Automation & OT Engineer

Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural technology and innovation, employs 60,000 people across more than 100 countries to transform agriculture through tailor-made solutions for farmers, society, and our planet. Our diverse portfolio encompasses seeds, crop protection, nutrition products, agronomic solutions, and digital services, all designed to help farmers produce healthy food, feed, fiber, and fuel while conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Our mission is to address critical challenges such as climate change and food security through sustainable practices and cutting-edge solutions, while safeguarding the planet's resources. 

Syngenta Crop Protection, the largest Syngenta Group unit, leads in sustainable farming solutions, offering innovative products to keep crops healthy while minimizing environmental impact, from planting to harvest. 

At Syngenta, our goal is to build the most collaborative and trustworthy team in agriculture, providing top-quality seeds and innovative crop protection solutions that improve farmers' success. To support this mission, Syngenta’s Manufacturing & Engineering team is seeking an Automation & OT Engineer in Porriño.

This role will support the delivery of safe, reliable and secure manufacturing operations by acting as the site technical expert for automation systems, industrial control systems, OT networks and OT cybersecurity, ensuring compliance with relevant industry standards and Syngenta IT/OT security requirements.

Accountabilities:

• Develop, implement and maintain OT cybersecurity frameworks for industrial control systems, aligned with ISA/IEC 62443, industry best practice and Syngenta IT/OT security policies, including risk assessments and vulnerability management.
• Design, manage and secure OT network infrastructure, including network segmentation, firewalls, VPNs, secure protocols, access controls, IT/OT boundaries and demilitarized zones to protect DCS, PLC, SCADA and HMI systems.
• Monitor, detect and respond to OT security threats using tools such as SIEM, intrusion detection, anomaly detection and vulnerability scanning, supporting incident response and remediation while minimizing impact on production.
• Maintain, optimize and troubleshoot automation systems, including control logic, process graphics, alarms, historian databases and system performance, working closely with operations and maintenance teams to maximize uptime.
• Support system resilience, functional safety, disaster recovery and capital projects by ensuring new and existing automation and OT systems are secure, recoverable and compliant from design through commissioning.
• Manage OT system lifecycle activities, including patching, updates, obsolescence management, vendor coordination, technical documentation, automation standards and training for operations, maintenance and engineering teams.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Network Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ hands-on experience in operational technology, industrial automation, industrial networks, or cybersecurity within manufacturing or process industry environments.
• Experience implementing OT cybersecurity controls in industrial control system environments.
• Experience with SIEM, intrusion detection, vulnerability scanning, threat modelling and/or incident response in OT environments.
• Experience working across IT, operations, maintenance, engineering and cybersecurity teams.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of OT cybersecurity standards and best practices, particularly ISA/IEC 62443.
• Strong understanding of industrial network architecture, protocols and secure communication, including firewalls, VPNs, Profibus, Profinet, Modbus, OPC-UA and/or EtherNet/IP.
• Working knowledge of DCS, PLC, SCADA and HMI system architectures, including operational requirements, security risks and secure configuration principles.
• Understanding of IT/OT integration patterns, secure enterprise-control network boundaries, and data models such as ISA 88 and ISA 95.
• Knowledge of functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 and/or ISA S92, and how these intersect with cybersecurity and system resilience in industrial environments.
• Strong problem solving skills and ability to respond to complex technical or security issues under operational pressure.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Strong/native communication skills in Spanish, both written and spoken, plus strong written and spoken English.

What we offer

• A culture that promotes work/life balance and celebrates diversity.
• Extensive benefits package including a pension plan scheme, bonus, life insurance & a pool of flexible benefits to choose (Ticket Restaurant, WellHub, etc.)
• A role that contributes to valuable and impactful work in a stimulating and international environment.
• Learning culture and a wide range of development options, including access to learning platforms (Degreed and LinkedIn Learning)

Equal Opportunity

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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