Team Lead Architecture DACH

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: Team Lead Architecture DACH

As Team Lead Architecture for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, you will not only shape our high-quality charging network, but also lead, coach and grow a talented team of architects in these three markets. You bring together architectural excellence and people-centred leadership to create innovative charging stations that set new standards in design, functionality and customer experience.

Working as an Architect at Fastned is unique and fun check out our Architecture Career Page for some insights: https://fastned.recruitee.com/architects-at-fastned.

You will be responsible for:

• People leadership and team growth: Build, mentor, and develop our Location Design team in the DACH region. 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: Set the architectural vision and direction for DACH’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, internal teams and external partners. You build solid relationships with road authorities, regional 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 organization. In your day-to-day work,  you will lead our DACH Location Design team from our office Zurich. The DACH Location Design Teams currently consist of three architects in Zurich, four architects based in Cologne and one architect in Vienna. Our architects  work closely with our expansion and construction teams. 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 proven experience in leading and mentoring people, and at the same time you deeply care about customer experience and brand image. You have professional experience in retail design, public space design, site development or complex infrastructure projects.

Your leadership style is collaborative, empathetic and empowering, you thrive in non-hierarchical organisations and you trust the capabilities and knowledge of your team. 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”, able to foster inclusive, high-performing teams and collaborative environments based in 3 different locations. 

• Open mindset for multidisciplinary collaboration. One Team mindset, no thinking in silos

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

• Relevant experience with permitting processes in one of the DACH markets. 

• Proven ability to communicate with external stakeholders, building trust with government officials and regulatory bodies.

• Strategic & commercial mindset paired with attention to design quality.

• 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 fields in one of the three countries, preferential order: Switzerland, Germany, Austria 

• Team lead experience is essential, minimum of 3 years leading a team. Experience with crosscountry is an advantage 

• Travel availability of minimum 1 night stay, once a month, to each country. Excluding company and team events 

• Masters Degree in Architecture or equivalent qualification, in architecture/civil engineering or a related discipline.

• Openness for working with BIM software (Revit) , experience is a bonus

• 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 recognize & 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 2,900 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 personalized 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, and 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,  annual company trips, and fun local and international team outings.

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 Location Design Teams in the DACH region.

The application process consists of these steps:

• Initial intake interview with our recruitment team.

• First interview with María García, Location Design Director, and Noémie Saez, Lead Architect France 

• Case study interview with María García and Nicolás Luca de Tena, Lead Architect Emerging Markets

• Online interview with your cross-functional peers

• In person interview with Christine, Country Director Switzerland, and  Linda (online), Country Director Germany. Followed by a meeting with the architects in our Location Design team 

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.