Senior Solution Architect – Complex Systems

From complexity to clarity — shaping the future of MES architecture At imec, we are looking for a Senior Solution Architect with a broad technical interest and the ability to navigate complex system landscapes. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys understanding challenging problems, shaping solutions, and driving architectural clarity, and who is motivated to (re)orient towards the MES domain. You will take architectural ownership within a mission-critical platform manufacturing software solution (OneFab) that supports manufacturing and R&D processes across a highly integrated ecosystem. Your key contribution is not domain-specific knowledge, but your ability to:
• grasp complexity quickly
• translate ambiguous challenges into structured solutions
• design systems that are robust, scalable, and evolvable What you will do Shape and drive architecture
• Own end-to-end architecture across a complex system landscape (principles, standards, and decisions)
• Create clarity in environments where multiple systems, integrations, and constraints interact
• Balance long-term sustainability with pragmatic delivery needs Work across system boundaries
• Understand and translate complex functional and technical questions into solution designs
• Define and guide integration approaches (APIs, messaging, data flows, system interactions)
• Navigate legacy environments and evolving architectures Enable scalable and reliable systems
• Define guardrails for scalability, reliability, security, and operability
• Identify and reduce structural complexity and bottlenecks
• Ensure systems remain stable while evolving over time Act as a technical problem solver
• Dive into complex issues when needed (e.g. cross-system defects, production challenges)
• Analyze root causes and translate them into structural improvements
• Support teams in resolving ambiguity and moving forward Coach and influence
• Guide engineers and analysts in systems thinking and architectural reasoning
• Help teams make trade-offs transparent and explicit
• Foster strong engineering practices and pragmatic documentation What we do for you

We offer
you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow. We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. Who you are Core profile
• Experienced Software or Solution Architect in complex environments
• Strong systems thinker: able to connect applications, integrations, data, and operations
• Comfortable working in high-complexity, integration-heavy landscapes
• Able to understand abstract, ambiguous, and technically challenging problems and translate them into clear solutions
• Background in modernizing legacy systems or platform architecture
• Experience working across multiple teams and stakeholders Mindset
• Curious and motivated to explore or transition into new domains (e.g. MES)
• Hands-on when needed: able to investigate, analyze, and unblock teams
• Pragmatic: balances ideal architecture with real-world constraints
• Strong communicator: aligns stakeholders and drives decision-making