Freelance GIS Architect – Data Platform

Key Responsibilities For the further development of a data platform, we are seeking an experienced GIS Architect to define and embed GIS architecture within a broader data architecture. In this assignment, you will take on the following 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 out technical and organizational constraints for GIS data storage, management, and accessibility. Advise on technology choices, standards, and best practices related to geospatial data. Align with data architects, business stakeholders, and technical teams. Consider business processes and project management aspects such as cost, timing, coordination, scheduling, and estimation. Document the architecture and translate it into concrete roadmap proposals for implementation. Your Profile Minimum 5 years of experience as a GIS Architect, Enterprise Architect, or Solution Architect within GIS environments. You are a specialist architect in a specific domain (e.g., infrastructure, application, security, data, or process), or you have a broad background as an Enterprise Architect. Strong knowledge of GIS architecture, data modeling, API integrations, and cloud or data platform architectures (e.g., Azure Data Factory, Databricks). Demonstrated experience with geospatial platforms such as Esri ArcGIS, GeoServer, and PostgreSQL/PostGIS. Experience in developing architecture documentation and roadmaps. Proficiency in modeling techniques such as Archimate, TOGAF, UML, and Sparx EA. Proven experience in stakeholder management and strong communication skills. 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. ℹ️ Practical Information Deliverables will be produced in an Agile environment. On average, one day per week will be spent on-site in Aalst (between 8:30 and 17:00), in consultation with the project manager. Necessary licenses, software, and network access for executing the assignment will be provided. For Office usage, a personal company license is required; alternatively, LibreOffice may be used. Interviews will take place in the first half of October 2026. This position is offered as a part-time freelance role (50%).