Lead Sales Engineer

Acuity Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is a market-leading industrial technology company. We use technology to solve problems in spaces, light and more things to come. Through our two business segments, Acuity Brands Lighting (ABL) and Acuity Intelligent Spaces (AIS), we design, manufacture, and bring to market products and services that make a valuable difference in people’s lives.

We achieve growth through the development of innovative new products and services, including lighting, lighting controls, building management solutions, and an audio, video and control platform. We focus on customer outcomes and drive growth and productivity to increase market share and deliver superior returns. We look to aggressively deploy capital to grow the business and to enter attractive new verticals.

Acuity Inc. is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations across North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is powered by approximately 13,000 dedicated and talented associates. Visit us at www.acuityinc.com.

Job Summary

Acuity Intelligent Spaces (AIS) is an innovation leader in building, refrigeration, industrial automation, and energy management solutions, delivering technologies and services that optimize performance, reliability, resiliency, and operational efficiency. We connect people with intelligent solutions through our passion for innovation, quality, customer satisfaction, and sustainability.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Solutions Architecture, the Lead Solutions Architect, Data Center Controls, serves as a high-impact technical leader responsible for packaging, and enabling advanced control system architectures for mission-critical environments.

This role requires deep expertise Data Center infrastructure, industrial networking, edge-to-cloud integration technologies, and control solutions such as, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). The successful candidate will work closely with customers, sales, product management, engineering, and strategic partners to define and deliver scalable automation solutions that leverage PLC, SCADA, DDC, BMS, DCIM, and Industrial IoT technologies.

The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience with CODESYS-based control platforms, Data Center cooling and power infrastructure, and modern industrial communication technologies including Modbus, EtherCAT, MQTT, Sparkplug B, OPC UA, Redfish and Ignition.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

Solution Architecture & Application Support

• Architect and design support for advanced PLC-based automation and control solutions for Data Centers cooling systems and related mission-critical applications.
• Develop scalable control architectures that integrate cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, energy monitoring, building management systems, and Industrial IoT platforms.
• Create reference architectures, solution blueprints, and deployment standards that support enterprise-scale implementations.

Data Center Automation Expertise

• Serve as a subject matter expert for Data Center control applications, including:
• Cooling Towers
• Chillers and cooling plants
• CRAH/CRAC equipment
• FDU/CDU equipment
• Pumping and water-side economization
• Modern liquid cooling systems
• Electrical distribution monitoring
• Energy optimization strategies
• Critical facility monitoring and alarming
• Support customers in improving resiliency, uptime, operational efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.

PLC & Controls Leadership

• Lead the development and review of PLC control strategies using CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 programming languages.
• Provide expertise in Structured Text (ST), Function Block Diagram (FBD), Sequential Function Chart (SFC), and Ladder Logic programming methodologies.
• Support proof-of-concept mock-ups, solution validation, and field pilot deployment activities.

Industrial Networking & Integration

• Design and validate secure industrial communication architectures utilizing:
• Modbus TCP/IP and RTU
• EtherCAT
• OPC UA
• MQTT
• Sparkplug B
• Redfish
• BACnet/IP
• REST APIs
• Ensure interoperability between PLC, SCADA, BMS, Data Center infrastructure management, cloud, and enterprise systems.

Ignition & IIoT Platforms

• Design and support supervisory control and monitoring solutions utilizing Ignition and Ignition Edge.
• Develop architectures leveraging MQTT and Sparkplug B to enable enterprise-wide data collection and operational visibility.
• Collaborate with software and product teams to advance edge-to-cloud data strategies.

Customer & Partner Engagement

• Act as a trusted advisor to customers, consultants, system integrators, and OEM partners.
• Conduct technical discovery workshops, site assessments, architecture reviews, and solution envisioning sessions.
• Support strategic opportunities and complex pursuits requiring senior technical leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Management, R&D, Sales Engineering, and Technical Support teams to influence product direction and commercialization plans.
• Collect and communicate Voice of Customer (VoC) feedback to drive product innovation and continuous improvement.

Technical Leadership & Innovation

• Support technical team members and contribute to best-practice documentation, training programs, and architecture standards.
• Stay current with emerging technologies in industrial automation, edge computing, AI-driven operations, digital twins, and Data Center management.

Skills and Minimum Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, PLC programming, system integration, controls engineering, or solutions architecture.
• Extensive experience with PLC platforms and industrial control systems.
• Advanced experience with CODESYS development environments and IEC 61131-3 programming methodologies.
• Demonstrated knowledge and direct experience of Data Center infrastructure and mission-critical facility operations, such as cooling, electrical infrastructure, and management systems.
• Hands-on experience with:
• Modbus TCP/IP and RTU
• EtherCAT
• MQTT
• Sparkplug B
• Redfish
• OPC UA
• BACnet/IP
• Experience designing and deploying Ignition or Ignition Edge solutions.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, cybersecurity, segmentation, and secure remote access architectures.
• Experience integrating PLC, SCADA, BMS, DCIM, cloud, and enterprise systems.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and technical documentation skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with containerized applications including Docker and Kubernetes.
• Knowledge of Azure, AWS, or edge computing architectures.
• Familiarity with machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twins, and operational optimization platforms.
• Industry certifications related to industrial automation, networking, cybersecurity, or Data Center operations.
• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise or hyperscale Data Center deployments.

Other

Additional Information

• Travel up to 30% may be required to support customer engagements, strategic projects, industry events, and demonstration activities.
• Flexibility to adapt to evolving market conditions and customer requirements.

The range for this position is $150,000 to $200,000. Placement within this range may vary, depending on the applicant’s experience and geographic location. Acuity offers generous benefits including health care, dental coverage, vision plans, 401K benefits, and commissions/incentive compensation depending on the role. For a list of our benefits, click here.

We value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regards to race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity or national origin, disability, pregnancy, religion, covered veteran status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please click here and here for more information.

Accommodation for Applicants with Disabilities: As an equal opportunity employer, Acuity Inc. is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in its application process for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you have difficulty using our online system due to a disability and need an accommodation, you may contact us at (770) 922-9000, select option 4. Please clearly indicate what type of accommodation you are requesting and for what requisition.

Any unsolicited resumes sent to Acuity Inc. from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to an Acuity Inc. mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Acuity Inc. employees, or to Acuity Inc. resume database will be considered Acuity Inc. property. Acuity Inc. will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

Acuity Inc. will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes any Agency that is an approved/engaged vendor, but does not have the appropriate approvals to be engaged on a search.

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