OT Network Specialist

Company:

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees are empowered to make a difference?

Job title

OT Network Specialist

Salary Range

$115,000 - $150,000 commensurate with experience

Location

Alvin, Texas

Closing Date

6/17/2024

Organizational Context and Job Purpose

The Olefins & Polymers USA division of INEOS is one of the largest producers of olefins and polyolefins in North America. From its manufacturing locations at Chocolate Bayou and the Battleground Manufacturing Complex, it is a merchant marketer of butadiene, ethylene, polypropylene and high-density polyethylene with annual revenue of over $4b. The Chocolate Bayou Site is located in Southeastern Texas about 40 miles South of Houston and consists of two Olefins units that produce approximately 4bn pounds/year of ethylene, 2 Polypropylene units that produce approximately 1bn pounds/ year of polypropylene, and the Light Ends storage & transfer facilities at Stratton Ridge. The Chocolate Bayou site has an immediate opening for a highly motivated and skilled OT Network Specialist.

How the Role Fits In

This OT Network Specialist role is part of the Process Control and Optimization group, part of the Central Applied Technology organization. The OT Network Specialist is responsible for design (configuration) and maintenance (upgrades and migrations) of cybersecurity-related software and hardware (such as Anti-virus, Whitelisting, Backup and Restore, Monitoring Tools, Firmware and Patches. This position interfaces with Operations, Maintenance Capital Projects, Process Safety, Reliability and Mechanical Integrity Groups to ensure appropriate alignment in the delivery and sustainability of PLC & OT device security at all 3 sites. This position reports to the DCS/Process Control Engineering Team Leader for day-to-day work coordination and implementation.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The position is accountable for understanding and putting into practice the INEOS 20 Principles.

Accountability: Maintenance and programming of industrial networks

• Network Responsibilities for all OT networks (DCS, PLC, Analyzers, Bentley, Power etc)

• Managing all network equipment (e.g. switches, enterprise class and industrial firewalls, media converters, servers)

• Health monitoring and alerting of network equipment;

• New network equipment installations and old equipment decoms

• Storage fabric (network) management and maintenance

• Network equipment maintenance (patches, upgrades, etc). User management for network devices and remote access

• Network equipment configuration backup and recovery plans

• Network equipment asset management

• Implement IT and cybersecurity policies to meet Cybersecurity guidelines (IGGNs)

• Review and approve changes made to PCN networks (e.g., Software Change Request, Management of Change)

• Operational Technology (OT) Network SME for all cybersecurity projects

• Champion the roll out of ticketing system for process control and effectively manage in-bound tickets with adequate documentation.

• Train and mentor the site Digital System Specialists in the selection, installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of their TPS and EPKS networks.

• Perform audits on all assigned process control networks and apply patches / keep system to date and maintain high availability

• Ensure initial configuration, upgrades and migrations of cybersecurity related software and hardware are working as planned (Anti-virus, Whitelisting, Backup and Restore, Monitoring Tools, Firmware and Patches, etc.…)

• Assist with the design and implementation of disaster recovery and business continuity plans, procedures and audits.

• Support all phases of assigned capital projects including equipment selection, installation, configuration, start-up, checkout, and supervision of personnel contracted for specialized equipment installation. Responsible for identifying reliability issues and recommending solutions for system improvements.

• Support, train unit maintenance technicians to troubleshoot and protect OT systems against cyber attacks

Education and/or Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree + 5 years or Associates degrees in IT / Process Control preferred

• Preferred 10 years of operational supporting experience in enterprise / OT infrastructure

• Cisco certification (CCNA preferred)

• Familiarity with I&E networked systems such as electrical protective relays, RTUs, analyzers, PLC's etc

• Working knowledge of information security standards, frameworks, risk assessment and best practices from ISA99, IEC62443, NIST882.

Key skills and competencies are

• Client Service Oriented, Skill in partnering with internal customers at all levels to define problems, identify solutions, and facilitate change

• Impact and influence, able to persuade others to a particular course of action

• Teamwork, shares accountability for team results and utilizes interpersonal skills to improve team performance

• Analytical and conceptual thinking, able to understand both the details and the underlying systemic issues in order to plan and implement creative and effective solutions to business challenges

• Innovative and information seeking, monitors internal and industry trends to identify new opportunities. Organizes work effectively and uses available resources

• Anticipate problems and adjusts accordingly

• Demonstrated ability to manage progress and deliver multiple and competing priorities.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, activities and tasks simultaneously

• Experience with data protection, business continuity and disaster recovery options, configuration and execution

• Experience with support of IT/OT systems, including network implementation & segmentation, PLC's and field devices, and IT systems preferred

• Understands both Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) / Distributed control Systems (DCS), Windows based PC's and server VM's and industrial network architectures and how to effectively support these technologies

• Possess knowledge on Cisco Networking & Virtualization platforms such as VMWare, VXRail, vSAN and NSX. Willingness to learn and develop new skills

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance. On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.