Cloud Architect

What you will do

You will develop the cloud and hosting strategy for a Belgian public-sector organisation. Working closely with IT services, platform and engineering teams, the Chief Data Officer, the CISO office and other architects, you will determine how cloud and hosting technology can be deployed securely, cost-effectively, legally and sustainably, and where different types of data should be placed: on-premise, in a private cloud, in IaaS/PaaS or in SaaS.

Your role is that of a strategist, not an implementer. You will translate strategic objectives into a multi-year roadmap, a cloud operating model, architecture principles and governance frameworks, and advise decision-making bodies through clear, non-technical advisory notes on investments, sourcing, data sovereignty, vendor lock-in, risks and priorities. The concrete solution architecture and technical implementation will be carried out by the architecture, platform and engineering teams.

Deliverables

• A multi-year cloud and hosting roadmap and a cloud operating model
• Architecture principles, reference architectures and governance frameworks (guardrails), at both high and detailed levels
• A framework for hosting and data placement (on-premise, private cloud, IaaS/PaaS, SaaS)
• Minimum requirements for logging, auditability, encryption, key management and data residency
• A KPI set and reporting on costs, security, availability and migration
• Non-technical advisory notes for decision-making bodies

Main tasks

• Analyse the current situation (as-is) and map out the target architecture and migration paths
• Translate legislation, organisational requirements and data classification into guardrails
• Weigh hosting options for each type of data, including SaaS, together with the Chief Data Officer
• Monitor costs according to FinOps principles and track KPIs
• Prepare and support risk acceptance by the relevant decision-making bodies
• Consult with IT on security implementations and translate IT needs into architecture
• On your own initiative, involve partners and stakeholders and form the connection with other architects

What we are looking for

Knowledge domains

• Cloud and hosting architecture: Azure (IaaS/PaaS, landing zones, subscriptions, management groups, resource governance), hybrid infrastructure (ExpressRoute/VPN, WAN), networking and on-premise data centres
• SaaS and service models: the shared-responsibility model per service model, where data resides and who has access to it, contractual aspects and exit options (including Microsoft 365)
• Security and operational foundations: Zero Trust, security by design, IAM (Entra ID, RBAC, PIM), encryption and key management, logging and auditability; FinOps; IaC and automation, monitoring, containers, BC/DR
• Context: data sovereignty, vendor lock-in and exit strategy, data classification, legislation and organisational requirements; GRC, NIS 2 and the GDPR in broad terms

Communication and collaboration

• Clear oral and written communication, from strategic to technical level
• Collaboration-oriented: builds trust with the delivery teams and partners, and reconciles infrastructure, security and operational interests
• Dutch or French required; bilingualism is a strong asset; English required

Level and experience

• Senior, strategic and advisory, working under broad direction (SFIA level 5 - Ensure, advise)
• Experienced and mature; strong in the core of cloud and in security; analytical and pragmatic; explicitly not a junior

Education

• Master's degree, or equivalent through extensive relevant experience
• Certifications are an asset (e.g. Azure Solutions Architect Expert, TOGAF/SABSA, FinOps and cloud security certifications)

The setting

This assignment runs from November 2026 to the end of December 2026. The role is based in Brussels, with at least two days per week on site and remote work permitted (in Belgium). You will work in a multidisciplinary team, a mix of internal and external staff.

Dutch or French is required; bilingualism is a strong asset. English is required.

Location: Brussels, hybrid

Work address: Belgium

Employer / contracting party: HumanInTech

Applications close (Brussels time): October 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM

Engagement: Freelance or employed by HumanInTech

Working hours: Full-time

Experience: More than 10 years or more

Education: Master's or more

Published: October 2026