Lead Enterprise Architect – Strategy & Transformation (f/m/d)

Location: Oberkochen

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Your role

As Lead Enterprise Architect, you are the strategic mind and driving force behind our digital transformation. You are not only responsible for aligning our enterprise architecture holistically with long-term business objectives, but also for proactively shaping the technological vision. Your mission is to create a future-proof digital ecosystem that enables innovation, scalability, and resilience in our core business processes such as supply chain, manufacturing, product development, and quality management. In this key role, you act as a strategic partner to top management and ensure that every technological decision advances the long-term business goals.

You will:

• Define the vision and strategy for Enterprise Architecture Management for the ZEISS SMT segment and ensure its anchoring in the organization across our architecture domains: Business, IT, Data, and Cyber Security.
• Develop a long-term technology roadmap derived directly from the business goals, securing and strengthening the company’s competitiveness in a sustainable way.
• Establish effective architecture governance, principles, and standards across the organization to enforce strategic objectives in all IT initiatives, actively reduce complexity, and maximize synergies.
• Provide functional leadership to and further develop the Enterprise Architecture team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
• Advise the executive board and top management on all architecture-related strategic issues and act as a decisive authority for fundamental technological decisions.
• Shape major transformation programs from an architecture perspective and ensure that they are implemented in line with the defined target architecture.

Your profile

• Successfully completed degree in business informatics, engineering, business administration, or a comparable qualification
• At least 10 years of strategic professional experience at the interface between business and IT, including several years in a relevant leadership or architect role with overall responsibility
• Proven track record in building and leading an Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) function as well as in implementing business-driven IT strategies in companies with complex industrial manufacturing
• Excellent understanding of value chains and business processes, particularly in the areas of supply chain, manufacturing, product development, or quality management
• Experience in steering large transformation programs through the application of architecture governance and strategic portfolio management
• Strong assertiveness, strategic mindset, excellent communication skills in German and English, and the ability to convey complex visions convincingly and inspire people for change

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Adrian Kahl