Enterprise Operational Technology (OT) Architect Non-Union Position
IS Enterprise Architecture; Portland, Oregon (US-OR)
Hybrid schedule available for Oregon & Washington residents.
Regular FT, Exempt
Posting # 5547
NOTE:Employees based at our Headquarters are required to work on-site a minimum of two 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.
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.
Day to Day:- 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.
Come on your first day with:- 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.
What we offer: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
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.
Application Process: To be considered for this position, submit a complete electronic application including cover letter and resume via our website.
https://www.nwnatural.com/about-us/the-company/careers
Deadline:8/4/26 
