SCADA / Telecom Architect

Position Title: SCADA / Telecom Architect
Organization: Ten X Group
Work Arrangement: Full-time or project-based annual contract, subject to assignment
Location: Syria - as assigned, including remote, austere, and complex operating environments
Reports To: Program Technical Lead / Digital Infrastructure Lead / Authorized Project Executive

Position Summary

The SCADA / Telecom Architect is responsible for the planning, architecture, integration, and technical assurance of utility telecommunications, operational communications, SCADA, RTU, substation automation, control center visibility, and cybersecurity baseline requirements for high-voltage transmission and substation infrastructure programs.

This role provides end-to-end technical leadership for communications and control system architecture across transmission lines, substations, interconnections, and dispatch interfaces. The position requires a senior specialist with direct experience in utility operational technology environments and the ability to convert fragmented or legacy communications and control environments into resilient, interoperable, secure, and commissionable systems suitable for modern grid operations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

· Lead the design and review of telecom and SCADA architecture for transmission backbone, substation rehabilitation, and interconnection programs.

· Define the end-to-end communications topology for transmission and substation assets, including primary and backup paths, routing logic, latency considerations, and redundancy philosophy.

· Develop and review utility telecom solutions involving OPGW, SDH/MPLS-TP/IP-based utility networks, microwave, fiber termination systems, multiplexing, and related substation telecom infrastructure.

· Define SCADA, RTU, gateway, historian, HMI, alarm management, SOE, and dispatch visibility requirements for substations and interconnected assets.

· Establish substation automation and remote-control architecture requirements, including IED integration, control logic interfaces, time synchronization, and event management.

· Coordinate with Protection & Control, substation, transmission line, and control center teams to ensure full alignment of teleprotection, operational data exchange, remote commands, and disturbance monitoring.

· Review and define interface requirements for OPGW integration, fiber allocation philosophy, telecom cabinet arrangements, network segmentation, and routing priorities.

· Lead the preparation or review of telecom and SCADA technical specifications, architecture drawings, signal lists, bandwidth analyses, cybersecurity baseline controls, FAT/SAT requirements, and commissioning procedures.

· Support procurement strategy, technical bid evaluation, vendor review, design submittal review, and implementation-phase technical clarification.

· Define minimum cybersecurity controls for operational technology environments, including segmentation, access control, audit logging, remote access governance, backup/restore logic, and incident response readiness.

· Participate in testing, loop checks, protocol validation, network performance testing, SCADA point-to-point verification, and control system commissioning.

· Support post-energization stabilization, defect resolution, documentation closeout, and operational handover to utility or operator teams.

· Ensure that all telecom and SCADA solutions are fit for purpose, maintainable, interoperable, and aligned with grid reliability and operator usability requirements.

Minimum Required Education

· Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or closely related discipline from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education

· Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Power Systems, Control Systems, Cybersecurity, Digital Infrastructure, or related field.

· Specialized postgraduate training in utility communications, SCADA architecture, or critical infrastructure OT systems is advantageous.

Minimum Required Experience

· Minimum 8 years of directly relevant experience in utility telecom, SCADA, substation automation, OT systems, or related critical infrastructure communications environments.

· Minimum 5 years of experience supporting HV/EHV substations, transmission networks, control systems, or utility operational communications.

· Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, reviewing, or commissioning utility-grade telecom and SCADA systems.

· Demonstrated experience supporting brownfield upgrades, legacy integration, or multi-vendor operational environments.

Required Technical Experience

Candidates should demonstrate substantial experience in most of the following:

· Utility telecom network architecture

· SCADA and RTU systems

· Substation automation systems

· OPGW-based communications infrastructure

· Fiber optic transmission systems and terminations

· Utility WAN/LAN design for substations and dispatch environments

· Tele-protection communications support requirements

· Protocols and integrations relevant to utility operations

· Gateway and data concentration architectures

· Time synchronization systems

· HMI, alarm, SOE, and event management systems

· Control center and dispatch visibility requirements

· Brownfield integration of legacy and modern systems

· FAT, SAT, loop checks, point-to-point testing, and commissioning

· OT cybersecurity baseline controls for utility environments

Preferred Sector Experience

Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

· National grid modernization or backbone rehabilitation programs

· Transmission and interconnection communications systems

· Cross-border interconnection visibility and control environments

· Donor-funded, lender-reviewed, utility, EPC, or owner’s engineer assignments

· Fragile, post-conflict, or security-constrained infrastructure programs

· Legacy SCADA replacement or partial migration environments

· Operational substations requiring staged digital cutovers

Required Certifications / Licenses

At least one of the following is strongly preferred, and candidates with multiple credentials will be prioritized:

· Professional Engineer / Chartered Engineer / equivalent engineering licensure in a relevant jurisdiction, where applicable

· Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to field locations as required

· Recognized electrical, telecom, or industrial safety training relevant to field and commissioning environments

Preferred Certifications

· CCNP, CCIE, JNCIP, or equivalent network engineering certification

· IEC 61850, utility automation, or SCADA platform certification/training

· Fiber optic installation, testing, or telecom systems certification

· CISSP, GICSP, ISA/IEC 62443, Security+, or equivalent OT/cybersecurity certification

· OEM-specific SCADA, RTU, SAS, or telecom system training

· PMP or equivalent project management certification

· OSHA, IOSH, NEBOSH, or equivalent safety certification

Core Competencies

· Utility telecom and SCADA architecture

· OT systems integration

· Network resiliency and redundancy planning

· Operational usability and maintainability focus

· Cybersecurity-aware engineering judgment

· Interface management across telecom, P&C, and operations

· Technical specification development

· FAT/SAT and commissioning rigor

· Troubleshooting and root-cause analysis

· High-standard technical documentation

Functional Skills

· Ability to design practical, utility-grade telecom and SCADA architectures for brownfield and greenfield environments

· Ability to define resilient communications paths and avoid single points of failure

· Ability to coordinate complex interfaces between OPGW, telecom nodes, RTUs, IEDs, gateways, and control centers

· Ability to assess legacy systems and determine migration, integration, or replacement pathways

· Ability to establish minimum viable OT cybersecurity controls without compromising operational practicality

· Ability to review vendor architectures and identify technical gaps early

· Ability to support commissioning teams through system bring-up, signal validation, and operational acceptance

Language Requirements

· Professional fluency in English, written and spoken, is required.

· Arabic is highly desirable.

· Additional regional language capability is advantageous but not required.

Deliverables Typically Expected

· Telecom and SCADA architecture narratives

· Communications topology diagrams

· OPGW and fiber utilization/interface requirements

· SCADA point list and signal mapping review inputs

· RTU/gateway/integration specifications

· Network redundancy and routing strategy memoranda

· Cybersecurity baseline control requirements

· FAT/SAT procedures and test scripts

· Point-to-point and commissioning checklists

· Operational handover and as-built documentation inputs

Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Contract length: 12 months

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Dubai: Reliably commute or willing to relocate with an employer-provided relocation package (Required)

Education:

• Master's (Required)

Experience:

• utility telecom, SCADA, substation automation: 8 years (Required)
• OT systems: 8 years (Required)

Location:

• Dubai (Preferred)

Willingness to travel:

• 75% (Required)

Work Location: In person