement and discrete devices.

- Working knowledge of common industrial signals (e.g., 4–20 mA; familiarity with HART where applicable) and basic electrical/panel interface practices consistent with industrial safety requirements.

- Industrial communications & integration: Experience with common industrial protocols such as Modbus and/or OPC UA (and/or EtherNet/IP, PROFINET), including practical troubleshooting in lab/field environments.

- Documentation and communication: Demonstrated ability to produce clear technical documentation, communicate tradeoffs, and translate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

- Delivery execution: Comfortable working in an iterative delivery model using work tracking tools (e.g., Azure DevOps / Kanban) and collaborating across disciplines to execute short-cycle work.

- Safety and operational rigor: Commitment to safe work practices and operational reliability; familiarity with change control expectations in industrial environments (e.g., Management of Change concepts) and partnering with IT service/change workflows as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

- Advanced education or credentials: Master's degree in a relevant discipline; Professional Engineer (PE) license; ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP); NICET or comparable certifications (instrumentation/electrical).

- Emerging OT technology exposure: Experience deploying or evaluating one or more of the following in industrial environments:

- Industrial edge computing (gateway patterns, virtualization/container concepts, ruggedized compute)

- Industrial IoT / IIoT architectures and data integration patterns

- Private LTE/5G or advanced wireless connectivity for industrial use cases

- Digital twins or operational analytics tied to real OT data

- OT cybersecurity and resilience mindset: Familiarity with industrial security concepts (defense-in-depth, segmentation, secure remote access, vulnerability/patch coordination) and how OT systems depend on IT infrastructure (e.g., Windows/identity services, virtualization, backups/DR).

- Innovation / technology adoption programs: Prior experience in rapid prototyping, pilots, lab/field trials, or technology adoption programs where success is measured by learning velocity and de-risking—not only long-cycle delivery.

- Leadership and mentoring: Experience guiding junior engineers/technicians, leading small technical workstreams, or serving as a technical mentor for controls/I&E integration.

Core Competencies

- Controls & automation expertise: Ability to translate a problem statement into a safe, supportable controls/automation design and deliver working systems in constrained time windows.

- Instrumentation & electrical integration capability: Comfortable bridging the digital (logic/data) and physical (devices/power/wiring) aspects of industrial solutions.

- Structured problem-solving: Strong troubleshooting instincts; performs root cause analysis using hypothesis-driven testing and sound engineering judgment.

- Documentation and technical writing: Produces clear, reusable documentation that supports onboarding, auditability, and smooth operational handover.

- Cross-functional collaboration: Communicates effectively with IT, OT platform operations, cybersecurity, facilities, and vendors—balancing innovation speed with operational readiness.

- Adaptability and learning agility: Thrives in fast iteration cycles and rapidly evolving technology landscapes; treats "learning" as a deliverable while maintaining engineering rigor.

- Initiative and ownership: Self-directed, proactive, and comfortable operating in an innovation culture where ambiguity is expected and progress is driven by action and evidence.

Relocation Options:

Relocation is not offered for this role. Only local candidates will be considered.

International Considerations:

Expatriate assignments will not be considered.

Chevron regrets that it is unable to sponsor employment Visas or consider individuals on time-limited Visa status for this position.

U.S. Regulatory notice:

Chevron is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin or ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, reproductive health decision-making, military or veteran status, political preference, marital status, citizenship, genetic information or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation, please email us at

emplymnt@chevron.com

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