Architect, Industrial and Operational Technology

Finding the right place to grow your career isn’t (over) easy, so we’re here to help by sharing a few reasons why the grass is greener at Vital Farms. We think you’ll appreciate our focus on Conscious Capitalism, which drives business decisions that benefit all our stakeholders (leading to even better business results). You might be drawn to our innovative approach and refusal to settle for the “way things have always been done.” Or you could find it exciting to grow your skills while working for an industry-leading brand. Whether you’re into our values, our brand, or our egg-cellent puns, we hope you’ll join our Crew and help us change the world 108 square feet at a time! At Vital Farms, we’re proud of the diverse communities we serve and the stakeholders who help bring our purpose to life. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where every crew member feels valued. We see this as one of our greatest strengths - and your role is key to helping us build on it.

Your Role:

At Vital Farms, we believe technology should empower sustainable, efficient, and innovative operations. Our Solution Delivery team bridges the gap between IT and operational technology, ensuring that our production, warehouse, and barn systems are seamlessly integrated into our enterprise architecture. As an Architect, Industrial and Operational Technology, you’ll play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and delivering industrial control and automation solutions that power our production, warehouse, and farm operations. You’ll be the go-to expert for Ignition by Inductive Automation, working closely with automation technicians, integration developers, and ERP developers to connect critical systems across the enterprise.

What You’ll Do:

• Ignition Development: Build and maintain applications using Ignition to integrate industrial systems with enterprise IT.
• Collaboration with Automation Techs: Partner with PLC specialists who manage egg production equipment to ensure seamless connectivity and control.
• Systems Integration: Work with integration and ERP developers to connect automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to our warehouse management system.
• Barn Automation: Lead efforts to connect barn automation technology into enterprise architecture, enabling smarter flock and barn management.

Innovation & Delivery: Participate in identifying, developing, and implementing new barn and flock management technologies for use in our growing pullet operations and our Accelerator Farms to envision farm management of the future.

• Software Practices: Apply strong software management practices to ensure scalable, reliable, and maintainable solutions.
• MES Development: Design and implement manufacturing execution systems (MES) to improve production visibility and efficiency.
• Create detailed technical documentation, including design specifications, data mappings, interface specifications, and integration test plans.
• Perform integration testing to validate data flows, message formats, and system interactions, and troubleshoot and resolve issues as needed.
• Collaborate with others to integrate custom-built applications with existing systems and third-party services platforms.

Develop tools and routines to monitor integration processes and performance metrics for IOT solutions that will identify bottlenecks and areas for ongoing optimization and implement enhancements to improve reliability, scalability, and efficiency. Support creation of user documentation for developed solutions and enable the rollout of training to crew on technology as part of transformation.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.

10+ years of experience in industrial systems integration roles, with extensive experience in industrial systems integration.

• Strong track record of designing and implementing industrial automation solutions in complex enterprise environments.
• Ability to travel 25% for team meetings, company offsites, employee onboarding trips and other business needs
• Hands-on expertise with Ignition by Inductive Automation
• Deep understanding of PLC and industrial control technology across multiple versions of leading industrial control and SCADA technologies.
• Experience creating and implementing manufacturing execution systems (MES)
• Experience designing, creating, and implementing HMI solutions for IOT environments.
• Experience creating and implementing integrated quality management and testing tools used in Food Manufacturing.
• Deep understanding of building automation technologies and platforms to include capabilities for integration into manufacturing management systems environments.

Strong knowledge of software management practices (version control, testing, deployment) Strong understanding of network communication protocols used in Industrial Environments and architecting industrial connectivity for security and reliability. Ability to collaborate across IT and OT teams, including automation techs, ERP developers, and integration specialists Strong understanding of integration patterns, protocols, standards, and message queuing. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions and troubleshoot complex integration issues. Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with diverse stakeholders and teams to drive consensus and achieve project goals. Strong abilities, with experience in mentoring team members, in leading technical initiatives, and driving continuous improvement. Proficient in MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own. You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of. You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day. You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table. You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations. We recognize that talent comes in many forms. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may have strengths we haven’t yet considered!

What We Bring to the Table:

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table.
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few).
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1.
• Free eggs and butter (yes, really!), along with friends and family discounts.
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town.
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth.

At Vital Farms, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, skill level, experience, education, training, market demands, and business needs. A reasonable estimate of the current starting annual base salary for this position is $170,000 - $180,000. Please keep in mind that hiring at the maximum end of the range would not be typical in order to allow for potential continued future salary growth.

Who We Are:

Vital Farms, a Certified B Corporation, offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms became a national consumer brand that works with 350 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in over 24,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, crew members, and stockholders. In short, we exist to improve the lives of people, animals, and our planet through food. Commitment to Equal Opportunity To fulfill Vital Farms mission of bringing ethically produced food to the table, we’re committed to building teams that reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences. We believe that when all crew members feel valued and respected, they bring their best ideas forward - fueling innovation, belonging, and shared success. We strive to create a welcoming environment rooted in equal opportunity and encourage individuals from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. To that end, we make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Vital Farms does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender and gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, citizenship status, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Ready to Join Us? Together, we’re cultivating an environment where every Crew member can thrive, grow, and know they’re part of something bigger - improving lives through ethical food. If this role sounds like the right fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply - you might be exactly what we need!

Next Steps:

Shortly after you complete your application, you'll receive a follow-up email elaborating on any potential next steps in our process. If you don't immediately receive said follow-up email, we would highly encourage you to check your spam filter! In order to fulfill Vital Farms mission to “bring ethically produced food to the table,” we seek to build teams that leverage diverse perspectives to create a welcoming and innovative environment that is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunities. To that end, we make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Vital Farms does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender and gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, citizenship status, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Notification to Agencies:

**Vital Farms is not accepting unsolicited third-party recruitment agencies in the hiring process for this role. If you are a potential candidate interested in a role with Vital Farms, please submit an application directly.

California Applicants:

Please see our California Employment Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we collect, use, retain, and disclose personal information as part of our recruitment and hiring process.