Principal Data & Infrastructure Platform Architect

Principal Data & Infrastructure Platform Architect

Role Overview We are seeking a Principal Data & Infrastructure Platform Architect to serve as both a hands‑on technical authority and a senior client‑facing leader for our European enterprise accounts. This is a hybrid role that sits at the intersection of deep infrastructure/database engineering, executive relationship management, and revenue‑generating business development. The ideal candidate has spent 15+ years building and running mission‑critical platforms in regulated industries, and is equally comfortable in a data centre runbook, an RFP war room, or a boardroom with a CIO.

You will own technical solutioning for prospective and existing clients across Europe, lead complex bid responses, and drive the financial optimisation of infrastructure and licensing spend—all while maintaining the operational credibility that comes from actually having run these platforms yourself.

• Own executive relationships — serve as the primary technical point of contact for end‑client C‑level IT stakeholders, translating platform strategy and risk posture into language that drives investment decisions and secures long‑term trust.
• Lead and win RFPs — drive the end‑to‑end lifecycle of complex Request for Proposals: solution design, technical narrative, pricing alignment, and executive sign‑off — converting bids into signed, multi‑year engagements.
• Expand the European footprint — take direct accountability for acquiring new enterprise customers across the Europe region, partnering with sales and account teams to identify, qualify, and close net‑new logos.
• Architect and prove new solutions — design innovative technical solutions for prospective and existing clients, and lead Proof‑of‑Concept engagements that demonstrate measurable business value before full‑scale commitment.
• Drive platform strategy — define and own multi‑year technical roadmaps across enterprise database and infrastructure estates (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, DB2 LUW, Oracle, MongoDB), balancing innovation, risk reduction, and operational stability. Lead platform modernisation including automation and AI capabilities.
• Optimise the cost base — lead licence and infrastructure cost‑optimisation initiatives across on‑premises and cloud environments, right‑size platforms, consolidate estates, and negotiate cloud commitments to materially reduce total cost of ownership.
• Guarantee resilience and compliance — own high‑availability/disaster‑recovery architecture (Always On, HADR, clustering, replication) and ensure audit‑ready, regulator‑aligned operations (FINMA or equivalent) across all managed platforms.
• Champion automation and modernisation — drive automation‑first operating models (Ansible, Python, CI/CD) and the adoption of AI‑assisted engineering tooling to accelerate delivery and reduce manual operational risk.
• Mentor and lead cross‑functional teams — guide engineering squads, Product Managers, and Scrum Masters through Agile/SAFe delivery, representing the platform in executive governance forums.

• Enterprise database platforms: MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, DB2 LUW, MongoDB
• High Availability & Disaster Recovery:
  Always On (AG/FCI), HADR, TSA/Pure Scale, Streaming Replication/Patroni, clustering, log shipping
• Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure:
  Microsoft Azure, GCP, AWS, hybrid on‑prem/cloud migration
• Containers & Automation:
  Kubernetes, Open Shift, Docker, Helm, Ansible, Git Lab CI/CD, Python/Bash/Power Shell scripting
• Performance & Observability:
  Query tuning, Grafana, Solar Winds DPA, Azure Monitor, SLA/SLO frameworks
• Security & Governance: CIS hardening, TLS lifecycle management, ITIL (Incident/Change/Problem), audit and regulatory readiness

• Proven ability to author and win competitive RFPs in enterprise/regulated markets
• Track record of new‑logo customer acquisition and revenue growth across European markets
• Skilled in POC design and execution to convert technical evaluations into signed contracts
• Demonstrated success optimising software licensing models and infrastructure spend (on‑prem and cloud)
• Ex…