Software Solutions Engineer I

Purified tap water, food and beverage production, massive data centers, and advanced manufacturing facilities all depend on industrial software that can't go down. As a Software Solutions Engineer I, you'll be the person customers call when something breaks, working through root causes with them in real time. This role is part of Inductive Automation's national expansion into our brand-new Columbia, Maryland office. You'll work alongside the engineers who built our Software Support Services division into the best in the business, and you'll collaborate directly with colleagues at our headquarters in Folsom, California. You'll also get to know industrial automation from the front row, working with end users and system integrators who are building the future of industrial tech. This is a full-time role with on-site work required Monday-Friday from 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Whether your background is in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering/Controls, you'll help bridge Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT). ## You'll like this job if You love connecting the dots between a timestamp, a cryptic error message, and a weird software behavior. You see a complex failure as a puzzle, and you won't walk away until you find the root cause. You're also patient and warm with people, even when they're stressed. You like working as part of a team with both colleagues and customers, in an environment where everyone steps up to help where needed. ## Responsibilities - Solving hard problems: Owning complex technical cases, writing and debugging different coding languages, tracking down root-cause architectural issues across platforms, and navigating issues spanning multiple layers and different technologies. - Working directly with customers: Helping customers and system integrators by phone and email, whether they're technical or not, and keeping them informed while you work. - Getting very good at root-cause analysis: Building diagnostic skills that will serve you for your whole career. - Documenting as you go: Keeping clear records of ticket progress, issue breakdowns, and resolutions. They become the knowledgebase articles of tomorrow. - Leaving your fingerprints on Ignition: Proposing enhancements, advocating for fixes, and partnering with Software Engineering to shape future releases. - Growing with the work: Level I is the start of a path through the Senior Software Solutions Engineer role, where you'll take on the toughest cases and help train the next engineers in. - Getting Ignition Certified: Completing Core and Gold Ignition certifications funded by Inductive Automation before touching a live customer system. - Being part of a global team: Collaborating with colleagues at our Folsom, California headquarters and Australia branch. ## Requirements - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechatronics, or equivalent hands-on experience with SCADA systems, PLCs, or industrial control networks is required. - Comfort writing code (Java, Python, etc.) and SQL queries. - Familiarity with relational databases (MS SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, etc.) and how tables relate. - Experience with Windows, Linux, and macOS; command line skills are a plus. - Comfort troubleshooting live alongside customers. - Confidence learning unfamiliar subjects on the fly. - Strong written and verbal communication, and the ability to listen, acknowledge frustration, and steer a tense situation toward a solution. - Must be able to work on-site, Monday - Friday from 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM. ## Preferred - Customer Service experience. - Experience with PLCs (Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Omron, Siemens, etc.), HMIs, or industrial networks. - Experience with Ignition or other SCADA/HMI platforms.