Lead Architect (Switzerland)

Join Fastned at the forefront of Europe’s electric vehicle and charging infrastructure revolution! Together with +400 colleagues from over 40 nationalities, spread across 10 countries, we drive change in the energy transition. What sets us apart is our focus on reliability, sustainability and clean energy. We have been awarded “Best Charging Network” in the UK, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, further establishing Fastned as a leading player in the field. This is your opportunity to make a lasting, real-world impact! If you want to make a difference and work in an informal, international scale-up environment with future prospects, then read on!

Your role: Lead Architect Switzerland
As Location Design Lead for Switzerland, you will not only shape our high-quality charging network, but also lead, coach and grow a talented team of architects. You bring together architectural excellence and people-centred leadership to create innovative charging stations that set new standards in design, functionality and customer experience.

You will be responsible for:

• People  leadership and team growth: Build, mentor, and develop our Location Design team in Switzerland. You create a culture of psychological safety, open feedback, collaboration, creativity and continuous learning. You help people grow in their roles, provide clear direction, and ensure the team feels empowered, valued and set up for success.

• Strategic design direction: Lead the architectural vision for Switzerland's location portfolio, ensuring consistency with Fastned's Design vision while adapting creatively to local requirements and regulatory environments.

• Stakeholder management: Act as the primary contact with key stakeholders including external authorities and internal teams. You build solid relationships with road authorities, cantonal and local government bodies.

• Process optimization: Continuously improve how the team works. You refine design workflows, establish and share best practices, and implement clear, efficient ways of collaborating from early site development through to execution planning.

• Cross-functional collaboration: Partner closely with Expansion Management, Construction Management, and Public Affairs teams to accelerate location deployment while maintaining design integrity.

• Innovation & excellence: Encourage experimentation, new tools and innovative methods within the team. You champion design quality and help maintain Fastned’s reputation as a design-forward, purpose-driven company.

Become part of a young, innovative and growing company in the field of e-mobility! Your role is crucial to our multidisciplinary Swiss organization. In your day-to-day work,  you will lead our local Location Design team in Zurich, currently consisting of three architects, who work closely with expansion managers and construction managers. Next to that, you will stay connected with other Architect Leads across Europe. Our Swiss office is located in Zurich Altstetten and offers a modern, collaborative workplace where great ideas come to life.

Who we are looking for

You are an experienced architect who is passionate about people, customer experience and team leadership. You have a track record in CX-focused projects and proven experience leading or mentoring others, ideally in retail design, public space design, site development or complex infrastructure projects.

Your leadership style is collaborative, empathetic and empowering. You enjoy helping others grow, giving and receiving feedback, and building an environment where people can do their best work. You thrive in a fast-paced, purpose-driven setting and feel confident navigating complex relationships with local authorities and regulatory bodies. You combine strategic thinking with hands-on design expertise and you’re comfortable both setting direction and getting into the details with your team.

Key qualities:

• Genuine “people person”, commitment to fostering inclusive, high-performing teams.

• Architectural expertise with a proven track record of delivering exceptional customer experience.

• Deep understanding of Swiss building regulations, permitting processes, and regional requirements.

• Proven ability to communicate and build trust with government officials and regulatory bodies.

• Strategic mindset paired with attention to design detail.

• Proactive, entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving.

• Clear, empathetic communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Required experience & qualifications:

• 8+ years of professional experience in architecture, infrastructure design, or related field (leadership experience is essential).

• ETH or equivalent university degree in Architecture, or HF/FH in architecture/civil engineering/related discipline.

• Intermediate proficiency in Revit or similar preferred.

• Fluency in German and English (French is an advantage).

• Highly motivated to accelerate the energy transition and lead teams toward meaningful, real-world impact.

Join us in building a better future!

We work hard to change the world, but we don't forget to recognise & celebrate our successes, big and small. We focus on work-life balance, provide genuine work flexibility, and have family-friendly policies in place. Our benefits package includes:

• Stock option plan, allowing you to partake in the value we create together. 

• Annual holiday allowance: 29 vacation days excluding bank holidays, plus 2 ‘Mission Days’ per year to encourage Fastneditos to get involved with activities that are directly linked to Fastned’s mission, DE&I, or ERG’s.

• Fastned provides an attractive paid pension plan.

• You will have access to our electric car pool, with charging expenses covered for both work and personal use.

• A training and development budget of CHF 3,000 gross per year, because development and training are important to us and our sector offers endless opportunities.

• Going the extra mile for parents: We provide you with personalised coaching support before, during and after parental leave. Facilitated by Foundree.

• Understanding women's health is beneficial for all of us, fostering empathy, improving communication, creating a more inclusive workplace. That’s why we teamed up with Flouria, providing you with quick access to a broad range of women’s health professionals.

• Vegetarian lunch, snacks and delicious coffee daily in our offices.

• Tech gear of your choice (Touchscreen laptop for architects, choice between iPhone or Android phone, amongst others).

• Other perks include flexible working hours, hybrid work setup, an annual company trip, an annual ski-weekend, and a local team outing.

Interested?

Do not hesitate! Send us your application and let us know why you're passionate about joining Fastned’s mission and why you're the right person to lead our Swiss Location Design team.

The application process consists of these steps:

• Initial intake interview with our recruitment team.

• First interview with María García, Location Design Director and Franziska Niekant, People Business Partner DACH .

• In-person case study interview. 

• In-person interview with your future team members and cross-functional peers.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Fastned stands for equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, neurodiversity, disabilities, parental status or any other protected characteristic that makes you unique.