BTS Operations M&A Architect

About the role

Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services, dedicated to helping the world's leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.). Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 1000, and the Fortune 500 and we are among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world. This position is open only to visa-independent candidates and will not support visa sponsorship now or in the future. Location: Remote or Chicago, IL. Employment Type: Full-Time. Domain: Life Science. Job Title: Architect, Manufacturing Technology (BTS) (Proposed Job Title: BTS Operations M&A Architect). Purpose: Serve as the architect and technology strategist for manufacturing site lifecycle initiatives—including acquisitions, divestitures/separations (as applicable), new builds, and expansions. Lead end-to-end architecture from IT due diligence through Day-1 readiness, stabilization, and integration to AbbVie target standards—ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, compliant (GxP/CSV/Part 11 as applicable), and operationally supportable. Partner with BTS Ops delivery teams and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver repeatable, high-confidence site integrations that enable business growth and operational excellence. Application Accepted: 9/31/2026.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical visioning and architecture for IT/OT systems supporting plant acquisitions, separations, new construction, and expansions, including transition-state and target-state architectures.
• Define Day-1 / Day-30 / Day-100 technology readiness plans, cutover approach, and stabilization (“hypercare”) architecture for acquired/expanded sites.
• Produce and maintain a repeatable Site Integration Playbook (reference architectures, approved patterns, checklists, standard bills of material, and evidence templates).
• Own the IT due diligence architecture assessment for target sites: current state inventories (apps/integration/data/infrastructure), IT/OT connectivity, vendor dependencies, obsolescence/EOL, licensing/contracts, support model, and integration complexity.
• Assess cybersecurity posture and third-party risk in coordination with InfoSec, including segmentation, remote access, endpoint posture, asset discovery, identity onboarding, and remediation planning.
• Develop integration options and recommendations (e.g., retain vs. standardize vs. replace) using agreed criteria (risk, compliance, speed, cost, sustainability, architectural fit).
• Ensure architectures align to AbbVie standards for security, data privacy, GxP/CSV expectations, and technology governance, with audit-ready traceability.
• Drive architecture decisioning through governance forums (e.g., ARB or equivalent): maintain architecture decision logs/records, exception/risk acceptance documentation, and standards conformance evidence.
• Identify and proactively manage cross-site risks (schedule, cyber, validation, operational readiness), escalating tradeoffs and decisions early.
• Architect manufacturing technology stacks spanning MES, SCADA/automation interfaces, historians, plant connectivity, ERP integrations, and core infrastructure platforms.
• Define integration patterns and interface inventories: