Solution Architect Lead

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Solution Architect Lead based in the United States.

This is a high-impact technical leadership role focused on designing advanced automation and control architectures for mission-critical data center environments.

You’ll serve as a senior technical advisor across customers, consultants, system integrators, OEM partners, sales, product management, and engineering teams.

The role combines deep expertise in PLC-based controls, industrial networking, edge-to-cloud integration, and data center infrastructure.

You’ll shape scalable architectures spanning cooling, electrical systems, energy management, BMS, SCADA, DCIM, and Industrial IoT platforms.

Your work will directly support customers in improving resilience, uptime, operational efficiency, and sustainability.

You’ll also influence product direction, establish technical standards, and help advance emerging capabilities such as AI-driven operations and digital twins.

With up to 30% travel, this position offers the opportunity to work on complex enterprise and hyperscale data center initiatives with significant technical impact.

Accountabilities:

• Architect and provide application support for advanced PLC-based automation and control solutions supporting data center cooling and other mission-critical applications.
• Develop scalable control architectures integrating cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, energy monitoring, building management systems, and Industrial IoT platforms.
• Create reference architectures, solution blueprints, deployment standards, and technical documentation for enterprise-scale implementations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on data center infrastructure, including cooling towers, chillers, cooling plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, FDU/CDU equipment, pumping systems, water-side economization, liquid cooling, electrical distribution monitoring, and critical facility alarming.
• Lead the development and technical review of PLC control strategies using CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 methodologies, including Structured Text, Function Block Diagram, Sequential Function Chart, and Ladder Logic.
• Support proof-of-concept development, solution validation, demonstrations, field pilots, and deployment activities.
• Design and validate secure industrial communication architectures using Modbus TCP/IP and RTU, EtherCAT, OPC UA, MQTT, Sparkplug B, Redfish, BACnet/IP, and REST APIs.
• Ensure interoperability between PLC, SCADA, BMS, DCIM, cloud, and enterprise systems while maintaining appropriate cybersecurity, segmentation, and remote-access practices.
• Design and support supervisory monitoring and control solutions using Ignition and Ignition Edge, including MQTT and Sparkplug B architectures for enterprise-wide data collection and operational visibility.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to customers, consultants, system integrators, and OEM partners through discovery workshops, site assessments, architecture reviews, and solution-envisioning sessions.
• Support strategic opportunities and complex customer pursuits requiring senior technical expertise and architectural leadership.
• Partner with Product Management, R&D, Sales Engineering, and Technical Support to influence product strategy, commercialization plans, and technical roadmaps.
• Gather and communicate Voice of Customer insights to drive product innovation and continuous improvement.
• Mentor and support technical team members while contributing to best practices, training programs, architecture standards, and technical documentation.
• Monitor emerging technologies across industrial automation, edge computing, AI-driven operations, digital twins, and data center management to identify opportunities for innovation.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, PLC programming, controls engineering, system integration, solutions architecture, or a related field.
• Extensive hands-on experience with PLC platforms and industrial control systems.
• Advanced proficiency with CODESYS development environments and IEC 61131-3 programming methodologies.
• Demonstrated direct experience with data center infrastructure and mission-critical facility operations, particularly cooling, electrical infrastructure, and facility management systems.
• Hands-on experience with industrial communication technologies including Modbus TCP/IP and RTU, EtherCAT, MQTT, Sparkplug B, Redfish, OPC UA, and BACnet/IP.
• Experience designing and deploying Ignition or Ignition Edge solutions.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, cybersecurity, network segmentation, and secure remote-access architectures.
• Experience integrating PLC, SCADA, BMS, DCIM, cloud, and enterprise systems.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, technical documentation, and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical requirements into scalable, commercially viable solutions.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to work across customers, engineering, product, sales, and partner organizations.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Azure, AWS, or edge computing architectures is a plus.
• Knowledge of machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twins, and operational optimization platforms is advantageous.
• Experience with large-scale enterprise or hyperscale data center deployments and relevant industry certifications is preferred.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% for customer engagements, strategic projects, industry events, and demonstrations.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary range of $150,000-$200,000 USD, with placement based on experience and geographic location.
• Health care coverage.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision plans.
• 401(k) benefits.
• Commissions and/or incentive compensation, depending on role eligibility.
• Opportunity to work on complex, mission-critical data center and industrial automation projects.
• Exposure to emerging technologies including edge computing, AI-driven operations, digital twins, and Industrial IoT.
• Significant opportunities for technical leadership, customer engagement, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration.
• United States-based role with flexibility regarding geographic location.
• Equal opportunity workplace committed to diversity, inclusion, and reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process.