Principal M&A Support Architect

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Join us, at Wolters Kluwer, and be part of a dynamic global technology company that makes a difference every day. We’re innovators with impact. We provide expert software & information solutions that the world’s leading professionals rely on, in the moments that matter most.

You’ll be supported by collaborative colleagues who share a purpose. We are 21,000 people unique in our dreams, life stories, abilities, and passions who come together every day with one ambition: to make a difference.​ We do our best work together, connecting to create new innovations with impact.

We are seeking an experienced and versatile Principal M&A Support Architect to join our global architecture team. This role is responsible for assessing the technology, architecture, and integration potential of acquisition targets across our diverse portfolio of businesses. Reporting to the Vice President, Architecture, this position plays a critical role in our M&A process — working closely with business and enterprise M&A teams, divisional technology leaders, and external advisors to inform decision-making and guide successful transitions.

The Principal M&A Support Architect will participate across the full M&A lifecycle — from early evaluation through due diligence and post-acquisition integration planning. In addition, when not actively engaged in M&A activities, this role will contribute to the work of the Architecture Center of Excellence, helping shape architectural best practices and advancing strategic initiatives across our enterprise.

This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned architect who thrives in ambiguity, can evaluate a wide range of technology landscapes, and understands how to bridge technical and business domains in high-stakes scenarios!

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead architectural assessments of potential acquisition targets during early evaluation and due diligence phases.
• Analyze system architectures, technical stacks, infrastructure, security posture, scalability, and operational maturity.
• Assess alignment with enterprise standards, integration complexity, and future-state architectural fit.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with internal business leaders, divisional architects, corporate M&A teams, and external consultants to support M&A strategy and evaluation processes.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison for technology-focused due diligence.

Integration Planning & Advisory

• Contribute to post-acquisition integration strategies, identifying risks and opportunities, and recommending approaches to harmonize or evolve architectures.
• In select cases, participate in early integration efforts, particularly for complex or strategically significant acquisitions.

Architecture CoE Contribution

• Support the Architecture Center of Excellence (CoE) with enterprise-wide architectural initiatives, reviews, and technology standards development during non-M&A periods.
• Serve as an expert advisor for architectural best practices across the organization.

Documentation & Communication

• Produce clear, actionable assessments, summaries, and recommendations for executive and technical audiences.
• Translate architectural insights into business-aligned narratives that support investment decisions.

Travel and Site Engagement

• Travel up to 20% for on-site due diligence, meetings with target companies, and post-acquisition planning or support.

Required Qualifications:

• Significant experience in architecture roles involving technology evaluation, with a focus on due diligence, technical assessment, or enterprise integration.
• Strong understanding of a broad range of modern and legacy technologies, including infrastructure, application stacks, cloud services, data platforms, and security.
• Proven ability to assess technical maturity, risk, and scalability of existing systems.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders in high-pressure environments, including legal, finance, operations, and executive leadership.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical findings into strategic recommendations.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and credibility across business and technical domains.
• Experience working with or within a corporate M&A function, consulting firm, or private equity environment is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience leading technology integration efforts post-acquisition.
• Exposure to architectural governance, capability modeling, and portfolio rationalization at the enterprise level.
• Understanding of regulatory and compliance considerations related to software and infrastructure.
• Experience across a mix of SaaS, on-premise, and cloud-native application environments.
• Background in working with or advising multiple business units or product organizations.