Domain Architect – Kubernetes Platform

We are looking for a highly motivated Kubernetes Platform Domain Architect for Enterprise Engineering Technology. With a strong background in cloud native platform engineering & architecture, as well as experience in delivering reliable and secure infrastructure. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills and be able to work effectively in a team environment. If you are looking for an exciting opportunity to make a real impact in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, we encourage you to apply for this position. 

As a financial services provider NN is transforming its IT to a future ready and modern cloud native platform strategy for our engineers. We are looking for an experienced cloud native Kubernetes platform Architect to help us with this transformation.

What you are going to do

As the Domain Architect – Kubernetes Platform you set clear direction for the NN Portable Kubernetes platform. At NN Group, our Kubernetes platform runs on AWS (EKS), Private cloud (Hybrid EKS) and Azure (AKS). It has been selected as the platform of choice for providing portable tech stack capabilities towards all internal platform providers and business units. Our current customers include mission critical internal platform workloads like our API Gateway, Confluent Kafka, Camunda, CI/CD services and MLOps platform. Aside from these, multiple customer facing business unit applications successfully run on the Kubernetes platform.

Our current stack has been built according to the following design principles, that continue to drive the work of the teams today:

• Keep it Simple, Stupid
• Have the cloud vendor do the heavy lifting
• We approach our platform as a software product
• We ensure it’s composable, modular and extensible

These principles have helped create a platform that is highly reliable, can be managed by a small team and it allows us to rapidly deliver new features. On a platform level, we aim to avoid customization and self-built components as much as possible.

We aspire to turn Kubernetes into a universal, scalable and extensible cloud-native open and portable platform. For this vision we see the Kubernetes control plane as the ‘platform to build platforms’ and are building new platform extensions on the platform with our Platform Engineering Framework, including components like ArgoCD, Argo Workflows, Crossplane and integrations towards our internal developer platform based on Backstage.

You will be responsible for creating and implementing the Architecture product vision and will co-create or approve business cases and define technology standards for the portable Kubernetes platform across all NN cloud platforms, which may impact all units in NN. It will be your responsibility to ensure that all standards are approved by the Design Authority, enforced by the Kubernetes platform team and communicated with the entire NN engineering community.

Responsibilities

• Establish an architectural product vision in collaboration with product and engineering leaders
• Ensuring that the products and services align with the wider organizational and architectural vision
• Ensuring that the domain's developments seamlessly integrate with other developments and already-existing products from Group IT and other Business Units
• Collaborating with other architects to ensure that all architecture roles deliver the necessary value and quality of work
• Reporting to the Enterprise Architect, who will be hierarchically and functionally responsible for all (domain) architects within the domain
• Regularly consulting and involving the Product Manager and Product Owners to ensure alignment with the overall product vision

What we offer you
NN invests in an inclusive, inspiring work environment and in skills and competences for the future. We match this with employee benefits that are in line with what is needed today and in the future. This way, we offer our employees the opportunity to get the best out of themselves. We offer you:

• Salary between €6219.- and €8885.- (based on 40 hours per week) depending on your knowledge and experience. It is also possible to work 36 or 38 hours per week
• 13th month and holiday allowance are paid with your monthly salary
• 27 vacation days for a 5-day working week and one Diversity Day
• A modern pension administered by BeFrank
• Plenty of training and learning opportunities
• NS Business Card 2nd class, which gives you unlimited travel, also privately. Do you prefer to travel with your own transport? Then you can declare the kilometres travelled
• Allowances for setting up your home office and for internet use

Who you are

Within the Kubernetes product group, we have adopted the “No asshole” rule; as we are looking for colleagues that are good at what they do and are also nice to work with. You bring a positive mindset and energy, which makes you an inspiration to collaborate with. You bring new ideas, see opportunities and take ownership to pursue them. You also recognize yourself in (multiple) of the following skills and experiences:

• Minimum of a higher professional education (HBO) level, supplemented with extensive work experience in a similar role and or certifications
• Having experience as an IT Domain Architect and excellent communication and analytical skills
• Experienced at developing and implementing an architecture vision and Kubernetes domain strategy
• Having experience in developing and implementing IT standards, guidelines, and processes and translating them into practical solutions
• Knowing what it means to successfully build an internal platform of scale with multiple (internal) stakeholders
• Experience and passion with the Cloud Native Compute Framework and Kubernetes ecosystem
• Proficiency in cloud technologies (AWS and Azure)
• Understanding of containerization (Kubernetes on AWS and Azure)
• Experience in new platform engineering developments such as GitOps (ArgoCD) and cloud resource orchestration (Crossplane)
• Competence in engaging with stakeholders to understand their challenges and requirements. Ability to assess collaboratively with stakeholders whether the Kubernetes platform is the right fit for their needs or if alternative solutions should be considered
• You have excellent communication skills in word and writing and are able to sell the story in English and preferably also in Dutch. Training and consultancy skills will definitely be helpful
• You are able to operate at various levels in the organization from our senior management to engineers.
• But most of all, you are passionate about IT and security and are able to share this passion with your colleagues

Who you will work with

You will be working for Enterprise Engineering Technology and within the Architecture & Technology Enablement domain.

You will be working in and with a team of passionate domain architects, dedicated to providing the best possible service to our customers.

You will work with Senior Managers, Product Managers, Product Owners and the Project and/or Program Managers within Group IT. But also within the Business Units of NN and with de IT HUBs (Madrid/Prague).

The Kubernetes domain is part of Engineering Experience & Platforms domain. This domain is responsible for optimizing the NN engineering experience by delivering a frictionless and integrated engineering journey through the Internal Developer Platform and platform services on the portable technology stack (Kubernetes). The domain is product focused and consists of a group of energetic and empowered engineers and product teams. We strive to make cloud native engineering successful across the entire company (including our international units) and are working on making NN future ready.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the job, you can reach out mail to Dennis van Hoften, Enterprise Architect EET, via Dennis.van.hoften@nn-group.com. Any questions about the process can be directed to Veerle Meevis, Senior TA Specialist via veerle.meevis1@nn-group.com.