Senior Automation Advisor

St. John's, NL

Schedule: M-F, Professional Working Day

Permanent Position

Introduction

We are seeking an experienced and technically versatile Senior Automation Advisor to lead the maintenance, optimization, and development of Operational Technology (OT) systems, with a focus on applications, networking, and infrastructure. This role plays a critical part in ensuring the safety, reliability, and cybersecurity of automation networks supporting site operations.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of hands-on experience in OT environments, knowledge of infrastructure and database technologies, and a strong track record of managing lifecycle upgrades, cyber risk mitigation, and cross-functional collaboration in industrial or energy sector settings.

Responsibilities

• Scope, plan, and execute application and infrastructure changes to maintain safe, cyber-secure, and reliable OT systems aligned with operational needs and standards.
• Identify and mitigate OT system obsolescence through lifecycle design, planning, and execution.
• Lead and support the Management of Change (MOC) process, ensuring full adherence to procedural standards.
• Develop and maintain operating procedures and system documentation for production-critical OT systems.
• Establish and maintain maintenance strategies and performance monitoring for automation network applications and hardware, ensuring compliance with cybersecurity standards.
• Support software functions including report generation, database management, and system troubleshooting.
• Serve as a technical advisor to internal stakeholders including operations, engineering, controls, and IT.
• Collaborate with control systems engineers to enhance network performance and reliability.
• Manage and coordinate external vendors and third-party contractors for OT-related software and hardware modifications.
• Participate in corporate and internal IT/OT projects deploying new technologies and upgrades.
• Provide commissioning and start-up support for project teams implementing OT system changes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or a certified technical diploma with 10+ years of experience in OT systems and network environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas:
• OT applications
• OT networking and infrastructure
• Industrial database technologies
• Experience in industrial or petrochemical/oil & gas environments is considered a strong asset.
• Proficiency with IT and OT infrastructure, scripting, virtualization, cybersecurity tools, and data analysis platforms.
• Strong understanding of evolving cyber risk and the ability to adapt solutions accordingly.
• Critical thinking and root cause analysis skills, with the ability to work in fast-paced, high-risk environments.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills; able to build strong relationships across technical and operational teams.
• Self-motivated with a continuous improvement mindset and a proactive approach to learning.
• Capable of making independent decisions when planning and executing technical assignments.

What We Offer

Why work with Brunel? We are proud to offer exciting career opportunities from over 100 offices globally in 42 countries. Advancing your career takes time and effort – let us match you to your ideal position.

About Us

Brunel has a reputation for working with some of the best in the business. That's what we continually strive for. Brunel provides the global recruitment and workforce services you need to lead your industry. With 45 years of market experience in Renewable Energy, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Mining and Infrastructure, we help you finish major projects safely, compliantly, on-time, within budget and at the highest quality, so you can keep growing – anywhere in the world.