[REMOTE] Chief Architect - Remote

Location: Remote (United States)

The Head of Architecture (Chief Architect) is Thunder's senior technical authority, owning the architecture practice end to end and carrying the architecture leadership seat on the Delivery team. You define and enforce Thunder's architecture standards, govern cross-cloud, data, and AI solution design, provide oversight on technical solutioning through pre-sales, and own the technical bar that defines architectural excellence at Thunder. You set the Thunder's direction on how data and AI show up in client solutions, ensuring they rest on a sound data foundation rather than just sitting on top. This role is equal parts technical authority, executive influence, and stewardship of the Thunder's architectural identity.

Own the architecture function. Set direction, run the operating cadence, and hold the architect community accountable to standards and outcomes.

Serve as the single point of accountability for architecture quality across the portfolio.

Define, publish, and enforce Thunder's architecture standards, including design patterns, documentation templates, integration standards, and DevOps/CI-CD guardrails.

Run architecture review boards and design gates; own the customization versus configuration line.

Extend Thunder's standards to cover data architecture and AI/agent design, so emerging solution patterns are held to the same governance bar as established ones.

Cross-Cloud Architecture Strategy

Serve as the connective tissue on multi-cloud and multi-system programs, ensuring workstreams align on a coherent data model and platform strategy.

Govern how Salesforce integrates into the broader technology ecosystem, including ERP, data platform, middleware, and identity, ensuring seamless, scalable interoperability.

Data & AI Architecture Strategy

Own the architecture strategy for data and AI across client solutions, including data platforms, Data 360, Agentforce and agentic patterns, ensuring solutions are grounded in a sound data model and governed data foundation.

Set the design standards and guardrails for AI and agent solutions, covering data readiness, trust and security, human-in-the-loop design, and responsible-use considerations, so that what we deliver is scalable and defensible.

Provide technical input to Thunder's internal delivery-transformation efforts, partnering with delivery leadership on how AI strengthens how we architect and deliver.

Vet proposed architectures on strategic and complex pursuits against delivery capacity and skill sets to prevent sales over-reach.

Own the technical bar for the architect community. Define what \"good\" looks like, the design and code-quality standards architects are held to, and the certification and capability roadmap as a technical artifact.

Coach and elevate the architect community through review, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing.

Escalations & Account Recovery

Step into escalated or at-risk engagements to diagnose technical root cause, reset the design or direction, and stabilize.

Lead solution design sessions, review complex integration and data-migration strategies, and make the hard architecture calls directly.

Stay current on Salesforce product and platform capabilities, emerging patterns, and product updates.

12–15+ years within Enterprise and/or Salesforce ecosystem as an architect, solution engineer, or technical consulting leader in customer-facing roles, including complex, multi-cloud programs.

• 4+ years leading architects, whether as a manager, Principal/Enterprise Architect, or architecture practice lead, with a proven track record of setting standards and driving organizational technical strategy, not just delivering projects.
• Deep expertise across Salesforce architecture and platform capabilities (Sales, Service, Experience, and custom solutions), plus cross-cloud and cross-system fluency.
• Expert in custom and managed-package API integrations (RESTful + SOAP) and proven implementation using Salesforce Integration Patterns, including MuleSoft and middleware.
• Demonstrated depth in data architecture, including data modeling, data quality, migrations, and integration into governed data platforms (Data 360 and comparable), as the foundation for the platform, analytics and AI.
• Working fluency in AI and agentic solution design on the Salesforce platform (Agentforce and related patterns), with the judgment to separate durable architecture.
• Sound judgment on the profitability line, architecting for scalability and quality.

Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA). Salesforce Admin, plus a credible depth of architect-track certifications, ideally 5+ across Sharing & Visibility Architect, Data Architect, Application Architect, System Architect, Platform Developer I/II, Platform App Builder, and Integration Architect.

Sales/Service/Experience/Revenue Cloud Consultant, MuleSoft Integration Architect, Identity & Access Management Architect, Data 360, Agentforce, Development

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