ICS/OT Cybersecurity & OS Specialist

Operating Systems

Standards, Compliance & Industry Monitoring

Cross-Functional Collaboration

What Makes This Role Unique

What We're Looking For – Required Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of cybersecurity experience specifically in industrial control systems (ICS) / operational technology (OT) environments, including exposure to PLCs.
• This is not a standard IT/enterprise cybersecurity background; candidates with less experience but strong OT/ICS fundamentals and trajectory will also be considered.
• Deep understanding of cybersecurity fundamental concepts, such as encryption and certificate handling, including the ability to teach others (e.g., sales and application engineers) how certificates work and how to apply them in Beckhoff products.
• Technical understanding in automation technology.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of operating systems (Linux, Windows, optionally FreeBSD) — installation, imaging, baseline configuration, and hardening/security best practices (e.g., default password changes, firewall configuration), sufficient to guide imaging processes, advise customers, and support best-practices documentation.
• Familiarity with industrial and IT communication protocols and their security implementations (e.g., MQTT, mTLS).
• Working familiarity with relevant standards and regulatory frameworks: IEC 62443, EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), NIST guidance, and emerging North American federal/state requirements (executive orders, DHS/CISA directives, and similar).
• Comfortable tracking and interpreting new and emerging requirements as they are published, rather than working from a fixed, static body of knowledge.
• Experience supporting pre-sales activities, such as completing security assessment questionnaires and articulating vulnerability handling and security incident response procedures to prospective customers.
• Experience developing training materials, presentations, and documentation for internal audiences (sales and application engineers) as well as customer-facing use, ideally in coordination with global/HQ colleagues.
• Relevant certifications preferred (not required): GICSP, ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Specialist (any track), CISSP, INL Control System Cyber Training, CISA OT Training, or CompTIA Security+.
• Willingness to travel approximately 20-25%, with variation month to month based on customer, training, or industry organization engagement needs.

Soft Skills

• More intellectual than purely practical, but able to go hands-on when needed to establish credibility and validate recommendations.
• Dedicated to structured work and formal processes.
• Ability to think very abstractly, while translating that thinking into concrete, actionable guidance.
• Ability to collect and handle comprehensive confidential information from customers and treat it seriously under NDA.
• Ability to read and understand complex, abstract technical standards.
• Fluent in precise writing; able to write complex things down in simple terms.
• Comfortable teaching and consulting; able to guide both customers and internal colleagues through unfamiliar technical material, implementation strategies, and proof-of-concept testing.
• Strong presentation skills; comfortable speaking to audiences ranging from plant-floor engineers to senior IT/OT security leadership at large end-user accounts.
• Ability to translate technical depth appropriately for different audiences, adjusting vocabulary and detail level as needed.
• Relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, given the ongoing, named-account nature of customer engagement.
• Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally and cross-culturally with global/HQ (Germany) teams.
• Dedicated to finding solutions instead of pointing out issues.
• Able to operate independently and represent the organization credibly in front of customers, without close supervision.

Preferred, S kills & Qualifications, not required.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of container technologies (e.g., Docker), building, deploying, and understanding the surrounding tooling and security implications, sufficient to support implementation and proof-of-concept work.

Work Location

• This position offers flexibility for remote or hybrid work within the United States, with regular travel to customer sites as outlined below.

Travel

Benefits

• At Beckhoff Automation USA, our privately held, family-owned culture empowers candid collaboration, the freedom to create innovative solutions, and strong relationships built around cutting-edge technology and shared purpose.
• Generous Paid Time Off + 12 Paid Holidays
• Employer paid High-Deductible Medical plan , Dental, and Vision for Employee + Family!
• 401(k) with up to 6% employer match
• Employer-Paid Insurance: Life, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Elective Benefits: Accident, Critical Illness, Indemnity, and Pet Insurance
• Professional Development Opportunities

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation:
• Ability to stand and sit for extended periods.
• Including the ability to travel via air and ground transportation, and to drive as needed for customer visits.
• Ability to use a computer screen for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds occasionally (e.g., laptop, demo equipment).
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and move as needed to perform job duties.
• Manual dexterity for operating tools and equipment.
• Adequate vision and hearing to perform essential tasks safely.

About Beckhoff