Head of Group IT Engineering & Architecture (Brussels, BE, 1000)

Function

Elia Group plays a central role in the European energy transition and relies on a robust, coherent, and future‑proof technology landscape to support its mission. Operating in a complex, multi‑country environment, the group continues to strengthen alignment, efficiency, and long‑term value creation across its IT organisation.

The Head of Group IT Engineering & Architecture is a senior leadership role within Group IT, responsible for defining, governing, and driving the group‑wide engineering and architecture vision. The role ensures that Central IT and Local IT operate within a shared and coherent framework, enabling consistency, reuse, and quality while allowing local flexibility. By reducing fragmentation and fostering collaboration, this position contributes directly to the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of Elia Group’s digital landscape.

As Head of IT Engineering & Architecture, you shape and steer the group’s engineering and architecture capabilities at the highest level.

• Define, own, and drive the group‑wide architecture vision, standards, and principles, ensuring consistent application across all entities
• Act as the reference authority for architectural decisions at group level
• Establish and maintain governance mechanisms that ensure global coherence while supporting local agility
• Chair and lead federated architecture governance bodies in close collaboration with local architecture leaders
• Translate architectural standards into robust engineering frameworks, guidelines, and reusable assets
• Define and promote best practices in software engineering, cloud adoption, DevOps, automation, and security by design
• Drive synergies between Central IT and Local IT by promoting reuse, shared platforms, and common architectural patterns
• Reduce complexity and duplication by supporting consolidation and simplification initiatives
• Provide architectural and engineering input to group portfolio management and major investment decisions
• Monitor the technical coherence and health of the IT portfolio and recommend corrective actions where needed
• Provide architectural oversight for major programmes and transformation initiatives
• Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and alignment across the engineering and architecture community
• Anticipate technology trends and support continuous improvement and future‑proofing of the IT landscape

Your Profile

• Extensive experience (10 – 15 years) in architecture, engineering, or technology leadership roles
• Proven experience leading architecture and engineering activities in complex, multi‑country or federated environments
• Strong expertise in enterprise architecture, with TOGAF or equivalent frameworks
• Solid background in modern engineering practices, including microservices, APIs, cloud‑native development, DevOps, automation, and security by design
• Experience designing, governing, and evolving complex, distributed IT systems
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP
• Expertise in integration architectures, data platforms, and secure system design
• Ability to translate architectural standards into practical engineering frameworks, guidelines, and reusable assets
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, including in environments without direct hierarchical authority
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills at senior level
• Strategic mindset, able to balance long‑term vision with operational and delivery realities
• Comfortable navigating complexity, ambiguity, and large‑scale change in an international context
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style, aligned with Elia’s values of responsibility, cooperation, and long‑term impact
• Fluent in English. Dutch, French and/or German is a plus

Offer

• Salary: a competitive salary package, allowance for representation expenses, year-end bonus, double vacation pay, meal vouchers (€8 per working day), eco-vouchers, sport & culture vouchers, bonuses based on individual and group results.
• Insurance: group insurance, hospitalisation insurance, ambulant care insurance for the whole family and also personal accident insurance.
• Vacation: You will be entitled to 20 vacation days and 5 additional vacation days, 6 local days, 4 exempt days (after 1 year of employment) and up to 5 long-service days (1 day for every 3 years in employment).
• Social fund: Year-end vouchers, birth and marriage allowance. We will also cover part of the cost of glasses, a dental prosthesis or similar needs.
• Communication: you will be given an iPhone, a phone subscription (for work and private use) and a laptop with internet reimbursement.
• Discounts: you will enjoy a 30% discount on your gas and electricity bill.
• Mobility: we will offer you a company car and public transport or a mobility budget.
• Elia shares: Elia will give you the opportunity to subscribe to shares with a discount of 16.66% on the average share price.

Location

• Primary location: Emperor – Keizerslaan (near Brussels Central Station)
• Work model: Combination of on-site and homeworking
• Travel: Regular travel to Germany (2–3 days every two weeks)