Sr Consultant OT Data Operations

Job description

**Purpose of the role** General Mills is investing in modern OT Data Operations capability to power our next generation of manufacturing execution, analytics, and continuous improvement. We are seeking an OT Data Operations Engineer to help deploy, scale, and sustain this capability across our global manufacturing network. In this role, you will be a hands-on technical engineer focused on building and operating the OT data platform centered on Inductive Automation Ignition as our primary OT Data Operations technology, working in close partnership with MES, IT integration, cyber security, and plant operations teams. The Data Operations program is establishing a reusable, scalable architecture to: - Enable real-time, event-driven data flows from plant floor systems into MES and analytics platforms - Standardize on open protocols and composable architecture (e.g., MQTT, OPC-UA, Kafka, GraphQL APIs) for long-term flexibility and vendor independence - Utilize Ignition at the manufacturing edge for connectivity, contextualization, and time-series data management, in partnership with platforms like TrakSYS (MES), QuestDB / SQL Server time-series stores, and analytics tools such as Seeq and enterprise BI tools - Align plant data models to ISA-95 to support current and future manufacturing use cases at scale This role is a key engineering position to turn that architecture into reliable, production-ready deployment and to build the patterns we will re-use across sites. **Key Accountabilities** Platform engineering & implementation: - Design, configure, and deploy Ignition-based OT Data Operations gateways at the manufacturing edge (VMs, Windows Server, plant network), including drivers, tags, MQTT brokers (e.g., Cirrus Link / Chariot), historians, and security roles - Implement and harden standard patterns for sensor-to-signal workflows: from PLC/SCADA connectivity through calculations and contextualization into MES and analytics platforms - Collaborate with MES engineers, solution architects, and site controls engineers to ensure the OT Data Operations layer integrates cleanly with TrakSYS MES, existing MQIS capabilities, and future MOM solutions Data modelling, integration & standards: - Apply and extend ISA-95-aligned data models for assets, materials, orders, and events; work with architecture to keep models consistent across plants and use cases - Partner with IT integration teams (e.g., MuleSoft, event brokers, data platforms) to design robust, supportable integration patterns between OT systems, SAP, PLM, and enterprise analytics tools - Support the configuration and performance of time-series databases (SQL Server historian; QuestDB and/or other platforms going forward) and help define hot/warm/cold storage strategies Reliability, security & operations: - Define and implement monitoring, alerting, and operational runbooks for Ignition gateways, MQTT brokers, and associated infrastructure at pilot and production sites - Work closely with cyber security and infrastructure teams to align with IT controls, SSO/Entra ID integration, and role-based access models - Support site rollout, including lab validation (MGO lab), plant commissioning, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of deployment patterns and infrastructure sizing Collaboration & ways of working: - Partner with Digital Controls & IS, Digital Core, plant engineering, and vendor teams to define scalable patterns, documentation, and training materials for local support teams - Contribute to and help maintain the Data Operations Playbook, data model functional descriptions, and standards documentation for OT Data Operations - Bring a continuous improvement mindset to how we design, deploy, and operate Data Operations capabilities across multiple plants and regions **Minimum Qualifications** Education – - Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation / Electronics / Electrical / IT Engineering (Full time graduation from an accredited university) - 12+ years of experience in Controls Engineering, Manufacturing System Engineering and Data Analytics - 5+ years of relevant experience in OT Data Operations on Ignition Skills – - OT/industrial automation engineering (PLC/SCADA, historians, industrial networks) - SCADA/OT platform engineering (e.g., Ignition, Wonderware, Aveva, FactoryTalk, etc.) - Manufacturing data integration / MES implementation (OT to IT Integration) - Direct experience with Inductive Automation Ignition (Gateway configuration, tag historian, alarming, MQTT modules, security/SSO) - Perspective - Jython scripting - Knowledge of ISA-95 modeling concepts and their application in MES/MOM or OT data architecture - Unified Namespace Experience (UNS) - Asset Hierarchy - Hands-on experience with: - PLC/SCADA connectivity and protocols (OPC-UA, Modbus, vendor-specific drivers) - Scripting and configuration (e.g., Python, SQL, Ignition scripting, or similar) - Windows or Linux server environments and virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, or similar) - Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, control narratives, and plant network diagrams - Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work across multi-functional teams (IT, OT, operations, vendors) - Experience with time-series databases or historians (e.g., SQL Server-based, QuestDB, OSIsoft PI, or similar) - Familiarity with IIOT, MQTT broker technologies (e.g., Cirrus Link / Chariot), and event-driven architecture - Experience working within regulated or highly controlled environments (food manufacturing, pharma, CPG, etc.) - Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document and explain technical architectures to both technical and non-technical audiences **Preferred Qualifications** - Exposure to MES platforms (TrakSYS or similar), and integration patterns with SAP or other enterprise systems - GCP certification - Mathematical or Statistical background