Key Skills

Job Description

Director Enterprise Architect Location: Amsterdam (Hybrid) Contract type:Permanent Start: Immediate Reporting to: CIO / Chief Technology & Digital Officer Overview Our client is a Netherlands-headquartered international business services organisation embarking on a significant technology and business transformation programme. They require an experienced Interim Enterprise Architect to establish architectural governance, define the future-state technology landscape, and ensure multiple transformation initiatives align to a cohesive enterprise strategy. This is a hands-on leadership role suited to an architect who can rapidly assess a complex environment, engage senior stakeholders, and provide pragmatic direction rather than producing architecture for architecture's sake. Role Purpose The Interim Enterprise Architect will provide enterprise-wide architectural leadership across business applications, infrastructure, cloud, integration, data and security. Working closely with executive leadership, technology teams and business stakeholders, you will define target-state architecture, improve governance, rationalise the existing estate and ensure investment decisions support the organisation's long-term strategic objectives. Key Responsibilities Enterprise Architecture Assess the current technology landscape, identifying capability gaps, duplication and technical debt. Define enterprise architecture principles, standards and governance. Produce current-state and target-state architecture across applications, data, infrastructure and integration. Develop a pragmatic multi-year technology roadmap aligned to business priorities. Transformation Leadership Provide architecture leadership across multiple concurrent transformation programmes. Ensure new initiatives align with enterprise standards and long-term strategic direction. Review solution designs and provide architectural assurance before delivery. Balance business priorities with technical risk and long-term sustainability. Governance & Decision Making Establish Architecture Review Boards and governance processes where required. Define technology standards and decision frameworks. Lead architecture reviews for major investments. Support executive technology investment decisions. Business & Stakeholder Engagement Partner with executive leadership to translate business strategy into technology capability. Work closely with Product, Technology, Operations and external partners. Influence senior stakeholders across multiple countries and business units. Present architecture recommendations at Executive and Board level. Technology Strategy Rationalise application portfolios and identify consolidation opportunities. Develop integration, cloud and data strategies. Improve interoperability across business systems. Support cybersecurity, resilience and regulatory initiatives through architectural design. Deliverables Within the engagement, the Enterprise Architect is expected to deliver: Current-state enterprise architecture assessment Enterprise capability model Target-state architecture Technology strategy and roadmap (24–36 months) Enterprise architecture principles and standards Architecture governance framework Application portfolio assessment and rationalisation recommendations Integration architecture strategy Technology investment recommendations Executive architecture presentations and roadmap Experience Required Extensive Enterprise Architecture experience within complex international organisations. Proven track record defining enterprise technology strategy. Experience operating at CIO, CTO or Executive Leadership level. Strong understanding of business applications, cloud platforms, infrastructure, data and integration. Experience establishing architecture governance and review boards. Strong stakeholder management across executive and technical audiences. Previous experience delivering large-scale transformation programmes. Technical Knowledge Strong understanding across: Enterprise Architecture frameworks (TOGAF or equivalent) Cloud platforms (Azure preferred, AWS or GCP also considered) Integration architecture & APIs Data architecture ERP and enterprise applications Identity & Security architecture SaaS platforms Infrastructure & networking Modern application architecture Technology governance I

Core Responsibilities

Assess the existing technology landscape and define enterprise architecture principles, target-state architecture, governance, and a multi-year roadmap aligned with business strategy. Lead architectural assurance across transformation programs, guide investment decisions, rationalize applications, and develop cloud, integration, data, security, and interoperability strategies.

Requirements

Extensive enterprise architecture experience in complex international organizations, including a proven record of defining technology strategy and leading large-scale transformation programs. Requires executive-level stakeholder engagement and broad knowledge of applications, cloud, infrastructure, data, integration, security, and architecture governance.