Operational Technology Infrastructure Architect

TEKsystems; Town of Texas (WI); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

TEKsystems is seeking a Network Infrastructure & OT Connectivity Program Lead to guide enterprise-scale manufacturing connectivity initiatives. This role emphasizes architecture governance, program leadership, and coordinating OT/IT, cybersecurity, network architecture, and engineering teams.

It is not hands-on engineering but requires a strong networking background to oversee architecture, validate solutions, and drive standardized approaches across sites.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in network engineering, architecture, or related leadership roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives.
• Ability to evaluate and validate complex technical solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Translate requirements into executable delivery plans.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical sniff test for networking and architecture decisions.
• Define architectural approaches and implementation frameworks.
• Coordinate work across networking, facilities, and manufacturing teams.
• Review designs and ensure teams follow established standards.
• Validate implementations meet security, architecture, and operation requirements.
• Provide coaching and technical direction to site teams.

Skills

Enterprise networking

Routing and switching

TCP/IP

LAN/WAN architectures

Network segmentation

Network security

Network performance

Infrastructure design

Tools

Cisco SDA

Juniper

Palo Alto

Job description

Position Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Network Infrastructure & OT Connectivity Program Lead to support the expansion of Industrial Factory Framework (IFF) initiatives across manufacturing facilities. This individual will serve as the technical authority and program coordinator responsible for enabling secure, scalable connectivity between manufacturing assets and enterprise infrastructure. This is not a traditional hands-on network engineering position. The successful candidate will leverage a strong networking background to oversee architecture, guide implementation teams, validate technical solutions, and drive coordination across multiple stakeholders. The role is heavily focused on program leadership, architecture governance, technical oversight, and lifecycle management of manufacturing connectivity initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Coordination

• Serve as the primary technical lead supporting OT/IT convergence initiatives within manufacturing environments.
• Coordinate activities among manufacturing operations, facilities, cybersecurity, network architecture, and engineering teams.
• Lead planning, execution, and lifecycle management activities for machine connectivity initiatives.
• Manage multiple concurrent manufacturing connectivity efforts across sites and business units.
• Facilitate communication and alignment across technical teams to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Drive consistency of standards, processes, and implementation approaches across locations.

Technical Architecture & Governance

• Develop and maintain network architecture diagrams, reference architectures, and implementation frameworks.
• Review and validate proposed network designs for manufacturability, performance, security, and scalability.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to implementation teams and local site personnel.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise architecture and cybersecurity requirements.
• Act as the primary technical escalation point for connectivity and architecture-related issues.
• Partner with corporate network architecture teams to align industrial networking requirements with enterprise standards.

Manufacturing Connectivity Support

• Support onboarding and integration of manufacturing machine cells into enterprise network environments.
• Provide architectural oversight for industrial connectivity solutions.
• Evaluate proposed changes for operational, security, and performance impacts.
• Assist teams in identifying and mitigating cybersecurity risks associated with industrial assets.
• Support connectivity design for factory-floor systems, industrial equipment, and operational technology environments.
• Promote repeatable frameworks that can be leveraged across multiple manufacturing sites.

Coaching & Technical Mentorship

• Provide guidance and coaching to site teams and technical resources.
• Assist less experienced team members in understanding network architecture principles and industrial networking requirements.
• Conduct design reviews and provide recommendations to improve implementation quality.
• Help teams avoid common architecture, security, and operational pitfalls.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in network engineering, network architecture, infrastructure engineering, or related technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Enterprise networking
  • Routing and switching
  • TCP/IP
  • LAN/WAN architectures
  • Network segmentation
  • Network security
  • Network performance and reliability
  • Infrastructure design and architecture principles
• Experience developing architecture diagrams and technical implementation documentation.
• Ability to evaluate and validate complex technical solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into executable plans and coordinate successful delivery across multiple teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Operational Technology (OT) or Industrial Control System (ICS) environments.
• Experience connecting manufacturing equipment, machine cells, or factory systems to enterprise infrastructure.
• Knowledge of industrial networking architectures and manufacturing technology ecosystems.
• Familiarity with PLC-enabled environments and industrial automation concepts.
• Experience working within highly regulated or security-conscious environments.
• Experience supporting cybersecurity initiatives within manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of Cisco networking technologies, including Software Defined Access (SDA), preferred.
• Experience with Juniper, Palo Alto, or similar enterprise networking platforms.
• Experience supporting edge-to-cloud connectivity strategies.
• Experience with smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, or digital factory initiatives.
• Project or program management experience in large enterprise environments.

What the Individual Will Actually Do

The successful candidate will primarily:

• Act as the technical "sniff test" for networking and architecture decisions.
• Define architectural approaches and implementation frameworks.
• Coordinate work performed by networking, facilities, and manufacturing teams.
• Review designs and ensure teams are following established standards.
• Validate that implementations meet security, architecture, and operational requirements.
• Provide coaching and technical direction to site teams.
• Develop architecture documentation and deployment frameworks.
• Drive execution through coordination, oversight, and governance rather than direct implementation.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Dallas, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $75.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Dallas, TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 15, 2026.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.