We’ve been pioneering a world of possibilities to bring surfaces to life for well over years. As experts in making coatings, there’s a good chance you’re only ever a few meters away from one of our products. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect from the most sustainable paints company, which has been inventing the future for more than two centuries.

Purpose of the job

Are you our Digital Architect that will help grow our online presence, help shape our S/4 journey and make sure we run our key processes in a touchless way?

As the architect overseeing our digital domain, you play a crucial role in driving our company's digital transformation, particularly at the customer interface. Your primary responsibility is to define, design, and evolve the overall architecture of our digital systems, aiming to implement a fully touchless, automated, and simplified experience for our customers in doing business with us.

As AkzoNobel's Digital Domain Architect, you will have the opportunity to bring your expertise and innovative mindset to the table. We value the freedom to explore and innovate emerging technologies, industry best practices, and cutting-edge solutions that will improve our competitive position and enhance the overall customer experience. Additionally, we believe in investing in our employees' growth and development, offering training and certification opportunities to support your professional aspirations.

Key Responsibilities

Experience

Knowledge and vision
Recognized authority in the entire organization on areas/skills, operates at full breadth and depth of the domain. Conveys knowledge and skills of areas outside the Domain to peers and is considered a thought leader internally and within the industry. 
Sets vision and strategy for all the subdomains in his/her domain and helps evolve our company-wide IT and digital strategy.

Technical expertise
Guru like skills to zoom-in/zoom-out from high-level business leadership birds-eye view to an engineers level of detail. Develops plans for the assigned domain and takes ownership in implementing them. Anticipates issues and recommends solutions to potentially unanticipated flaws, thinks creatively to develop innovative solutions that generate concrete business value. Is recognized internally and externally as thought leader and acts as a beacon of inspiration to Architects and peers for his or her deep technological expertise.
Problem-solving and critical thinking
Acts as thought leader. Is effective in solving strategic AkzoNobel business challenges by mobilizing one or more Domains to radically change the way we run and operate. Supervises its proper implementation Thinks creatively and makes strategic decisions that have a long-lasting positive impact on AkzoNobel.

Ambassador of architecture governance
Empowers business leaders by enabling them to define roadmaps that connect strategy to capability and technology needs. Acts as ambassador of the Architecture function and inspires and leads transformation. Our IT governance and architecture process is followed in the domain due to its effectiveness: carrot – not stick.

Strategic thinking and adaptability
Designs and implements innovative processes, systems and policies which have impact on and require collaboration and integration with multiple departments and a multiple year time horizon.

Communication skills
Leads and facilitates design thinking in high pressure situations and difficult environments. Can establish rapport with key stakeholders and builds lasting relationships. Can present architecture vision, the value of architecture and is able to motivate peers to achieve mutual goals. Resolves conflicts by finding mutually beneficial solutions.
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Business acumen
Thinks strategically and anticipates future challenges and needs. Develops plans to address them proactively and aligns these with stakeholders for the Domain and executive leadership. Can guide and inspire fellow (Domain) architects, Operations and Delivery to achieve our business goals and is able to inspire strategic shifts that have a long term, sustainable impact to AkzoNobel.

Years typically in role
+8 years in (senior) Architectural roles or +2 years external experience as CTO or VPE.

Note:

Familiarity with the order-to-cash domain or experience with the introduction of SAP S/4 is considered a plus
Knowledge of pricing technology and CPQ will be advantageous in this role.

What AkzoNobel offers

Join our global architecture team and become a catalyst for change as we embrace digital transformation and establish AkzoNobel as a leading organization in the digital domain. Your contributions will shape the future of our company and solidify our position at the forefront of digital innovation. Together, we will create a seamless, automated, and customer-centric experience that sets us apart from the competition.