R&D - Domain Architect

Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavors, food, nutrition, and cosmetic ingredients. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and producers of nutritional supplements and pet food.

Its sales of € 4.9 billion in the 2024 fiscal year make Symrise a leading global provider. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Group is represented by more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States

and Latin America.

Symrise works with its clients to develop new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an integral part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked as part of this process.

Symrise - always inspiring more…

Your role

As an R&D Domain Architect, you will play a key role in shaping the technology landscape that supports our global Research & Development organization. You will work at the intersection of R&D, IT, and Enterprise Architecture, helping teams turn business and scientific needs into scalable, secure, and practical technology solutions.

You will own the R&D capability landscape and help guide decisions across areas such as LIMS, ELN, PLM, laboratory and instrument integration, data and AI, cloud platforms, and observability. Working closely with R&D leaders and technology teams, you will define architecture standards, evaluate solutions, and help shape the evolution of our R&D technology portfolio.

This is a highly collaborative role where you will balance innovation and speed with security, compliance, cost, and long-term sustainability. You will have the opportunity to influence both strategic direction and real-world technology decisions across a global R&D environment.

Key responsibilities

• Own and evolve the R&D capability map, connecting business and technology demands to value drivers, priorities, and KPIs.
• Lead the early assessment and triage of new R&D technology demands, defining solution options, architecture guardrails, and qualification requirements.
• Develop and maintain domain reference architectures, design patterns, and standards across areas including identity, integration/API, data & AI, and observability.
• Shape the R&D technology portfolio through prioritization, scoring, sequencing, dependency management, and identification of opportunities for decommissioning.
• Lead and maintain Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), ensuring key architectural decisions are clear, documented, and supported by evidence.
• Ensure solutions meet relevant non-functional requirements, including security, privacy, resilience, disaster recovery, service levels, and observability.
• Partner with R&D leaders, lab managers, QA/Regulatory, Legal/IP, and IT teams across Security, Data, Cloud, Platforms, and PMO/Finance.
• Evaluate R&D technology platforms and vendors, contributing to solution selection, statements of work, and supplier lifecycle decisions.
• Provide clear, constructive architecture guidance and challenge proposals where needed, helping teams make informed technology decisions.
• Support the development of a scalable and future-ready R&D technology landscape, including emerging capabilities around data, AI, and MLOps.

You are an experienced architect who understands both technology and the realities of R&D environments. You can move comfortably between strategic discussions with senior stakeholders and detailed architecture decisions with technical teams.

You bring:

• 8+ years of experience working in R&D, laboratory IT, or a closely related technology environment.
• Strong experience with R&D platforms and technologies such as LIMS, ELN, PLM, laboratory systems, or instrument/OT integration.
• Experience working with cloud data platforms and modern data architectures.
• Strong Enterprise Architecture skills, including capability modelling, reference architectures, Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), and non-functional requirements (NFRs).
• Good understanding of integration and API patterns, data modelling, and observability.
• Familiarity with AI/ML lifecycles and MLOps, with an interest in how these capabilities can support R&D.
• Knowledge of security, privacy, and regulatory considerations, including GDPR and NIS2, as well as identity, zero-trust, disaster recovery, and business continuity principles.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to work effectively across business and technology teams.
• The ability to evaluate different options and make evidence-based recommendations, balancing speed, cost, risk, and long-term sustainability.
• A pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset - you know when to challenge, when to simplify, and when to move forward.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to influence teams, senior stakeholders, and technology partners.
• The ability to remain calm and effective in situations where requirements are ambiguous or priorities are changing.
• Professional fluency in English; experience working in an international environment is a plus.

📍 Location: Barcelona, Spain - home to Symrise's Data & AI Hub, where innovation, technology, and collaboration come together in a truly global environment.

What you can expect:

• Competitive salary package aligned with your experience and expertise
• Hybrid working model with flexibility and work-life balance
• Private health insurance
• Life insurance coverage
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and shape the future of data, analytics, and AI
• A collaborative and international environment with exposure to global teams and impactful projects
• The chance to be part of Symrise, a world-leading company where innovation, sustainability, and people are at the heart of everything we do

At Symrise, you won't just join a company-you'll become part of a purpose-driven organization where your ideas can create meaningful impact and help shape the future of digital transformation on a global scale.