OT Controls & Automation Engineer

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.

• 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…