Job Description

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the role:

As an OT Solutions Architect, you will play a key role in designing and shaping secure, scalable Operational Technology solutions that support some of the UK's most significant critical national infrastructure programmes.

Working within Sword's Industrial Automation & Control Systems practice, you'll collaborate with engineering, cyber security and client teams to define end-to-end solutions across a range of technology domains including security, infrastructure, networking, hybrid hosting and IT/OT convergence.

This is a senior, client-facing role where you'll work across multiple programmes, engaging with business stakeholders, technical specialists and delivery teams to understand requirements, define solution architectures and guide successful implementation.

You'll be responsible for balancing strategic architectural direction with practical delivery, ensuring solutions are secure, resilient, supportable and aligned with enterprise standards while meeting the operational demands of live OT environements.

As an OT Solutions Architect, you will:

• Lead end-to-end solution architecture across multiple OT programmes and projects.
• Work with business stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into secure, scalable technical solutions.
• Design OT architectures covering infrastructure, networking, hybrid hosting, security and IT/OT integration.
• Produce high-quality solution designs, architecture diagrams and technical documentation for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture principles, operational requirements and industry standards.
• Lead technical design reviews and provide architectural guidance throughout project delivery.
• Evaluate technologies, platforms and supplier solutions to support programme objectives.
• Support procurement activities by defining technical requirements and assessing supplier proposals.
• Collaborate with engineering, infrastructure and cyber security teams to resolve technical challenges during implementation.
• Contribute to architecture governance, technical standards and solution patterns across the IACS practice.
• Balance strategic roadmaps with immediate business priorities while supporting the evolution of long-term OT capability.

Requirements

We're looking for someone with significant experience delivering solution architecture within Operational Technology or Industrial Control System environments, combined with the ability to engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels.

You'll bring:

• Proven experience delivering solution architecture across OT, ICS or industrial environments.
• Strong understanding of Operational Technology, including SCADA, control systems, industrial networking and remote operational environments.
• Experience designing secure, resilient and scalable OT solutions across multiple technology domains.
• Strong knowledge of networking, infrastructure, virtualisation and real-time systems.
• Practical understanding of IT/OT convergence and hybrid architectures.
• Experience working with cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and detailed technical design levels.
• Experience producing architecture documentation, technical specifications and design artefacts.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Experience working across both Agile and Waterfall delivery environments.

Desirable experience

• Experience within energy, utilities, renewables, oil & gas or other critical infrastructure sectors.
• Knowledge of security technologies including Identity & Access Management, remote access solutions, SIEM, software-defined networking or data integration platforms.
• Awareness of industry standards including IEC 62443, NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), NIS/NIS2 and related frameworks.
• Experience with architecture modelling tools such as Bizzdesign or similar.
• TOGAF or equivalent architecture methodology.
• Consultancy experience within multi-client delivery environments.

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life. In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance. We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes.

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.

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