Operations Technology Architect

Plexus•Neenah, WI

32d

About The Position

At Plexus, lead technology-driven initiatives as part of a winning team, focused on creating products that build a better world. Position Overview: The Operations Technology Architect is a strategic technical leadership role responsible for driving global Operational Technology (OT) architecture, IT/OT convergence, and industrial automation strategy across Plexus manufacturing facilities. In this role, core OT cybersecurity is seamlessly integrated into enterprise OT standards, control system lifecycle planning, edge compute deployment, and plant-to-cloud data integration. You will serve as the enterprise authority for defining OT security architecture, engineering standards, zero-trust network segmentation, and risk governance across our manufacturing environments and industrial control systems (ICS)—ensuring deterministic, safety-critical production operations remain resilient against modern cyber threats without impacting operational uptime or physical safety.

Requirements

Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in Industrial Automation, Control Systems Engineering, or OT Architecture, including at least 4+ years leading IT/OT convergence and OT cybersecurity initiatives.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
Proven experience working within large-scale, heavy industrial environments (e.g., manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, utilities, chemicals, or oil & gas).
Expertise in SCADA programming principle and industrial communication protocols.
Expert-level knowledge of ISA/IEC 62443, ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-82, and the Purdue Model.
Proven ability to architect defense-in-depth approaches around legacy, unpatchable operating systems and embedded firmware without disrupting deterministic operations.
Experience designing zero-trust or secure multi-factor remote access solutions for internal engineers and third-party OEMs.

Nice To Haves

SANS GIAC: GICSP (Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional), GRID (GIAC Response and Industrial Defense), or GCIP.
ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Design/Expert.
CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) with a strong portfolio of physical site experience.
Demonstrated proficiency in cloud-native architectures utilizing MQTT and other Pub/Sub methodologies.

Responsibilities

Define Enterprise OT & Controls Architecture: Design, standardize, and govern global OT strategies covering SCADA, edge compute nodes, and IIoT architectures aligned with the Purdue Reference Model and ISA/IEC 62443 zone-and-conduit principles.
IT/OT Convergence Strategy & Zero-Trust Segmentation: Architect secure data pipelines between plant floor equipment, MES, and cloud analytics engines by implementing robust Industrial DMZs (Level 3.5), next-generation firewalls, protocol-aware micro-segmentation, and zero-trust remote access controls.
Automation Systems & Edge Integration: Evaluate, select, and establish global hardware/software standards for industrial control systems, edge compute processing, and industrial IoT platforms, ensuring secure-by-design deployment patterns across all manufacturing sites.
OT Security & Risk Governance: Establish comprehensive cybersecurity safeguards, threat detection baselines, and risk governance frameworks across physical manufacturing sites, balancing strict security controls with operational availability and human safety requirements.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary bridge and strategic advisor across Enterprise IT, Corporate Cybersecurity, Operations, Digital Manufacturing (DMO), and Plant Engineering teams to translate complex manufacturing requirements into secure, scalable enterprise architecture solutions. Liaise continuously with operations and execution teams to ensure successful delivery and continuous improvement (C/I).
Architecture Review Board Governance: Lead architectural review and cybersecurity gatekeeping for all projects affecting OT and shop floor assets, ensuring compliance with defined security policies, safety protocols, and manufacturing uptime requirements.
Vendor Management: Partner with major automation vendors to ensure third-party systems and remote access connections comply with corporate security architecture.
Risk Assessments: Lead threat modeling and vulnerability assessments across disparate manufacturing sites, prioritizing remediation based on operational risk and safety impacts.
Incident Response Integration: Partner with the Enterprise Security Operations Center to architect OT-specific logging, monitoring, and incident response playbooks that respect the realities of a live production environment.