Enterprise Architect

Xintas; Brussel; Remote; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Xintas is seeking an experienced Enterprise Architect to start immediately and own the execution of the approved operating model, turning it into concrete working practices with a prioritized backlog, milestones, dependencies, risks, decision points and pilots.

You will lead definition and continuous improvement of a governance framework with principles, standards, reference architectures and golden scenarios within ARB workflows, and operationalize the federated Target Operating Model across

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in an Enterprise Architecture role.
• Available to start immediately and work autonomously, create structure in ambiguity and maintain momentum until decisions are implemented.
• Proven experience in federated, multi-entity or similarly complex architecture governance environments.
• Proven experience facilitating ARB sessions and producing decision-ready packs with traceability.
• Hands-on experience implementing delegated decision rights, ADRs, waivers, compliance reviews and architecture service models.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with a pragmatic, hands-on and results-oriented mindset.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to align senior management, architects, business, product, delivery teams.
• Ability to articulate a compelling vision, build trust, create shared ownership and bring people together around difficult trade-offs.
• Solid knowledge of IT processes and recognized approaches such as ITIL, TOGAF, ArchiMate and Domain-Driven Design.
• Hands-on experience designing and delivering IT solutions in an agile environment is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience of/in the Energy and Utilities sector is a plus.
• Fluency in English is mandatory for documentation, supplier interactions, and meetings. Knowledge of French, Dutch, or German is a plus, as you will collaborate with team members speaking these languages.

Responsibilities

• Start immediately and take ownership of turning the approved operating model into concrete working practices with backlog, milestones, dependencies, risks, decision points and pilots.
• Lead the definition and continuous improvement of the architecture governance framework, including principles, standards, policies, reference architectures and golden scenarios, within ARB workflows.
• Operationalize the federated Target Operating Model by clarifying mandates, interactions, decision rights, handovers and escalation paths.
• Provide a clear architecture vision and bring stakeholders together around shared priorities, practical decisions and reusable solutions.
• Establish or refine Group and Local Architecture Review Board practices, including scope, participation, quorum, agenda, inputs, outputs and decision recording.
• Implement objective review triggers, delegated decision routing, Architecture Decision Records, waiver and exception management, compliance levels and an urgent fast-track route.
• Ensure alignment with the Digital Platform by translating platform guardrails into consumable guidance for local delivery teams.
• Embed Architecture early into portfolio and funding, demand intake, project and product delivery, application lifecycle, security and risk, data and integration.
• Introduce proportionate architecture involvement based on criticality, complexity, risk, deviation and cross-entity impact.
• Establish the minimum viable architecture artefact set, with clear ownership, approval routes, versioning, review triggers and retirement rules.
• Coach architecture roles, establish an Architecture Community and focused working groups, and transfer knowledge so that internal stakeholders can operate the model independently.
• Define focused KPIs covering adoption, decision effectiveness, delivery enablement, reuse, compliance, risk and stakeholder value.
• Create momentum and cohesion across teams: facilitate decisions, remove ambiguity, constructive challenge when needed, and ensure that agreed actions are followed through to implementation.

Skills

EA experience

Stakeholder mgmt

Governance

Facilitation

Agile

ITIL

TOGAF

ArchiMate

English fluency

Tools

ITIL

TOGAF

ArchiMate

Job description

• Start immediately and take ownership of turning the approved operating model into concrete working practices, with a prioritized implementation backlog, milestones, dependencies, risks, decision points and suitable pilots. The role requires a pragmatic architect who drives execution and delivers visible results quickly.
• Lead the definition and continuous improvement of the architecture governance framework, including principles, standards, policies, reference architectures and golden scenarios, within a clear ARB decision workflow covering decision packs, traceability and escalation paths.
• Operationalize the federated Target Operating Model by clarifying the mandates, interactions, decision rights, handovers and escalation paths of Group and Local Enterprise Architects, Domain Architects, Technical Architect and Solution Architect.
• Provide a clear architecture vision and bring Group, local, business, product, delivery, engineering, security, data and infrastructure stakeholders together around shared priorities, practical decisions and reusable solutions.
• Establish or refine Group and Local Architecture Review Board practices, including scope, participation, quorum, agenda, inputs, outputs and decision recording, and facilitate the first governance sessions.
• Implement objective review triggers, delegated decision routing, Architecture Decision Records, waiver and exception management, compliance levels and an urgent fast-track route.
• Ensure alignment with the Digital Platform by translating platform guardrails into consumable guidance for local delivery teams.
• Embed Architecture early into portfolio and funding, demand intake, project and product delivery, application lifecycle, security and risk, data and integration, and technology or vendor selection.
• Introduce proportionate architecture involvement based on criticality, complexity, risk, deviation and cross-entity impact, without creating a shadow PMO or unnecessary approval layer.
• Establish the minimum viable architecture artefact set, with clear ownership, approval routes, versioning, review triggers and retirement rules.
• Coach architecture roles, establish an Architecture Community and focused working groups, and transfer knowledge so that internal stakeholders can operate the model independently.
• Define focused KPIs covering adoption, decision effectiveness, delivery enablement, reuse, compliance, risk and stakeholder value.
• Create momentum and cohesion across teams: facilitate decisions, remove ambiguity, constructive challenge when needed, and ensure that agreed actions are followed through to implementation.

Ideal Profile

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• At least 10 years of experience in an Enterprise Architecture role.
• Available to start immediately and able to work autonomously, create structure in ambiguity and maintain momentum until decisions are implemented.
• Proven experience in federated, multi-entity or similarly complex architecture governance environments.
• Proven experience facilitating ARB sessions and producing decision-ready packs with traceability.
• Hands-on experience implementing delegated decision rights, ADRs, waivers, compliance reviews and architecture service models.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with a pragmatic, hands-on and results-oriented mindset.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to align senior management, architects, business, product, engineering, infrastructure and delivery teams.
• Ability to articulate a compelling vision, build trust, create shared ownership and bring people together around difficult trade-offs.
• Solid knowledge of IT processes and recognized approaches such as ITIL, TOGAF, ArchiMate and Domain-Driven Design.
• Hands-on experience designing and delivering IT solutions in an agile environment is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience of/in the Energy and Utilities sector is a plus.
• Fluency in English is mandatory for documentation, supplier interactions, and meetings. Knowledge of French, Dutch, or German is a plus, as you will collaborate with team members speaking these languages.