Industrial Control Systems Testbed Engineer

Job ID: 2600283

Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US

Date Posted: 2026-01-12

Category: Engineering and Sciences

Subcategory: Test Engineer

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: No

Minimum Clearance Required: TS/SCI

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None

Potential for Remote Work: No

Description

SAIC is seeking a hands-on and innovative ICS Testbed Engineer to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining physical, lab-based representations of large-scale Industrial Control Systems (ICS) driven by real-world Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). This role is critical to creating a high-fidelity environment for cyber capabilities testing, vulnerability research, and operator training. You will be the architect of a scaled-down, functional industrial world, enabling our cyber teams to develop and validate effects for critical national security missions. The ideal candidate will blend a deep understanding of industrial engineering and automation with a forward-thinking cybersecurity mindset.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and construct scaled-down, functional models of industrial environments using real-world hardware.
• Select, procure, wire, and install industrial components, utilizing simulations like LEDs to represent physical actuators and system states in a scaled environment.
• Program PLCs (using Ladder Logic, Structured Text, etc.) to accurately simulate realistic industrial processes.
• Architect and implement the associated Operational Technology (OT) networks using a variety of industrial protocols.
• Employ creative problem-solving to overcome integration challenges and replicate complex industrial scenarios in a lab setting.
• Create and maintain detailed system documentation, including network diagrams, electrical schematics, and Process & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs).
• Collaborate closely with cyber developers and researchers to integrate their tools and test exploits in a safe, controlled environment.
• Manage the lab environment, including hardware/software updates, configuration management, and troubleshooting of physical and digital systems.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree with 5 years of experience in roles related to industrial automation, control systems engineering, or operational technology. Additional experience can be used in lieu of a degree.
• Hands-on experience building and programming systems with major PLC brands including Siemens, Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley), Schneider Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, and ABB
• Proficiency in reading electrical schematics and industrial process diagrams.
• Familiarity with the security architecture and vulnerabilities of ICS/SCADA environments.
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python) for automation and task execution.

Highly Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Possession of an appropriate Intermediate or Advanced cybersecurity certification (minimum of CompTIA Security+ or similar).
• Prior experience in Department of War roles, particularly those involving Operational Technology (OT).
• Understanding of or hands-on experience with cyber operations, Red Teaming, or vulnerability assessments.
• Experience with 3D printing or custom fabrication techniques (e.g., model making) for creating system mock-ups, custom mounts, and enclosures.

Target salary range: $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.

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• Dice Id: 10111346
• Position Id: 2600283
• Posted 1 hour ago