The Senior SCADA/Telemetry Supervisor – Lab Utilities plays a critical leadership role in managing the SCADA and telemetry infrastructure that supports essential laboratory utility systems (HVAC, water systems, compressed gases, etc.). This position is responsible for ensuring the reliability, compliance, and performance of these systems, while supervising a team of technicians and leading cross-functional integration with other automation and IT platforms.
Supervise the operations, maintenance, and performance of SCADA and telemetry systems for lab utilities.
Lead system upgrades, expansions, and troubleshooting across distributed control and data acquisition platforms.
Oversee installation, calibration, and integration of telemetry field devices such as sensors, transmitters, and flow meters.
Develop and enforce alarm and event management strategies, including escalation protocols.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (GMP, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, CLIA, ISO 17025).
Coordinate validation activities including FAT, SAT, and IQ/OQ/PQ for SCADA-related systems.
Support system cybersecurity, redundancy, backup, and disaster recovery strategies.
Provide leadership to technical staff, including task allocation, performance reviews, and skills training.
Collaborate with other departments to integrate SCADA systems with BMS, EMS, LIMS, and other platforms.
SCADA Architecture and Optimization
Design, manage, and continuously improve the SCADA infrastructure for lab-critical utilities.
Telemetry Field Device Integration
Ensure seamless and accurate integration of field sensors (temperature, pressure, flow, conductivity) into the SCADA system.
Alarm Management and Diagnostics
Implement effective alarm strategies to ensure proactive utility monitoring and minimize false positives.
System Validation and Documentation
Lead and document validation processes, ensuring full traceability and compliance with regulated laboratory standards.
Cybersecurity and Data Integrity
Enforce secure access, protect telemetry data, and comply with industry data integrity requirements.
Preventive Maintenance and Reliability
Oversee maintenance routines and use SCADA trend analysis to predict and prevent equipment failure.
Compliance and Audit Preparedness
Maintain readiness for regulatory inspections by ensuring documentation, change control, and operational procedures are always up to date.
Cross-Platform Integration
Facilitate communication between SCADA and platforms like BMS (Building Management), EMS (Environmental Monitoring), and LIMS.
Leadership and Team Supervision
Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of SCADA and field instrumentation technicians.
Innovation and Continuous Improvement
Drive automation enhancements, energy efficiency, and smarter telemetry solutions aligned with operational goals.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation, Electrical Engineering, Automation, or a related field.
Experience:
8+ years of experience in SCADA systems, with 3+ years in a supervisory or senior technical role, preferably in a regulated laboratory, biotech, or pharmaceutical setting.
Technical Skills:
SCADA platforms (Ignition, Siemens WinCC, Wonderware, iFIX)
PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider)
Communication protocols (Modbus, OPC UA, BACnet)
Alarm management and telemetry systems
Certifications (Preferred):
GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, SCADA/PLC programming, cybersecurity training