Infrastructure & Cyber Architect

Role: Infrastructure & Cyber Architect
Location: Remote

Type: C2H

Project Overview: The client is building a Digital Transformation Team focused on modernizing its data environment, including the development of Data Lakes and enterprise data platforms. These initiatives will support improved analytics, data integration, and overall business transformation efforts. They would like to see candidates with experience in the manufacturing or automotive industries, as those backgrounds align well with the organization's transformation goals and operational environment (consider it a big plus)

The IT-OT Infrastructure & Cyber Architect is responsible for defining, designing, and governing secure, resilient, and scalable infrastructure architectures and processes that are fit for purpose across enterprise IT and operational technology (OT) environments. This role ensures that infrastructure platforms-including networks, computers, cloud, identity, and industrial systems-are architected to meet business, operational, and cybersecurity requirements. In addition, this role will ensure cybersecurity architecture and processes meet the business requirements, best practices and industry standards. The Architect serves as a strategic bridge between IT, OT, and cybersecurity, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards, cybersecurity frameworks, and business objectives while supporting digital transformation initiatives across manufacturing and corporate environments.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure & Architecture

• Define and maintain target-state architecture for IT and OT infrastructure, including networks, servers, virtualization, cloud platforms, identity, and supporting services.
• Design secure, resilient, and scalable architectures for enterprise and plant environments, supporting availability, performance, and operational safety requirements.
• Develop and maintain architecture standards, patterns, and reference designs for IT and OT environments.
• Partner with enterprise architecture, application, and OT teams to ensure consistent adoption of standards and integration across domains.

OT & Industrial Systems

• Collaborate with OT teams to design and secure infrastructure supporting ICS, DCS, PLCs, SCADA, and plant network environments.
• Support secure IT/OT convergence while respecting operational constraints, safety, and uptime requirements.
• Ensure OT infrastructure designs align with industry best practices and regulatory expectations for industrial environments.

Cybersecurity Architecture

• Embed security-by-design principles into all IT and OT infrastructure architectures.
• Define and enforce cybersecurity architecture controls aligned to frameworks such as NIST CSF, NIST 800-53/82, IEC 62443, and Zero Trust principles.
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to design controls for network segmentation, identity and access management, monitoring, logging, vulnerability management, and incident response.
• Participate in architecture and security risk assessments; identify gaps and drive remediation through design and engineering standards.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure infrastructure solutions comply with corporate policies, cybersecurity standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support audits, risk assessments, and tabletop exercises by providing architectural insight and documentation.
• Maintain accurate architecture documentation, diagrams, and decision records.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to IT, OT, cybersecurity, and business stakeholders.
• Provide architectural guidance during project intake, design reviews, and technology evaluations.
• Mentor infrastructure engineers and encourage knowledge transfer to reduce key-person dependencies.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to enhance security, resilience, and cost efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure engineering and architecture.
• Demonstrated experience supporting both IT and OT environments in industrial or manufacturing organizations.

Technical Expertise

• Strong background in network, server, virtualization, and cloud infrastructure (on prem and hybrid).
• Experience with identity and access management, directory services, and authentication platforms.
• Hands on knowledge of OT/ICS architectures, including plant networks and industrial protocols.

• Proven experience designing infrastructure with built in cybersecurity controls.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity architecture principles and frameworks (e.g., NIST, IEC 62443).
• Experience designing secure architectures for segmented networks, privileged access, monitoring, and resilience.
• Ability to translate cybersecurity requirements into practical infrastructure designs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and risk management capabilities.
• Ability to influence without authority and work effectively in a matrixed organization.
• Experience in industrial manufacturing, chemical, or regulated environments.
• Cloud architecture certifications (Azure, AWS, or equivalent).
• Cybersecurity certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CCSP) or OT security certifications.
• Experience supporting digital transformation or IT/OT modernization initiatives.