Principal Enterprise Architect

• Refresh the business capability map and target-state architecture vision, connecting them to real investment decisions with PT-LT.
• Rewrite the architecture principles and embed them where decisions actually happen: design reviews, ADRs, and a design authority with procedures that earn respect because they work.
• Build a structured practice for tech debt visibility, deprecation, and system retirement, making the decision to stop running something as deliberate as the decision to build it.
• Establish a lightweight tech radar with the tech leads, and mature the ADR and knowledge-management practice from recently cleaned up to structurally owned.
• Coach architects and tech leads on strategic thinking, and anchor a local threat-modelling practice in partnership with central security., * Languages: Scala, Go and Java on the back end; Kotlin, Swift and TypeScript on the client side
• Databases: MySQL on Aurora RDS and Cassandra, among others
• Data platform: Databricks
• Cloud: AWS
• Other tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Kafka, ElasticSearch, RabbitMQ, GitHub, DataDog

This role is based out of our Amsterdam office. While we offer flexibility, we value in-person collaboration and encourage our teams to spend regular time in the office.

• At least 10 years of experience in software engineering, including 5+ years in an enterprise or software architecture role spanning multiple teams.
• Proven track record of making governance and strategy practices stick in a product organisation, with living examples that still run without you.
• Fluent at CTO-staff level, translating between commercial strategy and engineering reality in both directions.
• Credibility built by working embedded in engineering teams, with a low tolerance for ivory-tower architecture and ceremonial process.
• Experienced in reviving unmaintained artefacts (capability maps, principles, tech radars) by anchoring them to decisions teams already need to make.
• A strong mentor for senior engineers and architects, raising the strategic thinking of those around you.
• Sufficient technical depth to hold your own in design discussions on a large consumer platform running at scale, with real legacy.
• Experience architecting consumer platforms at comparable scale. We serve over 8 million users, and the constraints at that volume differ from enterprise-scale systems.

Bonus Points

• Experience with marketplaces, e-commerce or other two-sided consumer platforms
• Experience introducing distributed ownership models such as chapters, guilds or techlead structures
• Familiarity with FinOps or cost-aware architecture
• Exposure to EU regulatory work such as DSA or NIS2
• Working knowledge of architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, without depending on them
• Dutch is not required; we work in English

Marktplaats is one of the Netherlands’ leading online marketplaces, helping make commerce more sustainable by giving products an extended life. With over 2.1 million buyers and sellers visiting our platform every day, around 350,000 new listings added daily and users spending an average of 22 minutes per visit, we’re building a platform that people use and trust. Every connection we enable helps people save money, earn money and reduce waste. As part of Adevinta, one of Europe’s leading online classifieds groups, we’re building products that make buying and selling second-hand products simpler, safer and better for everyone.

This role sits within our Product & Technology function in our Amsterdam office, home to over 300 talented professionals, where cross-functional teams design, develop and scale the products that millions of users rely on every day across our Benelux marketplaces, Marktplaats and 2dehands/2ememain.

You’ll join a small architecture team, reporting to the Head of Architecture and working closely with tech leads, the platform and data organisations, and Product & Tech leadership (PT-LT). Our architecture practice is strong on delivery: cross-team solution design, technology evaluation, and complex integrations. Where we’re investing now is direction and stewardship, and this is a restart, not a greenfield. Most of these practices have existed at Marktplaats at some point and lost their owner. You will play a pivotal role in embedding these practices for the long term.

What You Will Do

This role owns Marktplaats’ architecture direction end to end: the capability map and target-state vision, architecture principles, portfolio and lifecycle management, and the governance rhythm that holds it together., Want to learn more about life at Marktplaats? Visit our Careers page to explore our culture, benefits and what it’s like to work with us.

Our DNA

Our culture is built on these five principles, shaping how we work together, build products and create value for our customers. ️ Ownership: We take ownership, step in where needed and make things happen. Engagement: We show up for each other, build meaningful connections, celebrate success and enjoy the ride together. ️ Customer Focus: We put our customers at the heart of our decisions, back our ideas with data and deliver value that makes a difference. Execution: We move with purpose, challenge ideas respectfully, act with confidence and deliver at pace. Curiosity: We ask questions, challenge the status quo, embrace learning and turn insights into better decisions.