IT Enterprise Architect Lead

HBK - Hottinger Brüel & Kjær; Kansas; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

HBK - Hottinger Brüel & Kjær is seeking an experienced IT Architecture Lead to head our global Infrastructure, Cloud & Service Architects. You will drive architectural designs, standards and roadmaps across multiple locations and manage an outsourced MSP, ensuring alignment with HBK's business goals.

You will translate business requirements into enterprise-wide technology strategy, coach a diverse team across time zones, and collaborate with FinOps, Service Management and Procurement to optimize

Qualifications

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in technical IT management or senior architecture roles.
• Experience leading distributed or international teams across locations and time zones.
• Proven ability to translate business strategy into technical direction and architecture.
• Experience steering outsourced/managed service providers and holding them accountable to standards.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills including budget planning and cost optimization.
• Fluent English written and spoken; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop an international team of Architects (Cloud, Network, Server, Workplace, etc.).
• Establish enterprise architecture discipline and governance; implement frameworks, review processes and stakeholder buy-in.
• Set objectives, conduct performance reviews and support career growth and certifications.
• Maintain architectural consistency across cloud, network, server, workplace, collaboration, and applications.
• Translate business requirements into project requests and architectural decisions; chair the architecture review board.
• Define and maintain infrastructure and cloud architecture roadmap aligned with strategy and digital goals.
• Steer outsourced MSP to ensure security, standards and objectives; collaborate with FinOps, Service-Management and Procurement.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Cloud (Azure/AWS)

Datacenter

Network

Server OS (Windows/Linux)

Client platforms (Windows/macOS)

Architecture governance

Budget planning & cost optimization

Strategic thinking

Job description

Reports to: Director - Enterprise Solutions, Cloud & Service

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced IT Architecture Lead to head our international team of Infrastructure, Cloud & Service Architects within the global IT organization. This team delivers the architectural designs, standards and technology roadmap that satisfy HBK's business needs and underpin all IT Infrastructure, Cloud and Service projects worldwide.

As Team Lead, you own the overview of HBK's global IT landscape, ensure that every architectural design fits the overall strategy and identify optimization potential across a distributed, multi-location team of specialist Architects. IT operations are outsourced to an external managed service provider, this role is therefore architecture- and governance-focused, with a strong emphasis on steering the outsourcing partner while directly leading and developing an international team of technical experts.

You will act as the technical and people leadership authority for the Architecture function, translating business requirements into a coherent, enterprise-wide technology strategy - while coaching, aligning and growing a team spread across multiple time zones and cultures.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop an international team of Architects (Cloud, Network, Modern Workplace, Microsoft Server & Infrastructure, Microsoft Collaboration, Linux/Open-Source), distributed over multiple locations worldwide.
• Establish enterprise architecture as a discipline and governance practice within the organization. Introduce the frameworks, roles, review processes and stakeholder buy-in needed to make architecture-led decision-making a standard part of how the organization plans and delivers IT change.
• Set clear objectives, conduct performance and development reviews and support career growth and certification paths for team members.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture across geographies, time zones and cultural backgrounds; run regular cross-location syncs and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Act as escalation point and coach for complex technical and stakeholder challenges faced by the Architects.
• Maintain the overview of HBK's global IT landscape and ensure architectural consistency across all domains (cloud, network, server, workplace, collaboration, open-source and applications).
• Evaluate business requirements and convert them into project requests and architectural design decisions.
• Challenge, review and formally approve designs and standards proposed by the Architects; chair the architecture review board.
• Define and maintain the infrastructure and cloud architecture roadmap aligned with business strategy and digital transformation goals.
• Contribute to long-term technology investment planning, prioritization, and the enterprise architecture principles underpinning HBK's IT operating model.
• Ensure architecture decisions consider security, compliance, resilience and total cost of ownership.
• Collaborate with FinOps-, Asset Lifecycle- and Service-Management as well as Procurement to optimize infrastructure and cloud costs and to develop business cases (TCO/ROI) for infrastructure investments.
• Steer and hold accountable the outsourced managed service provider(s) to ensure architectural standards, security requirements and strategic objectives are properly implemented.
• Represent the architecture function towards senior stakeholders, business units and external partners, communicating technical strategy in business terms.
• Partner with the Service Management and IT FinOps Management to ensure smooth handover from design to operations.

Required Experience And Qualifications

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience as a technical IT manager, Enterprise/Team Lead Architect or similar senior architecture role, including several years of direct people management experience.
• Genuine interest in developing people and building a high-performing, engaged team.
• Broad technical experience across cloud (Azure/AWS), datacenter, network, server (Windows, Linux) and client platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS).
• Proven track record leading distributed or international teams across multiple locations and time zones.
• Strong architectural experience with a proven ability to "see the big picture" and translate business strategy into technical direction.
• Experience steering outsourced/managed service providers and holding them accountable to architectural and security standards.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, including budget planning and cost optimization (TCO/ROI).
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, matrixed, global organization.
• Proactive, ownership-driven mindset with a strong execution focus and attention to detail.
• Empathetic and adaptable leader who tailors communication style to a culturally diverse, geographically distributed team.
• Practical, solution-oriented approach to complex, cross-domain technical and organizational challenges.
• Clear communicator, able to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and executives.
• Fluent (written and spoken) in English (level B2 or equivalent); additional languages are a plus given the international team.

We Offer

Freedom with responsibility is the framework for HBK's employees. This allows for a good balance between work and family life and for constant development of professional and personal skills in an international and enjoyable working environment.

One Company - HBK

On 1 January 2019, Brüel & Kjær and HBM merged their activities into a new company called HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær). With more than 3,500 employees worldwide and production facilities in Denmark, Germany, the UK, the USA, China and Portugal and presence in 80 countries, HBK is a leading player in the test and measurement area. For further info please visit www.hbkworld.com.