[Hiring] Data Center Senior PLC Technician @ABB

Role Description

As a Data Center Sr. PLC Technician, you will be responsible for independent technical leadership for the pre-startup, startup, commissioning, modification, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting of ABB paralleling switchgear and controls in mission-critical power applications. The successful candidate will, among other duties, lead complex on-site activities, guide junior field resources, and serve as a trusted technical interface for customers, contractors, commissioning agents, project teams, and design engineering.

The work model for the role is: Remote in the US. This is a highly travel-intensive position requiring extensive nationwide travel to customer locations across the United States. Success in this role requires the ability and willingness to spend significant time traveling and working at customer sites. Candidates seeking limited travel should carefully consider this requirement before applying. Comprehensive travel accommodations, lodging, and per diem are provided.

Your Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and execute complex field assignments involving Paralleling Switchgear and other PLC/Relay transfer schemes during pre-startup, full startup, commissioning, modifications, preventive maintenance, and emergency troubleshooting.
• Lead functional and integrated testing of emergency/standby power systems, including open-transition and closed-transition sequences, hard and soft transfers, load add/shed, utility-generator paralleling, import/export, and baseload applications.
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot generator controls, generator load-sharing systems, protective relays, switchgear controls, meters, breakers, PLCs, HMIs/ACS platforms, and associated communications.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting and authorized modifications of PLC ladder logic, PLC I/O, communications, sequencing, and ACS parameters using approved engineering documentation and change-control practices.
• Establish and troubleshoot Modbus, PLC-to-PLC, redundant PLC, remote PLC, PLC-to-ACS, and customer BMS/EPMS/SCADA communications.
• Interpret one-line diagrams, elementary schematics, interconnection drawings, sequence-of-operations documents, coordination studies, settings files, and commissioning procedures.
• Lead on-site technical execution, coordinate daily work, communicate status and risks, manage punch-list closure, and support on-time, on-budget completion of complex or high-profile projects.
• Direct and mentor junior field engineers and technicians, assign work within demonstrated competencies, and provide practical coaching on safe execution, troubleshooting, documentation, and customer communication.
• Act as a senior escalation resource for high-level remote and on-site troubleshooting, including emergency response where assigned.
• Complete accurate field service reports, startup checklists, redlines, test documentation, software backups, time entry, expense reporting, and customer-facing status updates.
• Protect ABB and customer assets, control job costs and expenditures, and identify opportunities to improve quality, productivity, and service delivery.
• Build effective customer relationships by translating complex technical findings into clear actions, recommendations, risks, and recovery plans.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED with 7+ years of relevant field experience, or an associate or bachelor degree with 5+ years in a related field.
• Demonstrated independent field capability on highly complex assignments.
• Advanced experience with low- and medium-voltage switchgear, circuit breakers, protective relays, generator controls, PLC-based controls, HMIs/ACS, industrial networking, and mission-critical power systems.
• Hands-on experience leading startup and commissioning activities, coordinating energization and switching, troubleshooting under schedule pressure, and directing multi-person site teams.
• Ability to read, interpret, and redline complex electrical and control drawings and to apply approved engineering methods in the field.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, customer communication, technical reporting, and field leadership skills.
• Ability to travel extensively within the United States and remain at customer sites for extended assignments based on project demand.
• Ability to meet ABB and customer site access, electrical safety, training, and personal protective equipment requirements.
• Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States without requiring ABB sponsorship, where applicable to the requisition.

Preferred Technical Experience

• ABB Energy Commander or comparable paralleling switchgear and controls.
• GE/Emerson RX3i PLCs and Proficy Machine Edition; ABB AC500 and Automation Builder; CP600 HMI/Panel Builder; Cimplicity or comparable supervisory platforms.
• Woodward EasyGen and LS5 generator controls and load-sharing systems.
• ABB, SEL/Schweitzer, Multilin, Basler, or Woodward protective relays and associated testing or configuration tools.
• Modbus, industrial Ethernet, fiber-optic networks, redundant control networks, BMS, EPMS, and SCADA integration.
• Low- and medium-voltage breaker testing, CT/PT verification, relay testing, primary/secondary injection, turns-ratio, winding-resistance, insulation, power-factor, hipot, phase-rotation, and related commissioning test equipment.
• Utility paralleling, emergency standby generation, complex load management, data center commissioning, and coordination with third-party commissioning agents.

Benefits

• Choice between two medical plan options: A PPO plan called the Copay Plan OR a High Deductible Health Plan (with a Health Savings Account) called the High Deductible Plan.
• Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus.
• Vision benefit.
• Company paid life insurance (2X base pay).
• Company paid AD&D (1X base pay).
• Voluntary life and AD&D – 100% employee paid up to maximums.
• Short Term Disability – up to 26 weeks – Company paid.
• Long Term Disability – 60% of pay – Company paid. Ability to “buy-up” to 66 2/3% of pay.
• Supplemental benefits – 100% employee paid (Accident insurance, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance).
• Parental Leave – up to 6 weeks.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Health Advocate support resources for mental/behavioral health, general health navigation and virtual health, and infertility/adoption.
• Employee discount program.
• 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions.
• Employee Stock Acquisition Plan (ESAP).
• ABB provides 11 paid holidays. Vacation is provided based on years of service for hourly and non-exempt positions.