Manufacturing Data Platform Architect/Expert (Part-time - Advisory)

** Freelance opportunity ** Start Date: From 5 OctoberDuration: 6 MonthsLocation: RemoteLanguage: English required; German is a plus, not mandatory** Work Schedule: Ad hoc consulting (up to 40hours per month) ** Project Overview The client is looking for an experienced Manufacturing Data Platform Architect / Expert to support the conceptual and architectural work for a Manufacturing Data Platform covering machine and production data. The goal is to design a solution architecture consisting of multiple components rather than a single off-the-shelf product, with a strong preference for open-source components.The deployment model will be on-premise per factory/site or alternatively within a company-owned data center. Key Requirements Must-HaveIndustry expert with strong experience in manufacturing/industrial data platforms.Strong hands-on experience designing data platform architectures for manufacturing/industrial environments, including Edge/Factory/Cross-Factory or comparable multi-tier models.Strong experience with open-source data platform components – this is the most important requirement.Experience with on-premise or data center deployments; cloud-native experience alone is not sufficient.English fluency.Availability to work remotely from a time zone close to CET. PreferredExperience from multiple similar manufacturing/industrial data platform projects.German language skills. Ideal Consultant ProfileThe ideal consultant is an industry expert in manufacturing/industrial data platforms who has strong practical experience designing data platform architectures in comparable environments. Experience across multiple similar projects is preferred, allowing the consultant to bring relevant experience from previous engagements into the current conceptual work.