Principal Consultant - Operational Technology Strategy Industrial Cybersecurity

Description

The Principal Consultant specializing in Operational Technology (OT) Strategy for Industrial Cybersecurity (Senior Managing Consultant – Industrial Cybersecurity) is a senior advisory and technical leadership role responsible for helping OT-centric entities develop secure, resilient, compliant, and operationally sustainable OT environments.

This role combines deep expertise in standards such as NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, NIST CSF, ISA 62443 and TSA Cybersecurity Directives, industrial control systems, cybersecurity architecture, utility operations, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

The Principal Consultant serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, compliance organizations, engineering teams, cybersecurity personnel, control-room operations, and field organizations.

The successful candidate will translate regulatory requirements into practical OT strategies, architectures, governance models, implementation roadmaps, and operational controls while balancing resiliency, cybersecurity, reliability, operational safety, technology lifecycle considerations, and business objectives.

The role requires the ability to operate at both strategic and technical levels: from advising executives on multi-year OT modernization and regulatory risk to evaluating system architectures, remote-access solutions, security monitoring capabilities, control-system configurations, and audit evidence.

As a Principal Consultant, you will lead strategic OT cybersecurity and regulatory compliance engagements for utility and industrial clients. You will serve as a technical leader, trusted advisor, and subject matter expert while supporting business development, mentoring staff, and helping grow 1898 & Co.'s Operational Technology Strategy and Industrial Cybersecurity practice.

Strategy & Compliance Advisory

• Serve as a subject matter expert in NERC CIP Reliability Standards, implementation guidance, regulatory expectations, and industry best practices.
• Advise clients on BES Cyber System categorization, compliance applicability, scoping, and risk management strategies.
• Develop practical compliance programs, governance structures, policies, standards, procedures, and supporting operating models.
• Evaluate compliance gaps and develop risk-based remediation strategies that balance operational, regulatory, cybersecurity, and business considerations.
• Support self-certifications, compliance audits, investigations, mitigation plans, and related compliance monitoring activities.
• Advise organizations on establishing sustainable evidence management and audit readiness programs.

OT & Cybersecurity Strategy

• Develop enterprise-wide OT cybersecurity strategies aligned with operational objectives, cybersecurity risks, and regulatory requirements.
• Create multiyear modernization roadmaps for control systems, substations, generation facilities, EMS/SCADA environments, industrial networks, and supporting security technologies.
• Perform OT cybersecurity assessments, architecture reviews, risk assessments, and maturity evaluations.
• Advise clients on network architecture, segmentation, remote access, authentication, monitoring, vulnerability management, backup and recovery, and secure administration practices.
• Develop target-state OT architectures that appropriately separate enterprise IT, operational technology, vendor access environments, and cybersecurity services.
• Evaluate cybersecurity technologies for compatibility with operational reliability, safety, performance, and lifecycle requirements.

Governance & Program Development

• Design and enhance cybersecurity and compliance governance frameworks, including organizational roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and oversight mechanisms.
• Advise cybersecurity, engineering, operations, and compliance leaders on program maturity, accountability, and performance.
• Develop policies, standards, procedures, control frameworks, RACI matrices, and compliance management processes.
• Establish repeatable processes for regulatory change management and implementation of new requirements.
• Support…