Enterprise Operational Technology (OT) Architect

Posting #5547 | Hybrid schedule available for Oregon & Washington residents | Regular FT, Exempt

About Us

At NW Natural, we offer more than rewarding career opportunities and a vibrant, inclusive work culture. We invite you to join us in providing safe and reliable utility services and renewable energy to better the lives of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be the leader in service excellence, innovation and environmental stewardship for our customers, while building on our strengths as a trusted energy provider and environmental leader for our industry. In addition to environmental stewardship, we’re also deeply committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NW Natural. Our DEI Council started 21 years ago, and today we continue to foster a culture where all employees can experience a sense of belonging, shared purpose and possibility.

NOTE: Employees based at our Headquarters are required to work on-site a minimum of three days per week. Specific in-office days may vary by team and business needs. This hybrid schedule supports collaboration, connection, and engagement while also offering flexibility for remote work.

About the Role

You will be responsible for defining, maintaining, and governing NW Natural’s Operational Technology (OT) architecture, supporting gas control, pipeline, distribution, storage, and field operations. This role ensures OT systems are secure, resilient, highly available, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards and business objectives.

You will provide architectural leadership across the full OT lifecycle, including strategy, solution design, modernization, risk mitigation, and technology roadmaps. You will collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Operations, and Engineering teams to ensure consistent, standards-based OT solutions. This role also performs Solution Architecture responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and communicate the enterprise OT architecture strategy, including reference architectures, standards, roadmaps, and guiding principles.
• Define current state and future state OT architectures supporting gas control systems, pipeline monitoring, distribution operations, and field telemetry.
• Ensure OT architectures address safety, reliability, availability, scalability, and operational continuity requirements.
• Partner with Gas Operations and Engineering teams to translate operational requirements into architecturally sound OT solutions.
• Lead architectural design for OT initiatives, including system upgrades, modernization efforts, integrations, and lifecycle replacements.
• Ensure alignment between OT architectures and enterprise IT infrastructure, network, identity, and security strategies.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to incorporate defense in depth, segmentation, access control, monitoring, and risk mitigation into OT architectures.
• Provide architectural oversight and governance to ensure OT implementations adhere to approved standards, policies, and designs.
• Conduct architectural assessments, gap analyses, and risk assessments for OT environments and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Participate in vendor and technology evaluations, proof of concepts, and architecture trade-off decisions for OT platforms.
• Develop and maintain architectural documentation, diagrams, and decision records.
• Communicate and present OT architecture concepts and solutions to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including leadership.
• Provide architectural mentoring and guidance to project teams and technical staff supporting OT initiatives.
• Stay current with industry trends, regulatory expectations, and emerging technologies impacting utility OT environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 10 years of experience designing, architecting, and implementing technology solutions, with significant experience in Operational Technology or industrial environments, preferably within utilities.
• Demonstrated experience developing architecture strategies, reference architectures, and roadmaps.
• Knowledge of OT systems and environments used in gas or industrial operations, including:
  • SCADA and control systems
  • Gas control, pipeline, and distribution operations platforms
  • Field devices, telemetry, and industrial communications
• Understanding of IT/OT convergence and integration patterns.
• Experience working within enterprise architecture and solution architecture disciplines.
• Knowledge of IT service management, governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to convey complex architectural concepts clearly.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Leadership and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence across teams without direct authority.

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation.
• Exceptional leadership skills.
• Excellent analytical and technical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Enterprise and solution architecture principles and practices
• Operational Technology architecture and system design
• Process Control & Plant Environment Architecture
• Industrial Network Architecture
• Telemetry & Communications Architecture
• Enterprise SCADA Architecture
• High availability and disaster recovery architectures
• OT cybersecurity architecture concepts and controls
• Architecture documentation and modeling
• Vendor and technology evaluation
• Risk assessment and mitigation
• Stakeholder communication and facilitation
• Strategic planning and roadmap development
• Financial and lifecycle awareness for technology decisions

Competencies

• Ability to balance short-term operational needs with long-term architectural vision.
• Ability to apply architectural standards and governance while enabling business agility.
• Ability to evaluate multiple technical options and determine best-fit solutions for safety-critical environments.
• Ability to understand and integrate legacy OT systems while supporting modernization efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and be recognized as a trusted architectural authority.
• Commitment to safety, reliability, and regulatory responsibility consistent with a regulated gas utility.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness
  • Rich health insurance benefits with competitive employer contribution
  • Free access to an online wellness resources platform
• Work-Life Balance
  • Up to 23 Vacation Days
  • 80 Hours of Sick Time
  • 10 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • 3 weeks paid parental leave
• Be part of a workplace where your voice matters. Engage with our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, and a variety of Employee Resource Groups that support community and growth.
• 1500 sq foot exercise facility and secure bike room
• Financial
  • Meaningful annual incentive bonus opportunity in addition to base salary
  • Competitive 401K company contribution and match
  • 15% discount on NW Natural stock through Employee Stock Purchase Program
  • Up to $5250 a year in tuition reimbursement
  • Wellness incentive program
• Discounts
  • 20% off natural gas service
  • Up to 30% discount at NW Natural Appliance Center
  • TriMet Pass for all HQ employees
  • Generous discounts with Verizon & AT&T Wireless

Pay

Base salary range: $135,550.00 - $200,500.00 per year, depending on qualifications

Annual Target Incentive: Grade 24, 12.0% target

Targets are calculated using eligible earnings during plan year participation. Payout, if earned, is based on company and individual performance for each plan year and may range from 0% – 200% of target. Targets are subject to change in subsequent plan years. Must be employed by September 30 in order to receive any prorated payout.