OT Architect/SME (Operational Technology) - Water Industry

The Company

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 has over 350,000 employees as of January 2024. Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 1000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world.

Cognizant Consulting

At Cognizant, our consultants orchestrate the capabilities to truly change the game across strategy, design, technology and industry/functional knowledge to deliver insight at speed and solutions at scale. Our consulting services elevate the unique abilities and business aspirations of customers and employees and build relationships based on trust and value.

Water Utilities Consulting

With the arrival of AMP7 and recent market developments, Water Utilities in the UK have embarked on a transformation journey that focuses on sustainability (fewer pollution incidents, green energy powered water treatment etc.), reliable infrastructure(fewer flooding incidents, leakages etc.), customer centricity (affordable bills, enhanced customer experience), social responsibility(support for vulnerable customers), and most importantly disruption from innovative competitors entering the marketplace.

Cognizant has multiple engagements with water utilities in the UK where we are utilising our capabilities in data science and digital enablement to help them lead this transformation through new offerings, solutions and innovative business models that are aligned to the market trends and regulatory commitments. We are looking for experienced business analysts/consultants/product owners who are passionate about making a difference for our clients in the energy and utilities domain. This is an opportunity for being at the forefront of the transformation journey working with the best minds in the energy and utilities domain at Cognizant.

Role Outline

The candidate requires knowledge and experience of common OT technologies deployed in the water industry combined with experience in several project delivery roles. In addition, a solid understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of water treatment, storage and transmission processes is required.

The role provides support to business development activities. This is due in part to the historical development of OT as distinct from IT. IT enterprises such as Cognizant are not viewed as having an OT pedigree. The IT/OT distinction is not just technological but also cultural and behavioural. OT practitioners generally work within a company’s engineering function whereas IT tends to be separate.

From a technology perspective, OT technologies developed in parallel with IT systems over several decades. Due to the requirements for physical interfaces, realtime control and accessibility to engineering disciplines such as electricians, much of the hardware and software are unique to the industrial sector. However, other components and technologies are shared with IT, such as networking and operating systems.

Furthermore, deep knowledge of control applications requires domain engineering knowledge such as hydraulics and pumping plant for the water industry. A continuing trend in many organisations it to “merge” IT and OT functions within both project delivery and operational functions.

Common OT Technologies

• Instrumentation (including valves)
• Control panel design, construction and installation (including MCCs)
• Fieldbus and control networks (all applicable OSI 7 layers)
• Hardware aspects of PLC, RTU and DCS systems for current and legacy products from micro through to large modular systems
• Realtime control application development in IEC 1131-3 and legacy systems
• Supervisory platforms such as SCADA and DCS
• MES platforms, implementing functions described in ISA 95
• Process simulation (dynamic and steady state, realtime and non realtime)
• OT-IT Integration technologies and protocols
• Knowledge of IoT and IIoT technologies and protocols
• Knowledge in various OT and IOT protocols including MQTT, OPC UA, Modbus etc.
• Knowledge in NIS security framework
• Understanding of UNS (Universal Namespace) and Sparkplug B would be added advantage

Common tech shared with OT

• Ethernet LAN
• PC Operating systems
• Web applications
• Cloud deployment
• Good to have experience in – Ignition, DataOps/Highbyte and HiveMQ/Mqtt

Project deployment experience

• V model lifecycle as exemplified by GAMP 5
• Software Engineering practice eg OOD
• Configuration Management
• Compliance e.g. functional safety

Domain knowledge

Principles and practice of measurement and control

• Selection and maintenance of instrumentation
• Control Engineering (design and tuning)

Electrical engineering

• LV assembly design and test
• Design of motor control systems

Process Engineering

• Design and operation of process plant
• Hydraulics
• Water treatment processes