OT Technical Lead - Connected Factory / Digital Manufacturing
Role Overview
The OT Technical Lead is a delivery-focused engineering leader embedded within a Delivery POD on the Connected Factory Digital Innovation program. This program operates as a structured PoC incubation model. The Technical Lead is responsible for the end-to-end technical execution of individual Proof of Concept (PoC) engagements, working within an agile sprint cadence under the governance of a senior Core Team.
The role requires hands-on engineering depth across OT/IIoT platforms, combined with the ability to communicate clearly with both manufacturing stakeholders and IT architecture peers. This is not a purely supervisory role-the Technical Lead is expected to work directly on technical tasks, particularly during ambiguous or first-of-a-kind problem-solving phases.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the technical execution of assigned PoC Delivery PODs from Initiate through Execute stages, including backlog ownership, sprint planning, and release readiness
Perform hands-on configuration, integration, and validation across OT platforms, including Ignition , OSI PI , OPC UA , and shopfloor integration tooling (HighByte or similar UNS/SIL platforms)
Drive daily technical unblocking for POD members; escalate architectural decisions to the Core Team with well-formed solution options-not just problem statements
Participate in architecture scoping and T-shirt sizing exercises during the Evaluate stage, providing technical feasibility and risk input
Produce and maintain technical documentation, including implementation plans, integration diagrams, test evidence, and PoC handover materials
Support PoC post-mortem documentation ( Stage 5 - Analyze ), including success criteria scoring and structured knowledge transfer
Operate within a GxP-adjacent lab environment; understand documentation and traceability expectations, even where formal validation is not required
Required Skills & Experience
3-6 years of hands-on OT/IIoT engineering experience in a manufacturing or life sciences environment
Demonstrated experience with Ignition SCADA , including configuration, module deployment, and OPC UA connectivity
Working knowledge of OSI PI Historian and Asset Framework (AF) structure design
Familiarity with OPC UA communication protocols, certificate trust management, and server/client integration patterns
Experience with agile delivery in an OT or hybrid OT/IT context, including sprint ceremonies, backlog management, and iterative PoC delivery
Ability to work independently in a lab environment with limited supervision; comfort with ambiguity and first-of-a-kind technical challenges
Preferred / Advantageous
Exposure to HighByte Intelligence Hub , Kepware , or equivalent Unified Namespace (UNS) / SIL tooling
Experience in pharmaceutical or life sciences manufacturing (GxP awareness, batch process understanding)
Familiarity with SIMCA-Online or similar multivariate data analysis (MVDA) platforms
Containerization experience ( Docker / Mirantis ) for OT application deployment
Exposure to MES/EBR platforms (e.g., POMSnet ) and shopfloor-to-historian data flows
Working Model
The Technical Lead operates within a Delivery POD of 2-6 people (size determined per PoC T-shirt sizing). They report into the program Core Team and are expected to participate in daily standups, bi-weekly sprint reviews, and regular Core Team syncs. Multiple sequential PoC engagements are expected across the contract duration.
Mandatory Skills
Skill Proficiency
Years of Experience
Basic Knowledge
Medium
Expert
Ignition SCADA
(Configuration, WebDev, Jython, Gateway)
3? Min.
? Preferred
AWS
(PrivateLink, EC2, Availability Zones)
3? Min.
? Preferred
Demonstrable Programming Capability
(Python, dotnet, other)
5? Min.
? Preferred
Agile Delivery in OT/IT
(Sprint Execution, backlog management, PoC delivery)
2? Min.
? Preferred
Shopfloor Integration / UNS
(OSI-PI, HighByte, Kepware, or equivalent device/controller integration experience)
2? Min.
? Preferred
DevOps & CI/CD Tooling
(Jira, GitHub, Jenkins, Github Actions, Azure Pipelines, etc.)
3? Min.
? Preferred
Regulated Manufacturing Experience
(GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, Purdue Model, ISA 88, ISA 95)
5? Min.
? Preferred
Experience leading solution architecture design
(IT / OT diagraming, customer presentations, SoW development, etc.)
5? Min.
? Preferred
Work model
We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a remote position open to qualified applicants in the United States. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.
The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.
Salary and Other Compensation:
Applications will be accepted until May 4 30th 2026.
The annual salary for this position is between $ 100,000 K -$ 132,500 K depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
This position is also eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant's applicable plans
Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
401(k) plan and contributions
Long-term/Short-term Disability
Paid Parental Leave
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
