Solutions Architect

About the company

At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you make. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the food you sample. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

About the team

The Data & AI Governance department enables extending the governance theme of policies, standards, processes and technology for governing data and AI to driving excellence in our approach to leveraging secure, trusted, accessible data for data driven decision making through:

An overarching Data & AI Policy to include associated standards Data & AI Governance including meta and master data management Data & AI Delivery Governance Data & AI Quality including both technical and business quality measures

This enables the maturity of Data and AI capabilities across Booking.com, unlocking data and algorithms as assets for delivering innovative growth opportunities and cost saving operational efficiencies.

About the role

The Data & AI Solution Architect role will report into the Data & AI Governance Director in the CDO office. As an individual contributor role you will develop/manage a company-wide Data and AI Governance strategy to manage the data, AI and information life cycles effectively; contribute and align to an overall data & AI strategy which underpins business objectives. Contribute to the Data and AI Governance Board, winning buy-in from senior management for the governance agenda. Collaborate with Data & AI Governance SMEs across the business to contribute to the data & AI policy and the appropriate standards to support best practice and maturity of data & AI across the organization.

As the Solution Architect, you will work with the teams to co-create the architecture vision for data & AI governance. You will be responsible for setting best practice, supporting decision making and ensuring solutions are scalable, resilient, secure, compliant and fit for the future. It will also be your responsibility to align the program to the broader technical and enterprise data strategies. Ensuring that the solution is well positioned to connect with an ecosystem of platform capabilities that combine to connect the trip for our customers and partners in a secure and trusted manner.

Depth of technical knowledge is an important aspect of this role. However, the ability to partner with and advise non-technical stakeholders is of equal importance. In this role you will partner with product and engineering counterparts to understand future direction and utilize this in the creation of an architecture vision. You will also advise leadership on key topics, helping them to better understand the technology landscape across the organization and make better informed decisions on future direction and investments.

Role Qualifications and Requirements:

We are looking for a superb and enthusiastic Solution Architect who will push the boundaries on engineering brilliant solutions and contribute to shaping our new future.

We expect you to own and lead on the solution architecture for data governance and have a solid understanding of architecting robust solutions in a highly distributed environment.

Hands-on experience in implementing an enterprise data governance program and Master Data Management (MDM) solution Strong project leadership and management skills to lead organizational change to effectively meet strategic and tactical goals Excellent verbal and written communication skills to be able to present to a target audience Must be detail orientated/articulate with strong time management and organizational skills Deep understanding and hands-on experience designing, building, improving, and operating high-performance, high-availability, and scalable infrastructure that serves millions of visitors per day on an e-commerce platform. Proficient in modeling software solutions, design patterns, design principles and building technical roadmaps Ability to innovate on business needs by providing a deep architectural and technical expertise that opens new avenues of opportunities and experimentation Develop an understanding of business processes, data flows, strategy, and long term thinking to come up with an end-state architecture. Strong analytical and operational data management skills Demonstrable experience of cloud technology (AWS or similar) and designing cloud native systems Flexible personal approach, between working with technical and non-technical teams

Other beneficial skills:

Understanding of A/B testing Experience of Continuous Delivery and Agile delivery methodologies Experience working in a high-growth startup and the challenges it demands Knowledge and experience of enterprise architecture practices and capability-based planning

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

Serve as SPOC for Data & AI Governance architectural related activities Define processes and procedures about governance tooling and technology, data democratization, guiding principles, statements of intent and mechanisms for accountability. Develop Data models including enterprise conceptual models, logical data models, physical data models, and application-specific logical data models integrated into data & AI governance catalog Set up Data catalogs and inventories of data sources and appropriate metadata Define the approach for Master data or reference data management, and which data is widely shared Defined key data, with glossaries, dictionaries, definitions, and applied standards Define Metadata and how it should be managed Ensure an integrated enterprise Data lineage solution captures the data flow through systems  Evaluate possible architecture solutions by taking into account cost, business requirements, technology requirements and emerging technologies and guide more junior members of the team in this topic. Ensure all architecture solutions are peer reviewed and presented at the Enterprise Data Design Authority. Represent Data & AI governance in the Data Delivery framework ensuring all company strategic programs include data & AI governance requirements in their implementations Describe the implications of changing an existing system or adding a new system to a specific area, by having a broad, high-level understanding of the infrastructure and architecture of our systems and guide more junior members of the team in this topic. Grow the business and/or accelerate governance software development by applying engineering techniques (e.g. prototyping, spiking and vendor evaluation) and standards and guide more junior members of the team in this topic. Meet business needs by designing solutions that meet current requirements and are adaptable for future enhancements and guide more junior members of the team in this topic.

Software Systems Design

Architectural Vision

Assess and shape the current architecture landscape by finding opportunities to reduce complexity and coupling Identify the end state architecture and development architecture phases (eg designing new or shaping existing applications and services) by aligning with the business units technical strategy, reference architecture and applying domain knowledge Produce a proposed target architecture for a new capability by working with the business leadership to understand the project scope and business context. Take into consideration financial and costs aspects while making decision, designing systems and shaping strategy

 Architecture Guidance

Advise product teams towards a technical solution that meets the functional, nonfunctional & architectural requirements by challenging the rationale for an application design and providing context in the wider architectural landscape. Set a clear direction for a technical capability by evaluating and aligning the target architecture improvements, reframing architectural designs and decisions for varied collaborators. Find opportunities for process, system and structural improvements. Design and implement relevant improvements by defining adapted/new process flows, standards, and practices.

Architecture Standards

Is responsible to design and enforce technical governance by writing and reviewing architectural patterns (e.g. peer reviews) guidelines and other supporting documentation. Is responsible to keep the business unit current with the latest technology trends by evolving the technical strategy & reference architectures within a business unit

Building software applications

Has sufficient knowledge to build software applications by using relevant development languages and applying knowledge of systems, services and tools appropriate for the business area Has sufficient knowledge to write readable and reusable code by applying standard patterns and using standard libraries Has sufficient knowledge to refactor and simplify code by introducing design patterns when necessary Has sufficient knowledge to ensure the quality of the application by following standard testing techniques and methods that adhere to the test strategy Has sufficient knowledge to maintain data security, integrity and quality by effectively following company standards and best practices

Coaching/Mentoring

Coach, guide and improve the overall performance of partners and colleagues at all levels, when appropriate, by sharing experience, knowledge and approaches to work

Critical Thinking

Systematically identify patterns and underlying issues in complex situations, and to find solutions by applying logical and analytical thinking and guide more junior members of the team in this topic. Constructively evaluate and develop ideas, plans and solutions by reviewing them, objectively taking into account external knowledge, initiating 'SMART' improvements and articulating their rationale and guide more junior members of the team in this topic.

Continuous Quality and Process Improvement

See opportunities for process, system and structural improvements (i.e performance gains) by examining and evaluating current process flows, methods and standards Design and implement relevant improvements by defining adapted/new process flows, standards, and practices that enable business performance

Effective Communication

Deliver clear, well-structured, and relevant information to a target audience by using suitable communication mediums and language tailored to the audience Achieve mutually agreeable solutions by staying adaptable, communicating ideas in clear coherent language and practicing active listening Ask relevant (follow-up) questions to properly engage with the speaker and really understand what they are saying, by applying listening and reflection techniques

What we offer:

Benefits & Perks: Global Impact, Personal Relevance: 

Booking.com’s total rewards philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. Our rewards are aimed at making it easier for you to experience all that life has to offer — all the messy, beautiful, and joyful bits — on your terms. So you can focus on what really matters. We offer competitive compensation as well as thoughtful, valuable, and even fun benefits which include:

A great, brand new office to in the heart of Amsterdam Free breakfast and lunch  29 days’ paid holiday plus bank holidays  Health & well-being benefits such as mental health support, access to health insurance, etc. Employer contribution pension  Industry-leading parental leave and adoption leave  From day one of your employment with us, we offer 22 weeks’ fully paid leave for all new parents, regardless of gender or the way you become a parent Great discounts on accommodation, car rentals and other group benefits  Carer’s leave. 10 days’ fully paid leave per year for colleagues who are caring for ill family members. Hybrid Working (NL): We believe in office attendance at least 40% of your time whilst empowering you with the flexibility to plan where to do your best work, as well as up to 20 days per year to Work from Abroad* (subject to terms and conditions)

 THINK INCLUSION: WELLBEING & INCLUSION AT BOOKING.COM: 

Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Wellbeing and Volunteering (IDBWV) have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. 

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just create a unique workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.” 

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustment to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Pre-Employment Screening:

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.

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