Instrumentation and Controls Systems Administrator

City of Saginaw
Saginaw, MI

The City of Saginaw is seeking a highly skilled Instrumentation and Controls Systems Administrator to support and oversee the operation, maintenance, and security of water and wastewater control systems. This position plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of the City’s water and wastewater infrastructure, including SCADA systems, automation networks, and security systems.

Under general direction, this role manages control systems, supports capital improvement projects, supervises staff, and collaborates closely with water and wastewater treatment operations.

Major Duties:

  • Oversee the continuous operation and performance of water and wastewater control systems, including CSOs, retention basins, pumping stations, lift stations, storm stations, and elevated storage systems

  • Assist with the oversight of automation systems, network infrastructure, and network security for water and wastewater operations

  • Prepare technical specifications and oversee consultants and contractors for automation-related capital improvement projects

  • Research, recommend, and implement short- and long-term upgrades to hardware, software, and control systems

  • Ensure policies, procedures, and technical standards remain current with best practices and evolving technology

  • Review and implement cybersecurity and access-control measures for process control systems and facilities

  • Prepare and administer the division budget

  • Review, document, and update operating procedures for process control systems

  • Supervise divisional personnel, including work assignments, training, and personnel recommendations

  • Collaborate with treatment plant staff to enhance control strategies using PLC ladder logic programming

  • Oversee vendor-supplied software maintenance and updates

  • Maintain records and inventories related to equipment, parts, and system enhancements

  • Perform other related duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics, computer science or related field OR equivalent combination of education, experience, and industrial certifications may be substituted for education requirement.
  • Minimum five (5) years of experience with industrial electrical controls, hardware, software, and programmable logic controllers (PLC).

Licenses
Possession and maintenance of a State of Michigan driver’s license.

Knowledge & Skills

  • SCADA and HMI programming, PLC programming, analytics, RTU programming, and water billing systems

  • Servers, switches, RTUs, and industrial control systems

  • Microsoft networks, Ethernet systems, fiber optics, and radio communications

  • Maintenance management systems and water metering software

  • Purchasing, contract management, and vendor coordination

Preferred Technical Experience

  • RS Logix 5, RS Logix 500, ControlLogix

  • Wonderware, InTouch, Historian, SQL

  • C-Cure Door Access Systems

  • EAM Maintenance Management Software

  • Sensus Analytics Automatic Meter Reading Systems


Ability to
  • Manage multiple projects and objectives simultaneously.
  • Become proficient in various departmental related software.
  • Manage system analysis in the areas of network development and industrial controls.
  • Manage the implementation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of fiber optics and associated equipment.
  • Analyze complex information, identify and resolve problems, communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and work collaboratively as part of a team.

Working Conditions:

Work Environment
Work is generally performed in an office environment with occasional risk of electrical shock.  Limited exposure to noise, high voltage, and confined space.

Physical Demands

  • Infrequent exertion of up to 25 pounds of force.
  • Regularly requires sitting and occasionally requires standing and walking.
  • Occasional climbing of stairs, balancing, fine manipulation using hands and fingers to type and operate a computer keyboard, mouse and drive a city vehicle.
  • Standard vision requirements with the ability to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer
  • Standard hearing requirements to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
  • Vocal communication is required for expressing detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly, and/or quickly.