Network Architect

Swift; Leiden; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Swift is seeking a Senior Network & Infrastructure Architect with leadership responsibilities to drive architectural evolution and technical excellence across our platforms in Leiden. This role blends hands-on architecture (50%) with team leadership and governance (50%), requiring deep technical expertise and the ability to influence in a complex enterprise environment.

You will define high-level architectures, guide modernization initiatives, ensure regulatory and enterprise architecture

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 10 years in enterprise IT engineering/architecture roles.
• Hands-on infra/network design in large-scale environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver High-Level Architectures across network, compute, storage, or platform domains.
• Translate requirements into scalable, secure solutions and lead end-to-end architectural activities.
• Lead cross-functional transformation initiatives and promote automation-first approaches.
• Engage stakeholders and contribute to enterprise architecture governance and risk management.
• Mentor engineers and architects, ensuring delivery outcomes and accountability.

Skills

Infrastructure platforms

Virtualization

Cloud-native

Python

Ansible

Linux

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

LeanIX

ITIL

Job description

About Us

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy.

We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions.

Senior Network & Infrastructure Architect (with Leadership Responsibilities)

We are looking a seasoned Network and Infrastructure Architect with strong managerial capabilities to drive architectural evolution and lead technical excellence across our platforms.

This role combines hands‑on architecture (50%) with team leadership and governance responsibilities (50%), requiring both deep technical expertise and the ability to influence, guide, and deliver in a complex enterprise environment.

The successful candidate will play a key role in defining high‑level architectures (HLDs), advancing modernization initiatives, and ensuring alignment with regulatory, operational, and enterprise architecture standards.

Architecture & Delivery

• Design and deliver High‑Level Architectures (HLDs) across network, compute, storage, or platform domains, ensuring alignment with business and non‑functional requirements
• Translate requirements into scalable, resilient, and secure solutions, validated through lab testing and proof‑of‑concepts
• Lead end‑to‑end architecture activities, from requirements definition to production‑ready designs

Technology Leadership & Innovation

• Drive cross‑functional transformation initiatives focused on automation, simplification, resiliency, and cost efficiency
• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends, identifying opportunities to enhance platform capabilities
• Promote automation‑first approaches, leveraging tools such as Ansible, Python, or equivalent

Stakeholder & Governance Engagement

• Work closely with internal stakeholders, external partners, and vendors to ensure alignment and effective delivery
• Contribute to enterprise architecture governance, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and risk management activities
• Support and leverage EA frameworks and tooling (e.g., LeanIX, ITIL)

People Leadership

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and architects
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and accountability
• Support delivery planning, prioritization, and team performance management

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience
• Minimum 10 years of experience in enterprise IT engineering/architecture roles
• Proven experience delivering complex infrastructure or network architectures in large‑scale environments
• Hands‑on expertise in:
• Infrastructure platforms (compute, storage, network)
• Virtualization technologies (KVM, Hyper‑V, VMware ESXi)
• Containerized and cloud‑native environments
• Strong working knowledge of:
• Linux systems administration
• Automation and scripting (Python, Ansible or similar)
• Demonstrated ability to:
• Lead proof‑of‑concepts and technical validations
• Communicate complex topics clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Manage and motivate teams while driving delivery outcomes

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Enterprise Architecture frameworks (ITIL) and tools such as LeanIX
• Exposure to regulated environments (audit, compliance, risk management)
• Strong orientation toward operational resilience and platform standardization

Profile Summary

• Strategic thinker with hands‑on expertise
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to balance delivery, governance, and innovation in a fast‑evolving enterprise landscape

What We Offer

We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential.

We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation related to accessibility during your application or interview, please contact [e-mail] or indicate this in your application.

Please note that this mailbox is not monitored for general recruitment enquiries and should only be used for accessibility or accommodation‑related requests (for example related to vision, hearing or neurodiversity).

All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification.