Senior Solutions Architect

Job Description

Our client is a European industrial technology group midway through a group-wide cloud migration of its manufacturing IT landscape. The target platform runs on Azure landing zones, a shared Kubernetes platform, and a Kafka event backbone, integrated with the group's ERP, MES, and PLM systems. You own the target architecture for this landscape. You write and defend architecture decision records, review vendor and internal designs against them, and set the standards delivery teams build to. You work embedded in the client's architecture function, under the client's direction, alongside enterprise architects, platform teams, and plant IT across the group's manufacturing sites.

What you'll be doing

• Own the target architecture for the group's manufacturing IT landscape spanning Azure landing zones, Kubernetes, and Kafka
• Write architecture decision records and defend them in the client's architecture review board
• Review vendor designs and internal solution proposals against the target architecture before they reach build
• Design integration patterns connecting the Kafka event backbone to ERP, MES, and PLM systems
• Define tenancy, networking, and workload-placement standards for the shared Kubernetes platform
• Plan migration waves with plant IT, sequencing factory-adjacent workloads onto the cloud platform
• Align domain roadmaps with enterprise architects so delivery teams across the group build toward one target state

What you'll need

• 15+ years of engineering experience, including 10+ years in architecture roles owning platform or system design
• Production Azure experience at enterprise scale across landing zones, hub-and-spoke networking, Entra ID, and Azure Policy
• Hands-on Kubernetes platform experience covering multi-tenancy, ingress, workload identity, and cluster lifecycle (AKS in production preferred)
• Experience designing event-driven architectures on Kafka, including topic design and schema governance
• Experience integrating with ERP-class enterprise systems and their surrounding application landscape
• Experience writing architecture decision records and defending them in review boards
• Professional working proficiency in English
• Based in the EU with working hours overlapping CET

Nice to have

• German at B2 or above
• Prior work in manufacturing, automotive, or energy environments
• Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) or TOGAF certification
• Exposure to OT/IT integration: OPC UA, edge gateways, or plant-floor networks
• Availability for occasional business travel within the EU

Engagement terms

• Remote-first. Deliverable-based, no time tracking.
• Monthly wellness allowance, scaling with tenure.
• Annual learning budget, scaling with tenure.
• Home office setup allowance, refreshed every two years.
• 25 days annual leave plus one additional day per year of tenure.
• Birthday off.
• Family leave and private healthcare coverage.