Freelance Solution Architect

Job Description
Freelance Solution Architect 2 days onsite per week in Brussels

About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect to join a major Dgital transformation programme within a leading organisation in the financial services clientIn this role, you will be responsible for defining and evolving the target solution architecture, translating business and technical requirements into robust architectural designs, and ensuring that solutions align with enterprise architecture standards and governance requirements.
Working closely with business stakeholders, technical teams, security specialists and senior architects, you will contribute to the architecture of individual programme phases, assess alternative solutions and identify pragmatic approaches where the desired target state cannot be achieved immediately.
This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on Solution Architect who combines strong architectural thinking with practical technical knowledge, particularly in AWS serverless technologies, event-driven architecture and modern application integration.

Key Responsibilities
Solution Architecture & DesignDefine and maintain the target architecture for the transformation programme.
Design the solution architecture for individual programme phases and delivery initiatives.
Translate business requirements and stakeholder constraints into practical, scalable and secure architectural solutions.
Evaluate alternative solutions against criteria including business value, technical feasibility, security, privacy, cost, operational requirements and long-term sustainability.
Define interim solutions and workarounds where the target architecture cannot be implemented immediately, while maintaining a clear roadmap towards the desired end state.
Assess architectural and technology risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
Identify opportunities to leverage new technologies and modern architectural patterns.
Architecture Governance & DocumentationEnsure compliance with established enterprise architecture principles, standards and governance processes.
Prepare and present architecture proposals to local and group architecture governance boards.
Obtain the necessary architectural approvals, or “building permits”, for relevant epics before implementation begins.
Document solution architectures in Sparx Systems using established modelling standards and guidelines.
Prepare architecture presentations and supporting documentation using the organisation's standard templates.
Monitor implementation against approved architecture decisions, identifying, documenting and managing deviations or gaps.
Work closely with delivery teams and senior architects to ensure architectural decisions are understood and implemented correctly.
Stakeholder CollaborationEngage with business, delivery, security, privacy, legal and operational stakeholders to understand requirements and constraints.
Communicate architectural concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Collaborate with senior architects, development teams and delivery partners throughout the transformation lifecycle.
Balance strategic architectural objectives with practical delivery needs, ensuring solutions remain aligned with programme goals.
Required Skills & ExperienceMinimum 6 years of professional experience in IT, technology or solution delivery.
At least 3 years of experience in a Solution Architect role.
Strong experience designing and evaluating solution architectures within complex IT environments.
Good knowledge of AWS cloud services, particularly serverless application deployment, with approximately 3 years of relevant experience expected.
Understanding of Business Process Management Systems (BPMS), Event-Driven Architecture (EDA), integrations and agentic platforms.
Experience assessing architectural options and presenting recommendations based on multiple business and technical criteria.
Ability to communicate effectively in English with both business stakeholders and technical teams.
Strong understanding of architectural governance, documentation and design approval processes.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to work collaboratively, listen to different perspectives and adapt to changing programme requirements.
Availability to work onsite in Brussels 2-3 days per week.
Nice to HaveExperience working on large-scale business or IT transformation programmes, particularly those with annual budgets in the €5–10 million range.
Knowledge of the Employee Benefits business or related insurance and financial services domains.
Technical understanding of mainframe environments and their associated constraints.
Knowledge of French and/or Dutch.
Experience working with formal architecture modelling tools and enterprise architecture frameworks.
Personal AttributesWe are looking for a Solution Architect who demonstrates:Strong collaboration and communication skills.
The ability to challenge assumptions constructively and presen