Solution Architect – Software Engineering & Data

We are looking for a Solution Architect with a strong software engineering background. You have built software yourself. You understand how engineers work. You care about clean design, testability, automation, and safe delivery. Now you use that experience to guide teams, not just draw diagrams.

You will work in a data architecture environment, supporting systems that help Rabobank comply with policies and regulations. Compliance is the goal of the process, but software engineering quality is the core skill we need. Many data engineers are strong in tools and platforms, but weaker in software engineering practices. Your job is to raise the engineering bar.

What you will actually do

As a Solution Architect, you:

• Design the end-to-end architecture of a chain of applications, from data ingestion to user-facing applications.
• Create clear abstract views and detailed designs that engineers can really build.
• Guide engineers towards good software engineering practices, especially in data platforms.
• Help teams make the right technical choices, not the fastest shortcuts.
• Act as a sparring partner for engineers and tech leads, not a document factory.

Engineering mindset we expect

You actively promote and explain topics like:

• Automated testing, including unit, integration, and pipeline tests.
• Designed test data, with no random or copied production data.
• Blue/green or safe deployment strategies.
• Clear separation between environments.
• Never touching production data in development or testing.
• Clean interfaces, clear ownership, and simple designs.

You understand these topics because you have used them yourself.

Technology context

Example, not a checklist:

• Software engineering background, for example Java, Kotlin, C#, or similar.
• Experience working with engineers in data platforms.
• API-based and event-driven architectures.
• Cloud platforms, with Azure as a plus.
• CI/CD pipelines and DevOps ways of working.

What we are not looking for

This role is not for someone who:

• Focuses mainly on process, policy texts, or compliance documents.
• Only creates high-level slides without technical depth.
• Avoids technical discussions with engineers.
• Has never built or maintained real software.

What we do offer

• Real architectural impact on core platforms.
• Engineers who want guidance and clarity.
• Space to improve engineering quality across teams.
• Hybrid working and good work-life balance.
• A complex environment where good architecture really matters.

You & your background

• Several years of experience in software engineering.
• Experience growing into an architectural leadership role.
• Comfortable working in complex, regulated environments.
• Able to explain complex ideas in simple English.
• Based in the Netherlands and allowed to work here.

To be considered for this position, you must be located in the Netherlands or elsewhere in the EU and have the legal right to work in the Netherlands. We are unable to consider candidates requiring relocation from another country.