Tech Lead Position

Start Date: ASAP

Duration: Until the end of the year, with the possibility of extension

Work Regime: Full-time, 2 to 3 office days per week Antwerp region

Languages Required: English/Dutch

Role Description:

The Tech Lead will serve as the technical conscience of the team, working closely with the Solution Architect to ensure architectural decisions are translated into concrete guidance, implementation standards, and consistent delivery across internal and external vendor teams. This is not a people-management role.

Responsibilities:

• Architecture & Technical Leadership:
  • Translate architectural vision into practical implementation standards and guardrails.
  • Co-own the domain architecture with Solution Architects, Product Owners, and Lead Analysts.
  • Ensure correct implementation of architectural decisions in the codebase.
• Quality & Engineering Excellence:
  • Enforce standards for security, maintainability, testability, scalability, and observability.
  • Perform architecture-level code reviews and ensure high-quality engineering outcomes.
• Vendor Steering & Multi-Team Alignment:
  • Challenge and guide vendor teams to ensure alignment with technical standards.
  • Operate effectively within a multi-vendor, multi-team landscape.
• Cloud & Platform Enablement:
  • Support teams in cloud adoption (AWS, GCP) and container platforms (OpenShift/Kubernetes).
  • Provide practical guidance bridging theory and hands-on engineering.
• Modernisation & Innovation:
  • Reduce technical debt and drive modernization initiatives.
  • Introduce and promote cloud-native and AI-driven solutions.
  • Organize coaching, training, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Stakeholder & Business Communication:
  • Communicate effectively with Product Owners, Business Analysts, architects, and senior stakeholders.
  • Balance priorities, navigating a complex  environment.
• Delivery & Release Optimisation:
  • Improve delivery pipelines, release management, and patching processes.
  • Support teams through ongoing large-scale transformations.

This Role Is NOT:

• Not a team lead or scrum master — you don't manage people, sprints, or backlogs.
• Not a solution architect — you work alongside the SA as their technical sparring partner, not in place of them.
• Not a business analyst — you challenge BAs and consulting FAs on technical feasibility; you don't own functional analysis.
• Not a project manager — your authority comes from technical expertise and the quality of your guidance, not from a reporting line.

Educational Background:

Master’s degree in Computer Science / Information Systems or equivalent professional experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of technical leadership or senior solution design experience in enterprise environments.
• Preferably resides in Belgium and be familiar with local work practices.

Must-Have Skills:

• Strong experience with AWS and/or GCP.
• Experience with Kubernetes / OpenShift.
• CI/CD pipeline experience and infrastructure-as-code.
• Integration knowledge (API-led, event-driven, messaging).
• Experience with Snowflake or similar enterprise data platforms.
• Strong software architecture and scalable system design expertise.
• Solid infrastructure understanding (networking, compute, security, storage).
• Excellent communication and persuasion skills.
• Ability to steer vendors and influence delivery without hierarchical authority.
• Hands-on technical leadership (not purely advisory).

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Dutch language skills.
• Experience in large, complex enterprise environments.
• Experience with AI adoption & innovation.
• Experience with vendor ecosystems.
• Background in network architecture.