Head of Architecture

Ready to shape the future of architecture on a global scale within ABN AMRO Clearing? As Head of Architecture, you drive vision, alignment, and simplification across a complex IT landscape - empowering teams, setting standards, and turning strategy into impact.

At a glance

Ready to shape the future of architecture on a global scale within ABN AMRO Clearing? As Head of Architecture, you drive vision, alignment, and simplification across a complex IT landscape - empowering teams, setting standards, and turning strategy into impact.

Your job

Key activities and responsibilities include:

• Developing and owning the vision for Architecture (Current and Future State Architecture) and steering the implementation of the roadmap in close collaboration with the blocks
• Being the driving force in harmonizing the IT landscape across the organisation, ensuring alignment with architectural principles, promoting reuse, and reducing complexity and fragmentation
• Prioritizing the allocation of CoE - Architecture resources through the flow-to-work model to facilitate objectives of the Product and Platform GRIDs and other CoEs
• Defining and communicating standards and principles, monitoring implementation, and actively steering towards simplification and alignment across the IT landscape
• Coaching and developing CoE members, ensuring a strong and consistent level of architectural expertise across the organization

Working environment

ABN AMRO Clearing is a global leader within the clearing space, delivering integrated solutions across clearing, execution, custody, financing, and risk management. Operating at the heart of global financial markets, we provide access to a broad range of listed instruments across regions, ensuring safe, transparent, and highly efficient markets for our clients. With a strong presence in APAC, Europe, and the US, we combine deep market expertise with a robust, high-performance technology and infrastructure landscape that supports clients operating in demanding, high-speed trading environments.

The Head of Architecture leads the global architecture team, comprising Enterprise and Solution Architects. The CoE – Architecture is responsible for defining and maintaining the current and target state architecture, as well as the associated principles and standards. The role ensures that key stakeholders - including Chapter Area Leads, CoE Leads, and Product Owners across Product and Platform GRIDs - are aligned and guided in the consistent application of these standards.

Your profile

You are an experienced technology leader with a strong architectural background and the ability to translate strategy into execution. You demonstrate clear judgement, strong collaboration, and the ability to drive alignment across a complex organisation. Key areas of expertise include:

1. Strategic Architecture Leadership

• Strong understanding of the AACB business model and the role of architecture in enabling it
• Proven ability to define and drive architecture vision, including current and target state architectures
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into actionable roadmaps
• Strong organisational awareness, with the ability to prioritise initiatives based on business impact

2. Leadership and Organisation

• Strong people leadership and coaching capabilities
• Ability to lead and align a diverse group of Enterprise and Solution Architects
• Proven ability to influence and drive decision-making at senior levels
• Experience in prioritising and allocating resources in a dynamic environment

3. Architecture Governance and Standards

• Strong knowledge of architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF) and tooling (e.g. Bizzdesign)
• Ability to define, implement, and enforce architecture standards and governance
• Experience operating within a risk-aware and control-focused environment
• Ability to support delivery teams in adopting and applying architectural standards

4. Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex topics clearly
• Ability to engage effectively with both business and IT stakeholders
• Proven capability to bridge architecture and engineering communities
• Strong facilitation skills to drive alignment and decision-making

5. Execution and Ways of Working

• Strong focus on delivery while maintaining architectural integrity
• Experience working in Agile environments and supporting product-driven organisations
• Ability to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement
• Practical mindset, balancing strategic direction with execution

We are offering

We offer you a front-row role in bringing our strategy to life, where you will actively shape architecture decisions in a mission-critical, high-throughput clearing environment. You will join an internationally oriented Clearing team that operates at global scale, where speed, resilience, and control are essential to everything we do. At the same time, you’ll find plenty of room to grow — with opportunities to expand your expertise, strengthen your leadership, and continuously learn, experiment, and make a real impact.

In addition, we offer:

• An excellent pension scheme, ensuring that you are well prepared for the future.
• Flexibility in working: working from home is possible in consultation with your team and depending on your role. We will provide an ergonomic home office setup for you.
• Plenty of room for relaxation with five weeks of vacation per year, supplemented by two mandatory days off. You can also purchase up to four additional weeks of vacation annually.
• Five “Banking for better days”: extra days off that you can use for personal development or volunteer work.
• Personal development is key: you receive a development budget of €1,000 per year, which can accumulate up to €3,000.
• An annual public transport pass with free public transportation throughout the Netherlands for both business and private use.