HMI Software Architect

FORTNA partners with the world's leading brands to transform omnichannel and parcel distribution operations. Known world-wide for enabling companies to keep pace with digital disruption and growth objectives, we design and deliver solutions, powered by intelligent software, to optimize fast, accurate and cost-effective order fulfillment and last mile delivery. Our people, innovative approach and proprietary algorithms and tools ensure optimal operations design and material and information flow. We deliver exceptional value every day to our customers with comprehensive services and products including network strategy, distribution center operational design and implementation, material handling automated equipment, robotics and a comprehensive suite of lifecycle services.
At FORTNA, we believe in fostering a workplace that isn't just a job but a movement – a collective effort to redefine success and transform challenges into opportunities. "Join the Movement" encapsulates our commitment to a workplace culture that thrives on collaboration, celebrates diversity, and empowers every individual to contribute to something greater than themselves. Our Team. Our Passion. Our Approach.
We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary professional to lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable industrial automation solutions using Inductive Automation's Ignition platform. This role is critical in bridging operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), ensuring robust, secure, and future-ready architectures for SCADA, HMI, and IIoT systems.

The ideal candidate will have deep experience with Ignition, a strong background in industrial control systems, and a solid understanding of modern IT security practices. You will work closely with cross-functional teams including controls engineers, IT security professionals, and business stakeholders to deliver high-performance, secure, and maintainable automation solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and directly develop enterprise-grade Ignition-based SCADA/HMI systems across multiple facilities and environments.
• Lead the development of standardized Ignition templates and project structures for deployment across multiple sites and customers, ensuring consistency, scalability, and maintainability.
• Define and enforce best practices for tag management, UDTs, templates, and scripting.
• Collaborate with IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure secure integration with enterprise systems, databases, and cloud platforms.
• Implement role-based access control (RBAC), secure authentication (e.g., SSO, LDAP), and encrypted communications (SSL/TLS).
• Conduct code reviews, performance tuning, and system audits to ensure reliability and scalability.
• Stay current with Ignition platform updates, new modules, and industry trends in industrial automation and cybersecurity.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to developers and engineers working on Ignition projects.
• Support disaster recovery planning, backup strategies, and high-availability configurations.
• Document system architecture, design decisions, and standard operating procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Automation, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation, with at least 3 years focused on hands-on Ignition platform architecture and development.
• Inductive Automation Ignition Core Certification (Perspective)
• Strong proficiency in Python (Jython) scripting within Ignition.
• Experience with SQL databases, Microsoft SQL Server, and Postgres.
• Experience with Perspective & web basics (HTML/CSS/JS)
• Experience with various communication protocols (OPC UA, MQTT, API's, SSL/TCP)
• Deep understanding of network security, firewalls, VLANs, and secure data transmission in OT environments.
• Familiarity with NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISA/IEC 62443, or similar standards.
• Proven ability to design redundant, fault-tolerant architectures for mission-critical systems.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes for deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications

Preferred Qualifications

• Inductive Automation Ignition Gold Certification (Perspective)
• Experience with OpenShift (Red Hat) or other enterprise Kubernetes platforms
• Familiarity with DevOps practices and version control (e.g., Git)
• Experienced in:
• Cloud integration (e.g., Azure IoT, AWS Greengrass).
• Regulated industries (e.g., food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, energy).
• Linux administration (RHEL)
• Database optimization (indexes, stored procedures, tuning)
• Ignition SDK & module development (create custom Java-based modules/components)
• Enterprise architecture (gateway networks, redundancy, security policies)
• SSO & Identity management (SAML, Active Directory, OAuth)
• CI/CD pipeline (Ignition specifically)
• Automated testing (Selenium/Playwright)
• Role-based access control
• Certificate management
• Agile/Scrum-based project delivery

The base salary range for this role is $100,700 to $151,100. This base salary range represents the low and high end of the base salary range for this position. Actual base salary offered will vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and performance.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected of a person assigned to this position. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. Employees may be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor.
It is the policy of FORTNA and its affiliated companies to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, citizenship status (if authorized to work in the U.S.), or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, FORTNA will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.