District Cooling Automation Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Not just a job, but a career

Yokogawa, award winner for ‘Best Asset Monitoring Technology’ and ‘Best Digital Twin Technology’ at the HP Awards, is a leading provider of industrial automation, test and measurement, information systems and industrial services in several industries. 

Our aim is to shape a better future for our planet through supporting the energy transition, (bio)technology, artificial intelligence, industrial cybersecurity, etc. We are committed to the United Nations sustainable development goals by utilizing our ability to measure and connect.

About the Team
Our 18,000 employees work in over 60 countries with one corporate mission, to "co-innovate tomorrow". We are looking for dynamic colleagues who share our passion for technology and care for our planet. In return, we offer you great career opportunities to grow yourself in a truly global culture where respect, value creation, collaboration, integrity, and gratitude are highly valued and exhibited in everything we do.

Key Responsibilities

1. District Cooling Industry Leadership

• Act as the company's district cooling automation expert.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer operations, challenges, and business drivers.
• Provide technical leadership for district cooling projects globally.
• Advise customers on automation modernization and digital transformation programs.
• Represent the company at industry conferences, technical forums, and customer workshops.
• Develop industry-specific solution offerings and value propositions.

2. Process & Operational Philosophy Consulting

• Understand end-to-end district cooling plant processes including:
  • Chillers
  • Chilled water networks
  • Cooling towers
  • Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
  • Energy Transfer Stations (ETS)
  • Pumping systems
  • Utility integration systems
• Transform operational requirements into automation solutions.
• Develop:
  • Operational philosophies
  • Functional design specifications
  • Control narratives
  • Cause-and-effect diagrams
  • Startup and shutdown sequences
  • Abnormal situation management strategies
• Lead customer workshops to define operational requirements and optimization objectives.

3. Automation Architecture Authority

• Define and standardize district cooling automation architectures.
• Design scalable solutions for:
  • DCS platforms
  • PLC systems
  • SCADA systems
  • Hybrid control architectures
  • Edge computing frameworks
  • Cloud-connected solutions
• Develop architecture standards covering:
  • Controller hierarchy
  • Redundancy concepts
  • High availability systems
  • Disaster recovery strategies
  • Network segmentation
  • Cybersecurity zones
• Establish best practices for greenfield and brownfield projects.

4. Advanced Control & Optimization Solutions

• Develop advanced automation strategies to improve plant performance.
• Design optimization solutions including:
  • Chiller plant optimization
  • Cooling tower optimization
  • Pump optimization
  • TES optimization
  • Network pressure optimization
  • Demand forecasting
  • Load dispatch optimization
• Define requirements for:
  • Model Predictive Control (MPC)
  • AI-based optimization
  • Advisory systems
  • Autonomous operations
  • Closed-loop optimization systems
• Quantify customer value through energy and operational savings.

5. Digital Transformation & Smart Cooling Solutions

• Lead development of smart district cooling solutions.
• Design and promote:
  • Digital Twins
  • Industrial IoT architectures
  • Cloud analytics systems
  • Predictive maintenance platforms
  • Asset performance management systems
  • Enterprise energy management solutions
• Create digital roadmaps aligned with customer business objectives.
• Support development of next-generation autonomous district cooling plants.

6. Pre-Sales and Solution Development

• Support sales teams in strategic pursuits.
• Participate in:
  • Customer presentations
  • Technical clarification meetings
  • Solution workshops
  • Bid evaluations
  • Proposal preparation
• Develop technical and commercial differentiators.
• Build value-based business cases for customers.
• Review and approve technical solution architectures.

7. Engineering Governance

• Establish engineering standards and templates.
• Define standard libraries for:
  • Control strategies
  • HMI graphics
  • Alarm management
  • Historian structures
  • Reporting frameworks
• Review engineering deliverables and ensure alignment with company standards.
• Support FAT, SAT, commissioning, and performance testing activities.

8. OT Cybersecurity Leadership

• Define cybersecurity architectures for district cooling facilities.
• Implement standards based on:
  • IEC 62443
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework
  • ISO 27001
  • Utility cybersecurity requirements
• Design secure connectivity solutions between:
  • DCS/PLC systems
  • SCADA platforms
  • Enterprise networks
  • Cloud applications
• Advise customers on OT cybersecurity maturity improvement.

9. Innovation & Technology Strategy

• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies.
• Define future automation roadmaps for district cooling applications.
• Support product development teams by translating customer needs into product enhancements.
• Identify opportunities for AI-enabled autonomous district cooling operations.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in:
  • Control & Instrumentation Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechatronics Engineering
  • Process Engineering
• Master's Degree preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years in industrial automation and control systems.
• Minimum 10 years supporting district cooling, utilities, HVAC, water, power, or critical infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience in:
  • DCS
  • SCADA
  • PLC
  • Advanced Process Control
  • Industrial Digitalization
• Experience in customer consulting and solution architecture.

Technical Competencies

District Cooling Domain Expertise

• District Cooling Plant Operations
• Chiller Plant Controls
• Thermal Energy Storage
• Hydraulic Network Management
• Energy Optimization
• Utility Management Systems

Automation Platforms

• Yokogawa CENTUM VP
• Siemens PCS7 / WinCC
• ABB 800xA
• Schneider EcoStruxure
• Honeywell Experion
• Emerson DeltaV
• Rockwell PlantPAx

Industrial Communications

• OPC UA
• BACnet
• Modbus
• MQTT
• IEC 61850
• Ethernet/IP
• Profibus / Profinet

Digital Technologies

• Digital Twin
• AI/ML Applications
• Cloud Platforms
• IIoT Solutions
• Predictive Analytics
• Data Historians
• Asset Performance Management (APM)

OT Cybersecurity

• IEC 62443
• Defense-in-Depth Architectures
• Network Segmentation
• Secure Remote Access
• Zero Trust Concepts

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Number of District Cooling Automation Opportunities Won
• Solution Architecture Quality Index
• Customer Technical Satisfaction Score
• Energy Savings Delivered Through Automation Solutions
• Adoption of Standard Architectures
• Consulting Revenue Generated
• Digitalization Project Success Rate
• Reduction in Engineering Effort Through Standardization
• Innovation and New Solution Development Contributions

Strategic Role Statement

The District Cooling Automation Subject Matter Expert serves as the vendor's global authority for district cooling automation and digital transformation, responsible for shaping customer operational philosophies into intelligent automation solutions, defining future-ready control architectures, and enabling the evolution of district cooling plants toward autonomous, energy-optimized, and digitally connected operations. This role combines expertise in district cooling processes, advanced control systems, OT architecture, digitalization, AI-driven optimization, and customer consulting to create differentiated business value and technological leadership in the district cooling market.

Yokogawa is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Yokogawa wants a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.  We will actively recruit, develop, and promote people from a variety of backgrounds who differ in terms of experience, knowledge, thinking styles, perspective, cultural background, and socioeconomic status.  We will not discriminate based on race, skin color, age, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, belief, political opinion, nationality, ethnicity, place of origin, disability, family relations or any other circumstances.  Yokogawa values differences and enables everyone to belong, contribute, succeed, and demonstrate their full potential.

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