OT SME

Contract: OT SME

Location: London, Sheffield or Birmingham - 3 days per week onsite
Start Date: ASAP, subject to completion of background checks
Duration: 6 months
Rate: £500-£550 per day, inside IR35
Reference: 20687

Overview

We are seeking an experienced OT Enterprise Solutions Engineer to lead the development and evolution of enterprise Operational Technology (OT) architecture across a complex, global environment.

This role is responsible for defining future-state OT architecture, establishing standards and governance, and ensuring alignment across technology, engineering, cybersecurity, facilities and operational teams. You will translate strategic objectives into practical, secure and deliverable solutions across a diverse OT estate.

The environment includes corporate buildings, critical facilities, data centres and operational environments, with technologies spanning Building Management Systems (BMS), HVAC, electrical power, fire systems, lifts, smart building platforms and other cyber-physical systems.

Working within established architecture governance, you will act as a technical authority for OT architecture, driving standardisation, secure-by-design principles, integration and best practice across a complex and diverse estate.

A key focus will be the uplift and transformation of Legacy or immature OT environments, helping establish appropriate architecture, security controls, governance and risk management practices while taking account of different site risk profiles and operational constraints.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and develop the enterprise OT architecture strategy, roadmap and target-state designs.
• Define architecture principles, standards, reference architectures and design patterns for OT environments.
• Lead the integration of OT with IT, IoT, cloud and edge technologies while maintaining appropriate security and operational boundaries.
• Design and advise on secure BMS, smart building, cyber-physical and industrial OT environments.
• Apply IEC 62443 concepts and secure-by-design principles in real-world OT and building technology environments.
• Develop and apply structured approaches to OT security assessment, risk scoring and security level attribution.
• Apply Purdue-aligned network segmentation and reference architecture principles to OT environments.
• Support the assessment and uplift of Legacy OT environments, moving from immature or inconsistent controls towards defined architecture, security and governance standards.
• Ensure architecture aligns with business objectives, resilience, safety, security and operational requirements.
• Consider relevant regulatory and resilience requirements, including NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001 and NIST frameworks, where applicable.
• Chair and contribute to architecture governance, design reviews and technical decision-making.
• Collaborate with engineering, infrastructure, cybersecurity, facilities, operations and delivery teams to produce integrated end-to-end solutions.
• Provide architectural guidance throughout delivery, from concept through implementation and transition into service.
• Review remediation evidence and produce clear, concise validation outcomes and recommendations.
• Identify and manage architecture risks, dependencies and technical decisions.
• Evaluate supplier solutions and ensure technology choices align with enterprise architecture rather than vendor-led designs.
• Support third-party and vendor management within the OT environment.
• Contribute to OT risk management frameworks, maturity assessments and target operating model development.
• Produce high-quality, traceable technical documentation, architecture artefacts, decisions and recommendations.
• Work effectively within sprint-based/agile delivery environments, managing multiple priorities and delivering outputs to agreed timescales.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• 10+ years' experience working with Operational Technology within large, complex estates, ideally across corporate buildings, critical facilities, data centres, industrial, utilities or manufacturing environments.
• 5+ years' experience designing, operating or securing OT systems, including BMS, HVAC, electrical power systems, fire systems, lifts and/or smart building platforms.
• Extensive experience designing enterprise OT/ICS architectures across complex programmes.
• Proven experience leading OT architecture, security and network design.
• Strong practical understanding of IT/OT convergence and enterprise integration.
• Demonstrable experience applying IEC 62443 in real-world OT and building technology environments, with the ability to tailor controls to different site risk profiles and operational constraints.
• Experience uplifting Legacy or immature OT environments, including the development of appropriate security, architecture and governance controls.
• Experience with cyber-physical systems (CPS), including deployment, configuration, risk management and reporting.
• Strong understanding of Purdue-aligned network segmentation and OT reference architecture concepts.
• Knowledge of industrial and building automation protocols such as Modbus, OPC-UA, Profinet and DNP3.
• Familiarity with OT/building automation vendors such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell and Johnson Controls, or equivalent.
• Experience developing architecture standards, governance frameworks and reference designs.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical and business leaders and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong documentation discipline, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and traceable technical artefacts, decisions, validation reports and recommendations.
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture and security frameworks such as TOGAF, SABSA, ISO 27001 and NIST CSF.
• Understanding of relevant regulatory and resilience frameworks, including NIS2 and DORA, and their implications for OT design and operations.
• Comfortable working in agile/sprint-based delivery environments and managing multiple priorities.

Networking People (UK) is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.