Senior ICT Architect
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Work Model: Hybrid (up to 2 days remote per week, on-site presence required across UGent campuses)
Start Date: 15 June 2026
Contract Duration: Until 12 June 2028
Workload: Full-time (100%)
Application Deadline: 03 June 2026
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Senior ICT Architect to support the ongoing modernization and standardization of a complex, fragmented ICT landscape within a large academic organization.
In this role, you will translate strategic business objectives into actionable enterprise and solution architectures, ensuring coherence across applications, data, integration, and infrastructure domains. You will play a key role in shaping future-proof architecture standards, governance models, and transformation roadmaps.
This position requires strong architectural leadership, the ability to operate in a regulated and multi-stakeholder environment, and a pragmatic mindset to balance long-term vision with operational constraints.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise & Solution Architecture
* Develop enterprise and solution architectures aligned with organizational strategy.
* Translate business requirements into target architectures, principles, roadmaps, and phased implementation plans.
* Model as-is and to-be architectures, capability maps, and information models.
* Ensure architectural coherence across business, application, data, integration, and infrastructure layers.
Architecture Governance & Decision-Making
* Support and facilitate architecture governance processes and decision-making forums.
* Define and maintain architecture standards, design principles, and guidelines.
* Prepare Architecture Decision Records (ADR) and ensure their application in delivery contexts.
* Contribute to architectural review boards and evaluation frameworks.
Transformation & Strategy Support
* Support modernization and digital transformation programs.
* Guide architectural alignment across multiple initiatives and domains.
* Contribute to sourcing and vendor selection processes, including requirements definition and architectural evaluations.
* Ensure alignment between strategic objectives and implementation realities.
Stakeholder Collaboration
* Act as a bridge between business stakeholders, delivery teams, project managers, and technical experts.
* Facilitate architectural discussions and workshops across multidisciplinary teams.
* Communicate complex architectural concepts in a clear and actionable way.
Required Qualifications
Experience
* Minimum 10 years of experience in IT, with strong architectural expertise.
* At least 5 years of experience in:
o Enterprise or domain architecture roles (application, infrastructure, security, data, ERP, BI, ECM, etc.)
o Architecture governance and decision-making frameworks
o Defining and managing transformation roadmaps in complex organizations
o Modeling enterprise architectures (as-is / to-be)
* Proven experience working in public sector or highly regulated environments.
Technical & Methodological Skills
* Strong knowledge of architecture modeling frameworks and tools:
o ArchiMate
o TOGAF
o UML
o Sparx Enterprise Architect
* Experience with:
o Azure and Azure DevOps
o Kubernetes and Docker
o Git-based development workflows
* Strong understanding of:
o Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
o Event-driven architecture
o Architecture Decision Records (ADR)
Language Requirements
* Native-level Dutch proficiency (CEFR C2).
Preferred Qualifications
* Experience supporting ICT architecture in procurement, sourcing, and vendor selection processes.
* Experience with ICT procurement and evaluation of technology solutions.
* Strong understanding of business processes in complex organizations.
* Experience with project management concepts including cost estimation, planning, coordination, and governance.
* Broad ICT domain knowledge with specialization in at least one architecture domain (infrastructure, application, data, security, or process).
Work Environment
* Academic and research-oriented environment with a large and complex ICT ecosystem.
* Strong emphasis on standardization, governance, and future-proof architecture design.
* Hybrid working model with flexibility for remote work (up to 2 days/week), subject to operational needs.
* Travel between UGent locations may be required.
What Makes You Successful
* Strong ability to translate strategy into actionable architecture.
* Pragmatic approach to complex architectural challenges.
* Strong governance and decision-making facilitation skills.
* Ability to influence stakeholders at different organizational levels.
* Clear communication and documentation skills.
* Strong analytical mindset with a focus on long-term sustainability and coherence.
Apply Now
Interested candidates are invited to apply before 03 June 2026. Due to the short timeline, early submission is strongly recommended.