Principal / Enterprise Architect (m/f/d) – IT Transformation & Integration
An established, multi-site organization is seeking an experienced Principal / Enterprise Architect to lead a large-scale IT transformation and system integration initiative. This is a high-impact role focused on simplifying a complex, fragmented application landscape and establishing a scalable, future-ready architecture.
The Opportunity
You will take ownership of the architectural vision across a distributed environment with hundreds of applications and significant system duplication across locations. The role combines enterprise architecture, solution design, and hands-on integration leadership, acting as the central link between business stakeholders, IT teams, and external technology partners.
Key Responsibilities
* Define and implement the target enterprise architecture across a complex, multi-site IT landscape
* Lead the integration and consolidation of disparate systems, including evaluation of platforms and integration patterns
* Design scalable integration architectures (APIs, middleware, event-driven approaches, iPaaS)
* Establish and enforce architecture governance, standards, and best practices
* Act as a technical counterpart to external vendors and software providers, ensuring alignment with architectural goals
* Support executive decision-making with clear architectural recommendations and roadmaps
* Serve as a bridge between business and IT, translating complex technical topics into actionable insights
* Drive reduction of technical debt and improve operational efficiency across sites
Your Profile
* Extensive experience (typically 8–10+ years) in enterprise and/or solution architecture roles
* Proven track record managing complex, distributed IT landscapes with multiple applications and redundancies
* Strong expertise in system integration (APIs, REST, middleware, cloud platforms, iPaaS)
* Experience working in multi-site organizations (e.g., healthcare, retail, or similarly structured industries)
* Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on in transformation environments
* Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage at executive level
* Familiarity with regulated environments is advantageous
Additional Requirements
* Fluent German and English language skills
* Willingness to travel 3–4 days per week
* Preferred location: Frankfurt or Western Germany (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Ruhr region)
Nice to Have
* Background in healthcare IT (or comparable sectors such as retail with distributed operations)
* Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, ArchiMate)
* Knowledge of IT security architecture and governance