Freelance GIS Architect – Data Platform

Responsibilities Develop a forward-looking GIS architecture for the data platform. Define integration between GIS components, data sources, the data platform, and reporting environments. Establish architectural principles, reference architecture, and target architecture. Map technical and organizational requirements for GIS data storage, management, and accessibility. Advise on technology choices, standards, and best practices for geospatial data. Coordinate with data architects, business stakeholders, and technical teams. Consider business processes and project management aspects (costs, timing, coordination, scheduling, and estimation). Document the architecture and translate it into concrete roadmap proposals for implementation. Profile Minimum 5 years of experience as a GIS Architect, Enterprise Architect, or Solution Architect in GIS environments. Expertise as an architect in a specific domain (e.g., infrastructure, application, security, data, or process), or a broad background as an Enterprise Architect. In-depth knowledge of GIS architecture, data modeling, API integrations, and cloud or data platform architectures (e.g., Azure Data Factory, Databricks). Proven experience with geospatial platforms such as Esri ArcGIS, GeoServer, and PostgreSQL/PostGIS. Experience in creating architectural documentation and roadmaps. Proficiency in modeling techniques such as Archimate, TOGAF, UML, and Sparx EA. Demonstrated stakeholder management skills and strong communication abilities. Ability to combine strategic architectural thinking with sufficient technical depth to ensure solutions are concrete and implementable. Expected Deliverables Current and target GIS architecture for the data platform. Architectural principles and justified design decisions. Overview of integrations and data flows. Recommendations and an implementation roadmap. Practical Information Work is performed in an Agile environment. On-site work: approx. one day per week in Aalst (between 8:30 and 17:00), in consultation with the project manager. Necessary licenses, software, and network access for executing the assignment are provided. A company license for Office is required; LibreOffice is an acceptable alternative. Interviews will take place in the first half of October 2026. This position is offered as a part-time freelance role (50%).