About the Client
Our client operates within the energy and utilities sector, playing a critical role in safeguarding and modernising national infrastructure. The client is committed to shaping resilient, secure, and scalable technology solutions that protect operational technology (OT) environments while advancing data-led transformation across substations and enterprise data platforms.
Job Summary
Lead the technical delivery of operational technology cybersecurity and enterprise data initiatives within the energy and utilities sector. The role combines OT network security uplift, cloud data platform architecture, vendor management, and programme governance, with direct exposure to substation environments and senior stakeholders. It offers the opportunity to shape resilient, secure, and scalable technology solutions that protect critical national infrastructure while advancing data-led transformation.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will lead the OT cybersecurity and technical delivery agenda, taking ownership of solution design, lab build, testing, readiness assurance, and deployment across the client's substations and wider operational technology environments.
This will form a significant part of the day-to-day focus, ensuring that all technical delivery activities uphold the highest standards of security, resilience, and operational continuity.
Alongside cybersecurity delivery, the role will drive the data architecture and migration agenda by defining and delivering cloud-native data platforms, migration solutions, and enterprise architecture roadmaps using Azure and related technologies. The candidate will shape scalable and future-ready data architectures that support the client's broader data-led transformation objectives.
The role also involves end-to-end vendor and procurement management, including engaging solution, hardware, and networking vendors across the delivery lifecycle.
This covers product assessment, procurement activities, review of technical artefacts, and oversight of quality, deliverables, and delivery timelines, ensuring that vendor engagements consistently align with programme outcomes.
Programme governance is a further core area of responsibility.
The candidate will maintain delivery plans, architecture controls, and formal governance mechanisms across risk, issue, and change management.
This includes ensuring compliance evidence, governance reviews, and architectural controls are effectively established and consistently applied throughout the programme lifecycle.
Finally, the role requires strong stakeholder and team leadership.
The candidate will coordinate cross-functional teams and act as the primary technical liaison for the client's senior business, OT engineering, and technology stakeholders — providing clear technical leadership, facilitating alignment across teams, and ensuring stakeholder confidence in delivery outcomes.
Job Requirements
Essential Skills
Extensive experience delivering technical, data or cybersecurity programmes within energy, utilities or another critical-infrastructure environment.
Strong knowledge of OT cybersecurity, network resilience, substation technology or closely related operational environments.
Strong data architecture and engineering capability across Azure Data Lake, Azure Databricks, SAP HANA or comparable cloud platforms.
Proven vendor, procurement and technical delivery management skills.
Strong architecture governance, risk management and senior stakeholder engagement capability.
Good working knowledge of Agile SCRUM, PRINCE2 and Waterfall delivery frameworks.
Hands-on understanding of SQL, Oracle, .NET, Python, scripting, APIs and test automation.
Nice to Have Skills
Experience of a regulated UK utility (such as electricity transmission) or comparable critical national infrastructure environment.
Knowledge of SAP ISU, Oracle SOA and enterprise integration environments.
Experience producing Business Process Design Documents and standardised reference architecture patterns.
Exposure to vulnerability assessment, UI and API testing, Jenkins, Postman or JMeter.
Experience leading 24/7 platform support or service operations.
Understanding of data migration, technical debt reduction and design authority processes.
Qualifications
Master's degree in Software Engineering or a closely related discipline.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science or a related subject.
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and Azure Data Fundamentals certifications are desirable.
Travel Requirements
Yes – Travel to the client's substations, laboratories, offices, and vendor locations may be required.
The role should support hybrid and on-site working as delivery needs dictate.
Why This Role Is Exciting
This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of secure and resilient operational technology in one of the UK's most critical sectors. You will work at the intersection of OT cybersecurity, cloud data architecture, and enterprise programme delivery — directly protecting critical national infrastructure while advancing large-scale, data-led transformation. The role provides exposure to substation environments, senior business and engineering stakeholders, and cutting-edge Azure-based data platforms.
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About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
Additional employment information
Compensation 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.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] with your request and contact information.
