Enterprise Architect (Application Focus) - Hybrid Lisbon (2-3 days/week on-site)

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Join a leading European logistics technology company powering the delivery of 840+ million parcels annually across 41 countries and over 1,600 locations. This Enterprise Architect role offers a unique opportunity to drive architectural excellence for mission-critical systems that route packages from grandmothers in Hamburg to grandsons in Sicily—combining parcel routing intelligence, mobile applications, and sophisticated IT infrastructure. This is specifically an Application Architecture role, NOT Business, Data, or Infrastructure Architecture. You'll bridge hands-on solution architecture with enterprise-level governance, working in close collaboration with management, solution architects, and development teams to shape the technical future of Europe's logistics infrastructure. Operating with a hybrid model requiring 2-3 days per week in the Venda do Pinheiro (Lisbon) office, you'll balance high-level strategic thinking with practical, hands-on support—facilitating architecture workshops, coaching solution architects, and ensuring documentation quality while maintaining a pragmatic "Just Enough EA" approach that maximizes business value over theoretical perfection.

PROJECT & CONTEXT

You'll drive the development and implementation of Enterprise Architecture focusing specifically on application and integration architectures within a modern cloud-native environment built on AWS, Kubernetes, and microservices. Your responsibilities include managing and documenting AS-IS and TO-BE architecture landscapes with related standards and processes, evaluating optimization potential based on technology innovations and weak point analysis (cost efficiency, security, complexity, synergies), and deriving TO-BE architectures with implementation strategies, roadmaps, and concrete solution scenarios. Working with a sophisticated tech stack including Java (Spring Boot, Hibernate), Python, Kafka, Amazon SQS, and various messaging technologies, you'll ensure every architecture decision is guided by business value impact. The role demands executing the Architecture Advice Process to transparently prepare, moderate, and validate decisions while supporting transformation projects including change management and process harmonization. You'll create C4 diagrams using Draw.io for clear architecture visualization, work with EAM tools like LeanIX and Confluence, and collaborate with application and infrastructure architects at group level. Critical to success is combining enterprise governance with hands-on coaching—facilitating workshops, supporting solution architects' professional development, maintaining quality standards, and building stakeholder networks across international teams working on cloud governance, API design, event-driven architectures, and data governance (data mesh) initiatives.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR (Required)

• Senior Solution Architect Background: Several years proven experience as Senior Solution Architect with deep expertise in application and integration architectures
• Microservices Expertise: Strong hands-on experience designing and implementing microservices architectures at scale
• AWS Proficiency: Extensive practical experience with AWS cloud services and architecture patterns
• Kubernetes Knowledge: Solid understanding of Kubernetes container orchestration and cloud-native deployments
• Enterprise Architecture Experience: Initial or advanced experience in Enterprise Architecture Management, ideally with TOGAF framework familiarity
• Application Architecture Focus: Strong background specifically in application and integration architectures (NOT Business/Data/Infrastructure Architecture)
• C4 Diagrams: Proficiency creating C4 diagrams for architecture visualization, preferably using Draw.io/diagrams.net
• Cloud Governance: Knowledge of cloud governance principles, patterns, and best practices
• API Design: Experience with RESTful API design, API management, and integration patterns
• Event-Driven Architecture: Understanding of event-driven systems and messaging technologies (Kafka, SQS, ArtemisMQ, JMS)
• Data Architecture Awareness: Knowledge of data mesh, data governance concepts, and modern data architectures
• High-Level + Hands-On Balance: Proven ability combining enterprise-level governance with hands-on technical support and coaching
• Workshop Facilitation: Strong skills facilitating architecture workshops and driving consensus among stakeholders
• Coaching Capability: Experience coaching and mentoring solution architects including documentation quality and professional development
• Value-Oriented Mindset: Every architecture decision guided by business value and impact, avoiding over-engineering
• Communication Excellence: Extroverted personality, proactively approaching stakeholders, building networks, preparing and delivering presentations convincingly
• Growth Mindset: Strong motivation to grow into Enterprise Architect role bridging solution architecture with enterprise governance
• Language: C1 English (Advanced) - very good spoken and written English is MANDATORY (this is non-negotiable)
• Location: Based in Lisbon area with availability for 2-3 days per week in Venda do Pinheiro office

NICE TO HAVE (Preferred)

• TOGAF Certification: Official TOGAF certification or participation in intensive TOGAF training program
• AWS Certification: AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional level)
• Kubernetes Certification: Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) or Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
• Software Development Background: Hands-on coding experience in Java or Python
• CI/CD Tools: Practical experience with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar automation tools
• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Scrum, Kanban, and Agile delivery practices
• EAM Tools Experience: Hands-on experience with LeanIX, Confluence, or similar Enterprise Architecture Management tools
• German Language: German language skills (any level is a plus)
• Additional Cloud Platforms: Azure experience beyond AWS
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Helm, or CloudFormation expertise
• Observability Tools: Experience with Grafana, Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, or similar monitoring stacks
• Identity & Security: Knowledge of Keycloak, OAuth2, SAML, OpenID Connect, EntraID
• Database Technologies: RDS (Postgres), DynamoDB, Snowflake, ElasticSearch, Redis
• Additional Messaging: ActiveMQ, ArtemisMQ, or JMS implementation experience
• API Management: APIgee, Swagger, Redocly for API governance and documentation

Tech Stack: AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Java (Spring Boot), Python, Kafka, SQS, Terraform, RDS (Postgres), DynamoDB, Snowflake, ElasticSearch, Redis, LeanIX, Confluence, Jira

Location: Venda do Pinheiro/Lisbon, Portugal (Hybrid - 2-3 days/week on-site)