Principal Architect - Salesforce

The role

The Principal Architect - Salesforce will shape technical direction and resolve complex architectural problems. This individual-contributor role focuses on maturing the Salesforce platform and elevating engineering standards across teams.

What you will do

• Define and evolve the long-term technical architecture strategy for Salesforce and its integration with enterprise systems.
• Identify and resolve systemic technical risks, platform limitations, and scalability challenges.
• Elevate engineering standards, design principles, and governance frameworks.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex, high-risk, or ambiguous Salesforce architecture decisions.
• Lead architecture of large initiatives spanning multiple clouds and non-Salesforce systems.
• Evaluate and make build-vs-buy, platform, and vendor decisions.
• Partner with architects, engineering managers, and other Distinguished Engineers to align technical direction.
• Drive adoption of best practices in platform governance, integration patterns, and enterprise data architecture.
• Mentor senior and staff-level engineers and architects.
• Lead or contribute to architecture review boards and design reviews.

Required qualifications

• Extensive experience in software engineering/architecture, with significant depth in the Salesforce ecosystem (Core Platform, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud Engagement/Next, Data Cloud).
• Proven track record architecting large-scale, multi-cloud, or multi-system enterprise solutions.
• Deep expertise in enterprise integration patterns, event-driven architecture, data modeling, and platform governance at scale.
• Experience evaluating and influencing technical strategy at an organisation-wide level.
• Strong command of Salesforce architecture (Apex Enterprise Patterns, sharing/security models, platform limits, asynchronous processing).
• Knowledge of broader enterprise architecture principles (APIs, microservices, cloud infrastructure, data platforms, MCP).
• Ability to set technical direction and influence outcomes across multiple teams without direct authority.
• Experience mentoring senior/staff engineers and architects.
• Track record of communicating complex technical strategy to executive leadership.
• Ability to act as a technical tie-breaker on high-stakes, ambiguous, or contested architectural decisions.
• Salesforce Certified Application and System Architect

Nice to have

• Additional relevant Salesforce certifications (Service Cloud, Data Cloud, Integration Architect, etc.)

Benefits

• Highly competitive pension or 401(k) plan
• Private health insurance
• 24/7 access to counselling and wellbeing resources through our Employee Assistance Program
• Work From Anywhere program (up to 25 days per year where you have the legal right to do so)
• Generous annual and parental leave
• Dedicated days off for volunteering
• Dedicated days off for moving home
• Free access to all The Economist content, including an online subscription, apps, and podcasts

About the company

The Economist Group is a global media and information-services company. It operates through The Economist, Economist Enterprise and Economist Education.