OT Infrastructure Lead (Large Capital Projects)

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers. With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk ; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™ , a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation. To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com . job purpose: The OT Infrastructure Lead is responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, high‑value capital projects that involve Operational Technology systems. This role ensures that OT scope—such as industrial control systems, automation platforms, industrial networks, and OT cybersecurity—is effectively integrated into large-scale capital investments from concept through commissioning and handover to operations. The OT Infrastructure Lead provides governance, coordination, and technical project leadership across multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiatives, working closely with engineering, operations, IT, cybersecurity, procurement, construction, external contractors, and system integrators responsibilities: Oversee design and deployment of network architectures supporting plant‑floor systems such as PLCs, SCADA, MES, historians, CIP/SIP controls, and automated packaging lines. Drive OT/IT infrastructure strategy from concept through commissioning, including basis‑of‑design, detailed engineering, construction oversight, FAT/SAT, and startup. Coordinate effectively with operations, engineering, IT, cybersecurity, procurement, construction teams, system integrators, and vendors to align deliverables and timelines. Develop and maintain project scopes, timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation plans tailored to continuous‑run production environments and aligned with overall capital program milestones. Implement network segmentation strategies to protect critical production assets and maintain uptime. Enforce compliance with safety standards, regulatory requirements, cybersecurity policies, and fairlife specifications throughout project execution. Promote standardized OT architectures, vendor solutions, and best practices that support scalability, reliability, and long-term asset performance across the enterprise. Facilitate smooth transition from project execution to steady‑state operations, maintenance, and lifecycle management. skills/qualifications required: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field. 5+ years of experience managing OT/IT or industrial automation projects in manufacturing. Experience with network segmentation, zero‑trust architectures, and OT cybersecurity hardening. Proficiency in MS Office (Project, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio) Exceptional project management capabilities with strong cost management and forecasting knowledge. Knowledge of installation and construction standards. Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment. working conditions and physical requirements: Factory floor as needed Off hours support as needed food safety requirements: Notify supervision of any repairs or adjustments that are required that may affect product quality or food safety. Understand, observe, and comply with the handling and usage of the color-coded container policy while in the Production Areas. Perform all duties necessary to meet Company, Customer and/or Government requirements/standards as prioritized by the Company. Ability to initiate action to prevent the occurrence of nonconformities relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the product, processes, quality system, or safety system. Identify and rec…