| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Energy and Solar |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Solar Plant Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 7 years in SCADA or plant automation |
SCADA Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: SCADA Engineer
Department: Energy and Solar
Reports to: Solar Plant Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A SCADA Engineer looks after the monitoring and control system that runs a solar or power plant remotely. They configure and maintain the SCADA, keep data flowing from field devices, resolve communication faults, and support performance monitoring and reporting. The role reports to the Solar Plant Manager or O and M Head. A good SCADA engineer keeps the monitoring system reliable so the plant is always visible and controllable, fixes data and communication issues fast, and gives the team trustworthy data to run the plant.
Key responsibilities
- Configure and maintain the SCADA system and its screens, tags and alarms.
- Keep data flowing from inverters, meters, weather stations and field devices.
- Diagnose and fix communication and data faults across the plant network.
- Set up and maintain remote monitoring, control and alarm management.
- Support plant performance monitoring with accurate and complete SCADA data.
- Integrate new equipment and sensors into the SCADA system.
- Maintain the plant's communication network, RTUs and data loggers.
- Manage cyber security basics and access control for the control system.
- Generate generation and performance reports from the SCADA system regularly.
- Keep SCADA configuration backups and documentation up to date.
Requirements
- Engineering degree in electrical, electronics or instrumentation
- SCADA or automation training
- Networking knowledge is an advantage
- 3 to 7 years in SCADA or plant automation
KRAs and KPIs for a SCADA Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| SCADA uptime | SCADA and monitoring availability kept above the target each month |
| Data completeness | Field data captured with gaps below the agreed level |
| Fault resolution | Communication and data faults resolved within the target time |
| Alarm management | Critical alarms configured and acted on with no missed event |
| Reporting | Generation and performance reports generated accurately on schedule |
| Security and backup | Access control and configuration backups maintained with no lapse |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SCADA software, Modbus and communication tools, Network switches and RTUs, Data loggers, Diagnostic laptop.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior SCADA Engineer, Monitoring Head, Control Systems Manager
Interview questions for a SCADA Engineer
- How do you diagnose a loss of data from a string of inverters?
- How do you configure alarms so operators see what matters?
- How do you keep SCADA data complete for performance reporting?
- What communication protocols do you work with in a solar plant?
- How do you handle cyber security basics for a control system?
- Tell me about a SCADA or communication problem you solved.
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What does a SCADA engineer do?
A SCADA engineer looks after the monitoring and control system that runs a solar or power plant remotely. They configure and maintain the SCADA, keep data flowing from field devices, resolve communication faults, and support performance monitoring and reporting. They keep the plant visible and controllable and give the team trustworthy data to run it.
What is SCADA in a solar plant?
SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. In a solar plant it is the system that collects data from inverters, meters, weather stations and other devices, displays it on screens, raises alarms, and allows remote monitoring and some control. It lets operators see and manage the plant's performance from a control room.
What qualifications do you need to be a SCADA engineer?
Most SCADA engineers hold an engineering degree in electrical, electronics or instrumentation, with SCADA or automation training. Networking knowledge is an advantage. Employers look for skill in SCADA configuration, industrial communication protocols, fault diagnosis and data management, along with an understanding of control system cyber security basics.