Solution Architect - Talent Technology Engineering

You are responsible for the North Star architecture of extend 3rd party systems across multiple HR domains and vendors. This role is a horizontal architect position for HR Technology. The architect is accountable for designing and governing the foundational HR systems and integrations that HR, Talent teams rely on, across both third-party (3P) platforms and first-party (1P) services.

What You’ll Do

1. Architect the HR Tech Ecosystem

North Star & Strategy

• Define and maintain the target architecture for HR technology across domains
• Develop a multi-year ( 2+ years) architecture roadmap describing how HR systems, integrations, and data models evolve to support business strategy (e.g., growth, new markets, workforce models).

3P + 1P Boundary Setting

• Determine what capabilities sit in 3P platforms versus 1P services.
• Decide when to leverage vendor capabilities versus building differentiated 1P experiences.
• Assess when to consolidate, sunset, or introduce vendors.
• Establish guardrails for configuration vs customization vs 1P extensions within HR platforms.

Standardization & Paved Roads

• Establish and own standard patterns for:
• HR data models (e.g. positions, organizations, compensation, locations).
• Integrations (APIs, events, batch, and file-based, where necessary).
• Identity, entitlements, and access control across HR systems.
• Deliver “out-of-the-box” solutions and reusable templates to minimize one-off integrations and fragile implementations.

Foundational Systems

• Lead the architecture of foundational HR systems and services that serve as horizontal sources of truth (e.g., worker master, job catalog, HR events).
• Ensure these systems meet requirements for completeness, correctness, timeliness, and auditability to support HR and downstream Finance/Compliance needs.

1. Data Architecture (Horizontal Across Domains)

Data Ownership & Lineage

• Define golden sources for HR entities and how data flows into analytics, Finance, Security, and other consumers.
• Ensure HR data is traceable, auditable, and explainable from original source to reporting and downstream usage.

Non-Functional Requirements Embedded

• Embed security, privacy, and regulatory requirements directly into the architecture, including:
• Regional data residency and cross-border data transfer considerations.
• Role-based access controls and least-privilege principles.
• Employee privacy expectations and internal policies.
• Partner with Security, Privacy, and Legal to convert these requirements into repeatable technical patterns rather than ad-hoc process overlays.

1. Decision-Making, Stakeholder Management & Influence * Engage with Talent and cross functional partners to understand processes, pain points, and risk areas * Translate business outcomes into solution architectures that are sustainable, maintainable, and aligned with long-term strategy, not just limited by immediate tool configuration options.

Influence

• Provide architectural direction to engineering teams building 1P services and integrations.
• Review solution designs and identify approaches that conflict with the target architecture.

• Enable vertical/domain teams to focus on business needs by ensuring the horizontal foundations are robust and well-defined.

• Represent the HR architecture to 3P vendors and partners.
• Evaluate and, where necessary, challenge vendor proposals that increase complexity, create lock-in, or duplicate existing 1P capabilities without clear benefit.

Making Trade-Offs

• Make explicit, documented decisions on:
• Short-term HR needs versus long-term ecosystem health and simplification.
• Level of customization versus maintainability, scalability, and upgradeability.
• Document decisions and rationale and be prepared to revisit them when new evidence emerges.

1. Execution & Ownership * Identify opportunities to rationalize redundant tools, platforms, and integrations. * Propose and lead decommissioning efforts for low-value, high-cost, or overlapping components. * Champion an architectural approach that reduces complexity, improves reliability, and lowers total cost of ownership across the HR technology landscape.

• 8-12+ years in enterprise engineering/architecture roles, with significant time as a Solutions / HR Tech / ERP architect or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience architecting ecosystems with multiple 3P HR systems and custom 1P services.
• Deep understanding of at least one major HCM or HR suite (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, etc.), including integrations and extension patterns.
• Understanding of Modern integration patterns and data modeling for people/HR domains, and security, privacy, and compliance expectations around employee data.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a horizontal architect serving multiple teams.
• Influence and challenge senior stakeholders (HR, Eng, vendors) with clear, data-driven arguments.
• Make non-obvious architectural trade-offs and live with the consequences.

Generally, our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top of market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range. The range for this role is $350,000.00 - $610,000.00.

Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits. We also offer paid leave of absence programs. Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid time off. Full-time salaried employees are immediately entitled to flexible time off. See more details about our Benefits here.

Netflix is a unique culture and environment. Learn more here.

At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world. Together, we are writing the next episode - pushing the boundaries of storytelling, global fandom and making the unimaginable a reality. We are a dream team obsessed with the uncomfortable excitement of discovering what happens when you merge creativity, intuition and cutting-edge technology. Come be a part of what’s next.