Solution Architect Integral Adjustment

That is why you want to work at NS as a Solution Architect Integral Adjustment

This is what you will do as a Solution Architect in Integral Adjustment

As a solution architect, you form the connecting link between business and IT. You are in the middle of the organization: on the work floor, you work closely with our teams and know exactly what is happening. Based on the needs of the business, you design the technology and functionality for the realization of complex solutions together with lead developers.

In doing so, you constantly keep an eye on important frameworks and objectives, such as standardization, scalability, reusability, performance, security, and availability. This ensures that solutions not only work well today but are also ready for the future.

Together with the other solution and lead architects within the cluster, you develop a vision for the position of our software components within the broader application landscape of NS. That vision does not only stem from theory: you have demonstrable experience in designing and building business-critical environments within a custom-built environment. You know from practice what is required to keep software continuously available and you speak the language of the developers with whom you realize solutions.

You ensure that our solution directions align in principle with laws and regulations and the architectural frameworks of NS. You also stay well-informed about developments within the organization and translate changes into the impact on ongoing and new projects.

Additionally, you are an ambassador for our way of working. Within NS, we work according to an Agile framework (SAFe) and are fully committed to DevOps principles, such as Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery. In this way, you contribute to solutions that are reliable, future-proof, and of great value to NS and our travelers.

Our organization is constantly in motion. Therefore, we are looking for a solution architect who not only possesses a solid foundation of knowledge and skills but also has the potential to learn and enjoys adapting to new situations.

• You will work at the intersection of business and IT in a domain undergoing major digitalization.

• Collaborate on the development of mission-critical software that is the beating heart of our train service

• Work on a sustainable society in which train transport is becoming increasingly important from an environmental perspective and due to urbanization.

Pieter: "It is super cool to contribute to software that keeps the Netherlands accessible."

A glimpse into your daily activities:

• Designing (high-level) solution directions, in line with the stated requirements, together with the lead developers.

• Advising on chosen solutions to stakeholders such as the Product Owners, IT lead, and Lead Solution Architect.

• Recording and substantiating architectural decisions in Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), so that choices can be traced back later.

• Designing and monitoring connections and interfaces with other domains and chain partners, such as APIs, event streams, and message exchange.

• Coordinating with architects from other domains to safeguard coherence in the landscape and prevent duplicate work.

• Coordinating with the Product Owners regarding the business roadmap, enabler epics, backlog prioritization, and the architectural runway.

• Taking charge of and providing direction to the deliverables required for the architecture (for example, managing the data model with various stakeholders, both within and outside our domain).

• Documenting and checking delivered architecture and engineering products.

• Promoting the target architecture and architecture roadmap of the adjustment domain.

Our cluster is part of IT Operations. This department provides all the IT needed to operate the NS train service safely and reliably every day. Our cluster develops and manages the software we use to adjust the train service when disruptions, deviations, or conflicts occur in the timetable, the rolling stock, or staff deployment.

With this software, we support our controllers in solving the complex logistical puzzle. This ensures they can act quickly and effectively and that NS can continue to offer our travelers as reliable a train service as possible. Our software is therefore mission-critical and must be available 24/7.

Within the cluster, multiple agile development teams work on the development and further development of our applications. At the same time, we are on the eve of further scaling up. We are building an integral IT landscape with which we can support adjustment even better. This has a major impact on both our IT and our organization, but simultaneously offers a wonderful challenge and plenty of opportunities to further shape digitalization within NS.

Large NS initiatives, such as Fundamenteel Spoor and ERTMS, also influence our cluster. These initiatives bring changes to our business processes. Together, we translate those changes into the impact on our IT products and ensure that our solutions align with them.

Within our cluster, we develop not only technology but also constantly our way of working. For example, we are fully committed to DevOps and actively experiment with the possibilities of AI. We do this within a Release Train with multiple agile teams and a broad, multidisciplinary composition.

At NS, development capacity is a crucial competence. It helps us to respond flexibly to changes, acquire new knowledge quickly, and learn together. We believe this leads to better collaboration and more innovation: by being open to new ideas and continuously improving, we continue to develop our services and ourselves.

The work location is Utrecht. We work hybrid: partly from our office and partly from home.

To function fully as an IT architect, you must master the following 5 disciplines at a high level:

• Understanding the business and the corporate strategy.

• Being able to communicate strongly ("from boardroom to engine room").

• Being able to draw models and flowcharts.

• Understanding how systems are established (project management and development processes).

• Providing the organization with insight into non-functional requirements, such as the balance between security, cost, and performance.

This translates into the following job requirements:

• University/Higher Professional Education (WO/HBO) working and thinking level.

• 5+ years of experience in an architecture or similar role.

• Knowledge of management, data and security guidelines, and requirements engineering.

• Demonstrable experience with architectural methods, techniques, tools, frameworks, etc. Certifications such as TOGAF and ArchiMate are a plus.

• Experience with Scrum, SAFe, CI/CD, and DevOps (mindset and tooling)

• You have experience within large/complex organizations. You are able to move along with change.

• You are analytically strong and derive satisfaction from understanding complex processes and chains.

• You take a coaching role toward the DevOps teams and guide them in their daily development process.

• Extensive experience in developing software yourself.

• Extensive experience with distributed systems and event-driven or (near) real-time architectures.

• Experience with Domain-Driven Design

• You can explain complex technical issues clearly to both developers and Product Owners and management, and you know how to bring others along with your choices.

• Knowledge of Java, React, and Azure is a plus.

• Experience with the logistics domain is a plus.

• You are also constantly working to improve your own way of working and are open to changes in tooling and processes surrounding architecture, especially with the arrival of genAI.

Working at NS means that you can make *the* difference in the world of sustainable mobility. You become part of an organization that stands in the middle of society and keeps the Netherlands moving. But as one of the largest employers in the Netherlands, we have so much more to offer you. For this position, this includes:

• A salary between € 4,488 and € 7,515 gross per month (based on a 36-hour work week), depending on your knowledge and experience.
• A 36-hour work week.
• 144 hours of statutory leave (based on full-time employment) + extra leave depending on age (at least one week).
• The possibility to exchange 3 Christian holidays for 3 non-Christian holidays.
• 3% end-of-year bonus, 8% holiday allowance, and an excellent pension scheme.
• Your train travel in 2nd class is free; travel in 1st class is possible for a small personal contribution. Additionally, you have the option to exchange commuting kilometers (home-work) that you do not travel by train from your gross salary for the tax-free amount per kilometer.
• Your family travels for free during off-peak hours.
• Discount on European train travel once you have worked at NS for 1 year.
• Professional development opportunities
• A choice plan including, among others, a bicycle plan, extra pension accrual, or extra vacation days.
• Want to know more? View our employment conditions and collective labor agreement.

Apply directly via the application button; the vacancy closes on Thursday, August 6. Within a few minutes, you will receive an automatic application confirmation, and we will respond to your application within 2 weeks.

You can address your application to Jeroen van den Berg, Corporate Recruiter IT.

Do you have any questions about the application process? Then mail our front office at recruitment@ns.nl.

Would you prefer telephone contact? Then call our front office at 088-6713666.

• A background check, including a VOG (Certificate of Good Conduct), is part of the application procedure. This also includes signing an integrity statement and a non-disclosure agreement.

• We believe it is important that everyone who works with us feels at home. This is reflected in our hiring policy. Read more here.

• With this vacancy, we are recruiting our new colleague ourselves. This is NOT a call for acquisition. The position cannot be filled on an interim basis. Please see our hiring page for that.

Working at NS means that you can make the difference in the world of sustainable mobility. You help keep the Netherlands accessible, for everyone. At NS, you get a lot of freedom. We promise you that no day is the same. The core values of NS are open and reliable. We aim for results and want to move forward.