A Security Engineer at Akkodis safeguards complex, high-availability systems at the intersection of IT and OT. You will help protect critical infrastructure in offshore energy, industrial automation, and smart industry environments—where uptime, safety, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Your work ensures that control systems, field devices, and enterprise integrations remain resilient against evolving threats without disrupting operations.

In practical terms, you will influence how large-scale OT network architectures are designed, tested, and operated. Expect to work with industrial protocols (Modbus, Profibus, Profinet, OPC UA), enforce network segmentation aligned with the Purdue model, and implement controls such as IDS, firewalls, and access management. You will drive RVA workshops, verify suppliers via self-assessments, lead FAT activities for switches/routers/firewalls, and align implementations to IEC 62443, NIST CSF, and client-specific frameworks like Equinor TR1658.

This role is critical and energizing because it blends hands-on engineering with risk leadership. You will collaborate across disciplines—project managers, network engineers, automation specialists, and client teams—to deliver secure-by-design solutions. The result: safer operations, demonstrably compliant systems, and trusted delivery on some of Norway’s most ambitious industrial projects.

Expect a mix of scenario-driven technical questions, design prompts, and behavioral probes. Prepare concise, structured answers that reference standards, constraints, and measurable outcomes.

Technical / OT Fundamentals

You will be tested on ICS/SCADA basics, protocol behavior, and practical hardening.

• How do you apply the Purdue model to segment a brownfield OT network with legacy assets?
• Describe how you would secure Modbus TCP communications lacking native encryption.

Use this interactive module on Dataford to rehearse answers, get sample solution structures, and track your progress across categories. Prioritize weaker areas identified by practice sessions and revisit scenarios until your responses are crisp, standards-aligned, and implementation-focused.

Your preparation should balance technical depth in OT security, practical network engineering, and risk/compliance fluency. Prioritize fundamentals (Purdue segmentation, IEC 62443 zones/conduits, ICS threat modeling), then rehearse how you’ve applied them in high-stakes, real-world environments. Be ready to walk through designs, defend trade-offs, and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Role-related Knowledge (Technical/Domain Skills) – Interviewers assess your command of ICS/SCADA fundamentals, industrial protocols, and secure OT network design. Demonstrate how you’ve applied IEC 62443, NIST CSF, and client-specific standards in production. Show evidence of hands-on work with switches, firewalls, IDS, Windows/Linux hardening, and FAT execution.

• Problem-Solving Ability (How You Approach Challenges) – Expect scenario-based prompts where requirements conflict (safety vs. security vs. uptime). Interviewers look for structured reasoning: define constraints, evaluate options, quantify risk, and converge on a defensible solution. Use threat modeling, RVA outputs, and risk scoring to justify decisions.

• Leadership (Influence and Mobilization) – You will facilitate RVA workshops, align vendors on self-assessment templates, and guide cross-functional teams under time pressure. Highlight how you lead by structure—clear agendas, decision logs, stakeholder mapping—and how you resolve ambiguity while maintaining compliance and delivery velocity.

• Culture Fit (Teamwork and Consulting Mindset) – Akkodis values a consultative, delivery-focused approach. Demonstrate client empathy, transparent communication, and a bias for pragmatic solutions that respect operational safety. Show how you build trust, coach peers, and represent security as an enabler, not a blocker.

This view provides current compensation ranges for Security Engineer roles comparable to Akkodis’ OT/ICS focus. Use it to benchmark expectations by seniority and location, and to prepare a data-driven salary discussion. Remember that total compensation may vary based on certifications (e.g., EX/FSE), offshore eligibility, and project demands.

Akkodis interviews for Security Engineers are designed to evaluate how you perform in realistic industrial security contexts. You will encounter a blend of discussions, design conversations, and case-based exercises that mirror day-to-day work—balancing security rigor, operational constraints, and client standards. The process emphasizes clarity of thought, practical engineering judgment, and your ability to collaborate across disciplines.

Expect a focused but thorough pace. Conversations progress from high-level domain fluency into deep technical dives, and then toward risk/compliance reasoning and stakeholder leadership. The philosophy is simple: can you design secure OT systems that are buildable, testable, and supportable—while meeting regulatory and client specifications?

You will notice a consulting orientation throughout: interviewers listen for how you uncover requirements, handle ambiguity, and communicate trade-offs. Strong candidates show consistent structure: define the problem, identify constraints, propose options, then justify with standards and risk posture.

This timeline illustrates the typical stages you will move through—from initial conversations to technical deep dives and client-facing assessments. Use it to plan your preparation across domains (architecture, standards, operations) and to pace your study schedule. Keep notes after each step; iteration and targeted refinement make a visible difference in later rounds.

OT Network Security & Architecture

This area validates your ability to design, harden, and validate industrial network topologies. Expect to apply the Purdue model, align with Network/Cyber Security Specifications, and justify segmentation, zoning, and control placement against operational realities.

Be ready to go over:

• Purdue Model & Segmentation: Zoning levels, conduits, DMZ patterns, traffic flows across L2–L5.
• Secure Network Design: VLANs, ACLs, firewall policies, jump servers, remote access.
• Detection & Monitoring: IDS/IPS for OT, span/tap strategies, log collection at scale.
• Advanced concepts (less common): Micro-segmentation in legacy OT, deterministic networking, time-sensitive networking (TSN), zero-trust in ICS.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Design a segmented OT network for a brownfield site integrating a new vendor skid; defend IDS tap placements."
• "Propose a remote maintenance solution that meets uptime and security requirements without violating Purdue boundaries."
• "Walk through firewall rule baselining and verification ahead of FAT."

Industrial Protocols & ICS Fundamentals

Interviewers assess your fluency with OT protocols, device behavior, and the constraints of control systems. Show how protocol knowledge informs threat modeling and compensating controls when modern security capabilities are limited.

Be ready to go over:

• Protocols: Modbus, Profibus/Profinet, IEC 61850, OPC UA—security modes, typical traffic.
• Asset & Function: PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, historians, safety systems; failure modes and mitigations.
• Legacy Constraints: Patch cadence, vendor certs, performance impacts of security tooling.
• Advanced concepts (less common): GOOSE messaging security, secure OPC UA deployments, protocol-aware anomaly detection.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you secure a Modbus TCP environment lacking native encryption?"
• "Explain how OPC UA security works and where it can break in mixed-vendor setups."
• "Prioritize patching vs. compensating controls for a safety PLC with strict vendor constraints."

Security Controls, Operations & Testing

Here, the focus is on implementation confidence and operational resilience. You should navigate FAT/SAT validation, configuration assurance, and continuous monitoring with clarity and rigor.

Be ready to go over:

• Controls: Firewalls, IDS, jump hosts, access controls, allow-listing, backup/restore.
• Testing: FAT procedures, configuration verification, rollback planning.
• Operations: Log collection from OT, alert triage, incident response handoffs.
• Advanced concepts (less common): Passive discovery techniques, golden image strategies, ICS forensics.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Outline your FAT approach for new firewalls and switches in an OT DMZ."
• "Describe your runbook for isolating a suspected compromise in a Level 2 network."
• "What telemetry do you collect in OT for effective detection without disrupting operations?"

Risk, Compliance & Standards (IEC 62443, NIST CSF, TR1658)

This area examines your ability to translate security standards into actionable designs. You must evidence comfort leading RVA workshops, executing supplier self-assessments, and documenting compliance.

Be ready to go over:

• IEC 62443: Zones/conduits, SL-T/SL-C/SL-A alignment, supplier assessments.
• NIST CSF: Identify–Protect–Detect–Respond–Recover mapping to OT controls.
• Client Frameworks: Interpreting Equinor TR1658 and similar specifications.
• Advanced concepts (less common): Risk quantification methods, control attestation, assurance artifacts for audits.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Facilitate an RVA for a new vendor skid and highlight top risks and mitigations."
• "Map a proposed design to IEC 62443 requirements and explain residual risk."
• "Assess a supplier’s self-assessment and propose a remediation plan."