Service: DTO (Digital Transformation Office) – Federal Police · cloud and hosting architecture

Introduction

DTO (Digital Transformation Office) drives the digital transformation of the federal police. The cloud, server, and infrastructure environment is being further professionalized and secured, with a focus on hybrid infrastructure, security by design, and integration with on-premise platforms.

The Cloud Architect supports the federal police as a whole and DTO in particular in the area of cloud and hosting. The role works largely together with the IT service (DRI/DIST) and the platform and engineering teams, and coordinates with the Chief Data Officer, the CISO office, the business, and the other architects (security architect, enterprise architect, etc.).

Mission

The Cloud Architect develops the cloud and hosting strategy for the federal police. The role determines, together with the relevant partners, how cloud and hosting technology is used securely, financially manageable, legally compliant, and sustainably, and where data is placed: on-premise, in a private cloud, in IaaS/PaaS, or in SaaS. They translate the strategic objectives into a multi-year roadmap, a cloud operating model, architectural principles, and governance frameworks, and advise the competent decision-making bodies through clear, non-technical advisory notes on investments, sourcing, data sovereignty, vendor dependency, risks, and priorities. The concrete solution architecture and technical implementation are carried out by the relevant architecture, platform, and engineering teams: the role is that of a strategist, not an executor.

Deliverables

• A multi-year cloud and hosting roadmap and a cloud operating model
• Architectural principles, reference architectures, and governance frameworks (guardrails), at both high and detailed levels
• A framework for hosting and data placement (on-premise, private cloud, IaaS/PaaS, SaaS)
• Minimum requirements for logging, auditability, encryption, key management, and data residency
• A KPI set and reporting on costs, security, availability, and migration
• Non-technical advisory notes for the decision-making bodies

Main tasks

• Analyze the existing situation (as-is) and outline the target architecture and migration paths
• Translate legislation, police requirements, and data classification into guardrails
• Weigh hosting options per data type, including SaaS, together with the Chief Data Officer
• Monitor costs according to FinOps principles and follow up KPI’s
• Prepare and support risk acceptance by the competent decision-making bodies
• Consult with IT about security implementations and translate IT needs into architecture
• Proactively involve partners and stakeholders and act as the link with other architects

Knowledge domains

• Cloud and hosting architecture: Azure (IaaS/PaaS, landing zones, subscriptions, management groups, resource governance), hybrid infrastructure (ExpressRoute/VPN, WAN), networking, and on-premise data centers
• SaaS and service models: the shared responsibility model per service model, where data resides and who has access to it, contractual aspects, and exit options (including Microsoft 365)
• Security and operational basics: Zero Trust, security by design, IAM (Entra ID, RBAC, PIM), encryption and key management, logging and auditability; FinOps; IaC and automation, monitoring, containers, BC/DR
• Context: data sovereignty, vendor dependency and exit strategy, data classification, legislation and police requirements; GRC, NIS 2 and the GDPR in broad outlines

Communication and collaboration

• Clear oral and written communication, from strategic to technical level
• Collaborative: builds trust with the operational teams and partners, and reconciles infrastructure, security, and operational interests
• Dutch or French required; bilingualism is a strong asset; English required

Level and experience

• Senior, strategic, and advisory, with broad guidance (SFIA level 5 – Ensure, advise)
• Experienced and mature; strong in the core of cloud and in security; analytical and pragmatic; explicitly not a junior

Degree

• Master’s degree, or equivalent through extensive relevant experience
• Certifications are an asset (e.g. Azure Solutions Architect Expert, TOGAF/SABSA, FinOps and cloud security certifications)

In practice

Level of responsibility: SFIA level 5 – Ensure, advise
Work regime: Full-time
Location: Brussels
Working conditions: At least two days per week in the office, in consultation with the team; telework allowed (in Belgium)
Team: Multidisciplinary, a mix of internal and external staff