IT Infrastructure Architect

Location

Lake Forest, IL, US,

Work Location Type:
Hybrid

W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award‑winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models.

In the High‑Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment,  offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and  offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $ to $.

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full‑time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non‑birth parents.

• Design and implement infrastructure solutions.
• Partner with internal architects and engineers, as well as external partners across Infrastructure, Security, Cloud, and Business Function domains, to deliver scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions.
• Develop and execute automation strategies to streamline infrastructure provisioning and operations (e.g., WMS, TMS, ERP).
• Architect and optimize network infrastructure to support real‑time data exchange, IoT devices, and edge computing.
• Ensure infrastructure solutions meet the performance, reliability, and security needs of mission‑critical applications.
• Support intake and onboarding of new technologies, ensuring alignment with enterprise infrastructure and network standards.
• Stay current with industry trends in IT, OT, infrastructure modernization, and emerging technologies in manufacturing and logistics (e.g. Industry 4.0).
• Document infrastructure and network designs, processes, and operational procedures to support knowledge sharing and future scalability.
• Prototype and test new technologies, driving innovation in infrastructure services that enhance agility and responsiveness.
• Provide technical guidance to engineering teams during the implementation of infrastructure and network solutions supporting Business Function initiatives.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required.
• 7+ years experience in infrastructure/network engineering or architecture roles, with direct exposure to manufacturing and/or distribution center and supply chain technologies preferred.
• 7+ years designing and maintaining enterprise‑scale infrastructure and network solutions supporting logistics, production, or warehouse operations.
• 7+ years experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), especially in hybrid or edge deployments.
• 7+ years experience with industrial networking, wireless technologies, and IoT integration in manufacturing and logistics environments.
• Strong background in server and server virtualization technologies (e.g., Nutanix, VMWare, KVM), and/or enterprise networking (e.g., Cisco, Juniper).
• Familiarity with various platforms (e.g., SAP) and their infrastructure dependencies.
• Familiarity with OT security frameworks (e.g., Purdue Model).

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.