Role Description

Within the ICT department of the FAVV, the Infrastructure Architect is responsible for developing a long-term vision for the future infrastructure architecture (To Be). This To Be architecture is accompanied by a coherent roadmap to realize the architecture. The To Be architecture and roadmap must ensure that FAVV makes the right choices and the right investment decisions. It should also ensure that budgets can be planned over multiple years.

The Infrastructure Architect is expected to actively collaborate with a team of FAVV colleagues. These are mainly employees of the Infrastructure department, representatives of the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE), and the Enterprise Architecture team. These employees will provide as much relevant documentation as possible in advance. Documentation includes, among other things, As Is architecture documentation and the high-level planning of the planned infrastructure projects to ensure timely NIS2 compliance (e.g., the exit from the G-Cloud, entry into SECaaS2, etc.).

The architect is expected to be able to work independently, in order to minimize the burden on internal employees. He/she should be able to advise FAVV independently on making the right choices, based on his/her knowledge, previous practical experience, and knowledge of technological trends.

Based on the documentation, he/she develops a To Be architecture and the corresponding roadmap. Subsequently, the architect is responsible for guiding the rollout of the roadmap. This includes advising projects on architectural issues, participating in the Architecture Board, contributing to studies, or co-drafting specifications.

Responsibilities

In summary, the Infrastructure Architect is responsible for:

• Developing the To Be architecture, taking into account current technological developments and the possibility of procuring services via federal framework contracts (e.g., via SECaaS2)
• Drawing up a roadmap to realize the To Be architecture
• For all existing components/maintenance contracts: determining the strategy, if necessary based on a prior study. This can result in:
• Extending existing components/contracts
• Drawing up a phase-out plan for existing components and introducing new components (via new specifications, procurement via framework contract, etc.). New projects must be initiated for this
• Advising on the required staffing of the architecture team and the impact this has on the personnel plan. Continuity is needed (some key individuals will be leaving FAVV within a few years) and SPOFs must be avoided
• Advising on collaboration of the architecture team with CCoE, Architecture Board
• Advising on possible cost savings that can be achieved if the right investment decisions are made; providing input for business cases
• Monitoring the realization of the To Be Infrastructure Architecture and Roadmap, including through active participation in the Architecture Board and close involvement in the projects initiated in the context of NIS2.

Knowledge and Experience

• You have a Master's or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering Sciences, or equivalent through experience.
• You have at least 10 years of experience in ICT infrastructure, of which at least 8 years in an architecture role (Infrastructure Architect, Solution Architect or similar).
• You have demonstrable experience in developing long-term infrastructure visions and roadmaps.

• You have broad knowledge of / experience with the main standards used within FAVV:

• Core infrastructure (8 years)

  • Compute & Servers (Windows & Linux server environments, On-prem, hybrid, and cloud-based workloads)
  • Virtualization & containerization (VMware / etc., Docker & Kubernetes (AKS))
  • Storage & backup (SAN/NAS, object storage, Backup & disaster recovery strategies)

• Cloud & platforms (4 years)

  • Public cloud (focus on Azure) (Azure landing zones, IaaS / PaaS architectures, Cost management & governance)
  • Hybrid & multi-cloud architectures (Integration on-prem ↔ cloud, Connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute, …))

• Identity, directory & collaboration (4 years)

  • Identity & Access Management (IAM) (Azure AD / Entra ID, Single Sign-On (SSO), MFA & Conditional Access, IGA)
  • Directory services (Active Directory (on-prem & Azure AD Connect), Hybrid identity scenarios)
  • Authentication & authorization protocols (OAuth2, OpenID Connect, SAML, ADFS or alternatives)
  • Microsoft 365 tenant (O365 tenant architecture, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, Tenant security & governance)

• Network & security (2 years)

  • Network architecture (LAN/WAN, Cloud networking (VNets, subnets, NSGs, firewalls)
  • Security architecture (Zero Trust principles, Endpoint security, Identity-based security)
  • Compliance & risk (Logging & monitoring, Security baselines & policies)

• DevOps & application support (1 year)

  • CI/CD & automation (Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions, Infrastructure as Code Terraform)
  • Application platforms (.NET Core, App Services, API Management)
  • Environment lifecycle (Dev / Test / Acceptance / Production, Release & deployment strategies)

• Data & integration (1 year)

  • Databases (Oracle, SQL Server, Azure SQL)
  • Data platforms (Data integration & pipelines)
  • Integration architecture (APIs, messaging, event-driven architecture)

• Knowledge of enterprise architecture methodologies (e.g., TOGAF or equivalent) is a strong asset.

• You are used to working independently and can quickly adapt to new environments and teams.
• You are a strong communicator and can explain complex concepts clearly to various stakeholders.
• You are proactive, result-oriented (you can deliver), and can set priorities well in a dynamic work environment.
• You have a good command of Dutch or French (one is the working language, the other is at least very good) and English.
• Experience within the (federal) government sector is a strong asset.

The candidate can be engaged either full-time or part-time.

The contract will be extended after completion, subject to a positive evaluation.