OT Engineer - 12 Month Initial Contract - Hybrid in North East - Inside IR35

OT Engineer - 12 Month Initial Contract - Hybrid in North East - Inside IR35

Role Overview

An experienced OT SME/Engineer to support a critical Encryption and Key Management programme within a power sector cybersecurity team. The position covers HSM implementation, PKI integration, cryptography, and Certificate Lifecycle Management specifically within an Operational Technology environment. The role requires a specialist who can bridge OT operations and IT security teams, with the ability to work on and near substation and control-centre sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide OT/ICS expertise across power sector control systems including SCADA, DCS, RTUs, IEDs, and HMIs, advising on network segmentation, asset criticality, and OT change management processes.
• Support the deployment and implementation of Hardware Security Modules into OT environments, including both network-attached control centre and ruggedised edge/substation form factors.
• Advise on PKI integration with HSM-backed infrastructure, supporting CA architecture and certificate issuance and renewal processes for IEDs and RTUs at device scale.
• Provide input on IT/OT boundary architecture, zone and conduit design, and DMZ design for security tooling placed at or near OT networks.
• Support proof-of-concept testing of HSM deployments in OT lab or test environments, and contribute to Certificate Lifecycle Management requirements gathering across the programme.

Top 5 Skills

• OT/ICS environment expertise - Hands-on experience with power sector control systems (SCADA, DCS, RTUs, IEDs, HMIs) and strong familiarity with the Purdue Model for network segmentation, alongside OT change management, maintenance windows, and safety case requirements.
• OT protocol knowledge - Working knowledge of industrial protocols including DNP3 (SAv5), IEC 61850 (GOOSE/MMS), Modbus, and IEC 62351 for securing power system communications.
• HSM deployment in OT environments - Direct involvement or strong working knowledge of deploying Hardware Security Modules into OT environments, including substation and control centre form factors and integration into live OT infrastructure.
• PKI & certificate life cycle management - Understanding of CA architecture, certificate issuance and renewal processes, HSM-backed PKI integration, and certificate life cycle automation needs for OT device populations.
• Regulatory compliance & stakeholder engagement - Working knowledge of NERC CIP, NCSC CAF, and IEC 62443-3-3, with strong communication skills to act as the bridge between OT operations teams and IT security/project delivery functions; willingness to work on substation and control-centre sites is essential.

Contract Details:

• Rate: £450 per day Inside IR35
• Location: Hybrid in North East
• Duration: 12 Month Initial Contract