Automation & Industrial Controls Specialist

YVR is a place of connection, bringing together people, places and cargo while ensuring a safe and efficient experience for everyone. The Maintenance Department is an essential part of Airport Operations, working with real-time teams, service providers, internal & external stakeholders, vendors & project teams to ensure high standard of campus system performance at YVR.

We have an opportunity for a permanent, full-time Automation and Industrial Controls Specialist in the Maintenance Department. Reporting to the Manager, Electrical Services the Automation and Industrial Controls Specialist will be part of a team of electrical professionals responsible and accountable for the safe operation, maintenance and construction of all YVR assets related to power, automation, instrumentation, and metering of electrical transmission and distribution systems.

This position is responsible for the programming, maintenance, and optimization of PLC and SCADA systems that support YVR’s critical electrical and building infrastructure. Working within the Airport Authority’s Maintenance team, this role ensures reliable operation of automation systems that are essential to YVR’s 24/7 operations and will be focused on maintaining and expanding systems using Schneider Electric platforms, contributing to ongoing modernization and resiliency initiatives across the airport’s electrical network.

• Configure, integrate, and maintain Schneider Electric Power Monitoring Expert (PME) software
• Integrate intelligent electrical devices (IEDs), meters, relays, and protective devices into PME
• Develop dashboards, alarms, reports, and power quality analytics for operations and engineering teams
• Troubleshoot communication, data integrity, and performance issues within PME environments
• Support PME upgrades, patching, backups, and system optimization

• Support and modify PLC-based control systems related to electrical distribution, substations, and energy systems
• Integrate PME data with SCADA, BMS, or enterprise systems as required
• Assist with basic PLC programming, logic modifications, and troubleshooting (Allen-Bradley, Schneider, or similar)
• Diagnose network and protocol issues (Modbus TCP/RTU, Ethernet/IP, IEC 61850, DNP3)

• Work closely with electrical maintenance and engineering teams to support medium- and low-voltage systems
• Assist in commissioning of new electrical infrastructure, meters, and monitoring devices
• Analyze power quality events, disturbances, and trends to support reliability improvements
• Support energy management, load monitoring, and capacity planning initiatives

• Work within airport safety, security, and change-management processes
• Produce clear documentation, drawings, and system architecture diagrams
• Support audits, regulatory compliance, and incident investigations
• Participate in after-hours or on-call support for critical systems as required

• 5 years’ post degree experience in industrial automation or controls programming, ideally in a critical infrastructure environment (e.g., utilities, transportation, or manufacturing).
• Bachelor’s degree electrical engineering technology, automation, instrumentation, or electrical technologist.
• Ability to interpret and update electrical and control schematics.
• Advanced skills working with Microsoft Office Suite of products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, and SharePoint.
• Experience in software and technology development related to databases (i.e. SQL), business intelligence platforms (i.e. Qlik), user interface design, and programming.

Although not required, French language skills are an asset as we are committed to providing bilingual services to our visitors and passengers. This helps us meet federal language obligations while ensuring welcoming experience. Candidates who do not speak French are still strongly encouraged to apply.

This position is open to both Vancouver Airport Authority employees and external applicants. Previous job performance will be taken into consideration for all internal…