Staff Architect, AI Agent Platform

IONOS EN; Karlsruhe; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Flexible working hours

Subsidized canteen at Karlsruhe HQ

Modern office with good transport

Job summary

IONOS EN in Karlsruhe seeks a Senior Architect to define the technology roadmap for a large-scale distributed AI-enabled platform. You will set architectural standards, select the tech stack, and guide cross-functional teams to solve real customer problems.

You will design interfaces for agent interaction, apply retrieval-augmented generation with vector DBs, and keep pace with AI trends to保持 a cutting-edge stack in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–8+ years designing large-scale distributed systems and high-traffic apps.
• Experience in Tech/Software, FinTech, E‑commerce, or related fields with cloud, SaaS, AI.
• Strong knowledge of agent workflow platforms and builder frameworks.
• Familiarity with vector databases and RAG concepts is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve architecture for a large-scale distributed system serving extensive customer bases.
• Evaluate and select the technology stack, focusing on modern web tech and AI foundations.
• Define interfaces for agent interaction with Human-in-the-Loop checks.
• Provide technical guidance to development teams and ensure architectural standards.
• Collaborate across teams to clarify requirements and set interfaces.
• Design components for agent knowledge, incl. RAG and vector databases.
• Stay updated on AI advancements to keep the stack cutting-edge.

Skills

Distributed systems

Cloud platforms

AI foundations

Leadership & mentoring

Communication & influencing

Ambiguity tolerance

Tools

Kubernetes

Vector databases

RAG tooling

Job description

About IONOS

At IONOS, we don't just manage servers - we shape the digital future for more than 6.2 million customers worldwide with our solutions. As Europe's leading hosting provider and a pioneer in independent cloud solutions, we are building next-generation infrastructure - from sovereign cloud architectures and high-performance GPU clusters to integrated AI automation tools.

What drives us is digital sovereignty for Europe and real impact for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well as large enterprises. We work in agile teams, rely on transparent structures, and believe that excellence and innovation only emerge through true team spirit.

We're launching a brand-new AI Agent platform that will become the digital assistant of choice for small- and medium-businesses (SMBs). This platform features various intelligent, autonomous agents handling tasks from customer interactions - like reservations and support - to strategic initiatives like marketing campaigns and sales. You'll be instrumental in developing the core application that enables these agents to operate, learn, and collaborate, ultimately driving significant value for our customers.

This role involves defining the technology roadmap, architectural standards, and technical direction for a large-scale, distributed system. If you're passionate about applying cutting-edge AI and agentic technologies to solve real-world business challenges, join our motivated team at the forefront of modern product development. The ideal candidate will focus on solving real customer problems by working backwards from the user to the tech stack, while successfully embracing ambiguity as an opportunity in a newly defined space.

Tasks

• Design and evolve the architecture for a large-scale, distributed system capable of serving extensive customer bases and processing massive data volumes.


• Evaluate and select the optimal technology stack, focusing on modern web technologies and AI foundational platforms, including agent workflow platforms and builder frameworks.


• Define interfaces to enable seamless agent interaction, information sharing, and autonomous action triggering, incorporating necessary Human-in-the-Loop checks.


• Act as the subject matter expert on system design, providing technical guidance to development teams and ensuring adherence to architectural standards.


• Partner with various teams across the organization to clarify technical requirements and establish architectural standards and interfaces.


• Design components for agent knowledge, including strategies for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and the use of vector and distributed databases.


• Continuously research and track advancements in the AI domain, with a specific focus on agentic AI, to maintain a cutting-edge technology stack.

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years of experience in designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems and high-traffic customer-facing applications.


• Prior experience in Technology and Software companies, FinTech, E-Commerce, or related fields. Exposure to Cloud Services, SaaS, AI, and Automation is a strong plus.


• Agentic AI Domain: Deep understanding of modern AI foundational technologies, including expertise in agent workflow platforms and builder frameworks.


• Distributed Systems Expertise: Strong familiarity with RAG, vector databases, and modern distributed database architectures.


• Cloud & Deployment: Proficiency with containerization and orchestration (Kubernetes) and experience deploying on major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).


• Technical Acumen: Ability to rapidly evaluate new technologies, articulate trade-offs, and make sound recommendations under uncertainty.


• Demonstrable, hands‑on fluency with state‑of‑the‑art AI models and agentic frameworks as evidenced by projects, prototypes, or published work.


• Track record of translating ambiguous user needs into concrete, well‑reasoned technical architectures in fast-moving product environments.


• A portfolio of moments where you pushed a project forward and succeeded, despite uncertainty, resource constraints, or stakeholder hesitation.


• Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills to convey complex technical concepts across diverse teams and seniority levels.


• Demonstrated ability to lead by example, mentor engineers, and foster a culture of curiosity, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Hybrid working model.


• Flexible working hours through trust-based working hours.


• A subsidized canteen at Karlsruhe HQ and various free drinks.


• Modern office space with very good transport connections.


• Various employee discounts for activities and products.


• Employee events such as summer and winter parties, as well as workshops.


• Numerous training and development opportunities.


• Various health offers, such as sports and health courses.

Application Note

We value diversity and welcome all applications - regardless of, for ex