IT/OT Solutions Architect

CCAM - Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing; Virginia; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision insurance

401k Retirement Plan

Life & Disability Insurance

Paid leave (maternity/paternity/adopt)

Educational Reimbursement

Job summary

CCAM - Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing seeks an IT/OT Solutions Architect to redefine and transform IT/OT infrastructure and systems architecture for global manufacturing solutions. You will align OT with IT, drive best practices, and lead secure, scalable Industry 4.0 implementations across customers.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in industrial control systems, cloud solutions, and security management, with a hands-on, cross-functional approach to delivering

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of OT solutions experience in software architecture and design as a Solution Architect or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing automation software, industrial networks and cloud architectures.
• Familiarity with Industrial Data Centers and CPwE.
• Familiarity with IoT/IIoT solutions.
• Proficiency in programming logic and data integration via APIs and microservices.
• Experience in security strategies for OT environments.
• Ability to communicate with customers and senior leaders.
• Export Control Compliance: eligibility for access.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies for manufacturing automation system designs.
• Standardize data integration, storage, and communications with cloud focus.
• Provide OT design, ICS engineering, and IT/OT development and support for client projects.
• Integrate MES, ERP, and SCADA with in-situ sensing data.
• Develop design specifications and client requirements documentation.
• Create architectural diagrams and data flow models, establish standards.
• Develop communication protocols for industrial data sources.
• Collaborate on strategy development for IT/OT engineering lines of business.
• Ensure security best practices and regulatory compliance.

Skills

OT solutions

ICS engineering

IT/OT integration

Cloud architectures

OT cybersecurity

Risk management

Communication with customers

Export Control Compliance

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related field

Master’s Degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

AWS / Azure / Google Cloud

PLC programming

HMI programming

Industrial networks & CPwE

APIs & Microservices

Job description

The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) is seeking a hands-on, forward-thinking IT/OT Solutions Architect to join our team. In this role, you will play a key part in redefining and transforming IT/OT infrastructure and solutions for our customers and will help develop best practices for rational smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 systems on a global scale. You will be responsible for ensuring the seamless integration of OT systems with IT systems and aligning them with customers’ business strategy and objectives while also raising the profile of CCAM as a provider of fit-for-purpose manufacturing systems architecture solutions. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in industrial control systems, IT/OT integration, cloud solutions, and security management.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with cross-functional teams including CCAM researchers and universities as well as customer IT, engineering, and operations organizations to develop and implement new strategies for manufacturing automation systems designs which meet business needs and address modern manufacturing systems challenges.
• Recommend and work to implement standardized data integration, storage, and communications systems for manufacturing automation systems with a focus on integrating with cloud platforms while ensuring performance, scalability, and security.
• Provide Operations Technology (OT) design, Industrial Control Systems (ICS) engineering, and IT/OT development, deployment, and support for client projects.
• Help develop solutions for the integration of commercial and open-source MES, ERP, and SCADA systems with bespoke in-situ sensing systems and other machine data to form integrated and interoperable data systems.
• Consult with customers to develop overall project requirements, basis of designs, functional design specifications, and/or other design elements as may be appropriate.
• Create and maintain comprehensive architectural documentation, including system diagrams, data flow models, and integration points, while establishing best practices and standards when specified by client contract, provide product configuration, integration, and support services for IT/OT systems and networks.
• Develop, research, and/or implement communication protocols for industrial data sources, including machines, automation, sensor systems, and building infrastructure.
• Collaborate with the CCAM Strategy and Growth team on overall strategy development for the IT/OT systems engineering line of business and other strategic initiatives.
• Ensure that designs adhere to security best practices and compliance requirements and implement robust security measures to protect critical infrastructure and data.
• Stay updated on the OT and cloud technology technologies, including evaluation of third-party vendors and tools to inform architectures, detail designs, and propose innovative solutions to improve efficiency, reliability, and security.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting and problem-solving expertise for complex OT and cloud-related issues, developing and implementing remediation plans as needed.

CCAM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CCAM does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.

Company Overview

CCAM is the center of an ecosystem of collaboration with industry, government, and academia that helps manufacturers solve real world problems. CCAM works with its partners to develop and deploy new technologies that advance manufacturing and deliver business value. For many companies, joining CCAM can be the difference between being in front of new technology or behind the curve.

Our research focuses on building intelligence in manufacturing processes and systems by bringing experienced, multi-disciplinary teams together with advanced digital systems and manufacturing process capabilities as well as new technology to solve industrial challenges. Whether through new process development, process improvement, new technology development and insertion, system integration and automation, or advanced analytics and AI development, our teams deliver real, usable results. Active research threads include flexible and distributed manufacturing, adaptive automation, cooperative processing, advanced coatings systems, and intelligent repair and replacement through new technologies.

As an applied research center, CCAM has a very strong, multi-disciplinary resident staff that includes research scientists and engineers, skilled industrial technicians, university faculty, and engineering interns and graduate students. These teams work collaboratively with one another as well as with partner organizations to build new and effective approaches to challenges. Our teammates are highly skilled and innovative problem solvers that are focused on delivering value to our customers every day.

Benefits Overview

• Health, Dental, Vision insurance plan options; eligible on first of month following date of hire
• HRA – Health Reimbursement Account (employer funded, covers a portion of the medical deductible)
• FSA – Flexible spending Account (employee funded, pre‑tax)
• 401k Retirement Plan – Employer contributes 3% - 10.5% of base salary annually.
• Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability (employer funded)
• 2 weeks paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave
• $5,250.00 in Educational Reimbursement per year

Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related field
• 8+ years of experience working with Operations Technology (OT) solutions including Industrial Control Systems (ICS), in software architecture and design as a Solution Architect or equivalent and demonstrated experience in the manufacturing domain.
• Strong working knowledge of manufacturing automation software, industrial networks and protocols, cloud architectures, solution design, delivery, and support for OT environments.
• Familiarity with Industrial Data Centers and Converged Plantwide Ethernet Architecture (CPwE).
• Familiarity with IoT and IIoT solutions.
• Proficiency in programming logic and integrating data between systems using APIs and Microservices.
• Experience in defining and implementing security strategies and policies for OT environments.
• Understanding ICSc best practices and architecture standards.
• Strong background in risk management and analysis.
• Expertise in OT infrastructure (plant networks, servers, databases, Operations Integration (OI) communication, etc.).
• In-depth knowledge of OT cybersecurity requirements, solutions, and best practices.
• Ability to discuss and recommend backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
• Strong ability to communicate and present to customers, senior leaders, and technical staff.
• Export Control Compliance: This position requires access to technology or intellectual property that is subject to export control requirements. Candidates must be qualified for such access without an export control license.

Preferred Skills

• Master’s Degree in Engineering or related field
• Broad knowledge of IT/OT and digital systems, cloud technologies, web services, and AI.
• Hands‑on experience in Manufacturing‑related IT/OT cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Programming of PLCs and HMI applications.
• Certified network design professional (e.g. CCIE, AWS Certified Advanced Networking)
• Certified security systems professional (e.g. CISSP)
• Training in ISA 62443 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.
• Familiarity with ITIL practices for service incidents, problem resolution, and change management.
• Experience in developing and implementing innovative automation solutions, such as robotics, augmented and virtual reality, and cloud‑native and edge computing applications.
• Strong advocacy for change management.
• Knowledge of DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles.
• Experience with operational data historians and time‑series data collection, storage, and retrieval.

Individual Traits Key to Success at CCAM

• Approaches work with a collaborative, team‑first mentality; proactive, positive with a can‑do attitude.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the application of research to manufacturing processes.
• Excels at problem definition; able to work effectively with open-ended or ambiguous problems and/or applications.
• Self‑driven and results‑oriented, with a clear focus on high quality of work performance.
• Capacity to work independently and within a team on complex projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to convey ideas at both technical and non‑technical levels; must be an active listener.
• Responsible and accountable; able to manage time, cost, and quality to meet project goals.
• Strong desire for continuous learning and professional growth. Eager to gain new experience and learn new skills.
• Ability to mentor junior team members.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.