Distinguished Technical Architect, Data & AI

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.Job CategorySalesJob DetailsAbout SalesforceSalesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.The Distinguished Technical Architect, Data & AI is a senior technical leadership role within Salesforce's EMEA Go-to-Market organization.The Agentforce & Data360 Specialist team includes an elite group of Technical Architects operating at the intersection of Data, AI, and enterprise transformation. We are purpose-built to accelerate Agentforce and Data360 sales and value realization across EMEA's most strategic enterprise customers. This isn't a generalist architect role — it's a field-facing, C-suite-adjacent function where the best architects in the industry come to work on the hardest problems at the highest stakes.This team sits at the centre of Salesforce's GTM strategy in EMEA, connecting the dots between Data & AI Products, Product Marketing, Enablement, Customer Success, and the Partner Ecosystem — and operating across the full customer lifecycle to ensure customers don't just buy Agentforce and Data360, but genuinely succeed with them.Your ImpactAs Distinguished Technical Architect, Data & AI, you are Salesforce's most senior technical voice on Data and AI in EMEA — a Field Chief Data and AI Officer in practice, even when the room doesn't know your title. Your impact spans three primary dimensions:1. Thought Leadership & Industry PresenceBe a compelling, credible voice for Data and AI at Salesforce events, industry conferences, analyst briefings, and customer roundtables across EMEA.Present on stage and command a room — with the depth to hold a conversation with a Chief Scientist and the clarity to move a CEO to action.Publish technical thought leadership (blogs, whitepapers, reference architectures) that shape how the market thinks about enterprise AI and data strategy.Represent Salesforce's architectural point of view in the external ecosystem — with partners, analysts, press, and the broader technical community.Build and maintain a personal brand as a trusted authority on the intersection of Data, AI, and enterprise architecture.2. Strategic Architecture in Complex Deal CyclesOperate as a senior technical authority in Salesforce's most strategic and complex EMEA deal cycles — not as an executive presence at meetings, but as a material influence on buying decisions, architectural direction, and adoption outcomes.Engage at CDAO, CTO, and CIO level to shape enterprise data and AI strategy — connecting Salesforce's platform to the customer's most important business outcomes.Lead architectural deep-dives, whiteboard sessions, and design sprints that give customers the confidence to make bold decisions on Agentforce and Data360.Collaborate with AEs and SEs to build hands-on prototypes and proof-of-value demonstrations — targeting delivery in under two weeks — that make the architecture real and accelerate buying decisions.Own technical architecture decisions at customer engagements: data modelling, identity resolution, real-time vs. batch patterns, data graph design, and activation strategies within D360.Map and integrate external agents from hyperscalers (e.g., Copilot, Gemini) into Agentforce via open standards (MCP, A2A); advise customers on how these systems collaborate within their enterprise architecture.Navigate ambiguous, high-stakes technical conversations with authority — knowing when to prescribe, when to co-design, and when to challenge.Support early adoption engagements post-sale by tuning agents and guiding customers toward self-sufficient enablement.Serve as a long-term trusted advisor to strategic customers — building relationships that outlast any single deal cycle.3. Reusable Assets & Internal Force MultiplicationPackage and codify architectural patterns, reference designs, proof-of-concept frameworks, and technical playbooks that other Technical Architects across EMEA can deploy directly in their deal cycles.Be an internal multiplier — elevating the architectural quality of the broader team through coaching, IP contribution, and program leadership.Develop scalable enablement assets — including demo environments, architectural workshop templates, and POV accelerators — that compress time-to-value for the field.Partner with Product and Engineering to translate field-driven architectural insights into roadmap input and product improvements.Contribute to the global Architect community, sharing reusable IP and best practices that raise the bar across the function.QualificationsYou are a rare combination: technically elite, commercially sharp, and compelling on stage.15+ years of progressive experience in enterprise architecture, technical consulting, or technical pre-sales in Data and AI domains.Deep, hands-on technical expertise across enterprise data platforms, AI/ML, Generative AI, and agentic architectures — including Salesforce Agentforce, Data360, and the Salesforce platform.Demonstrated experience engaging C-level executives (CDO, CTO, CIO, CDAO) as a trusted technical advisor — influencing architecture decisions, not just presenting in them.Track record of presenting at major industry events, publishing technical thought leadership, or building a recognized personal brand in the Data and AI ecosystem.Proven ability to design and deliver reusable technical assets — reference architectures, POV frameworks, or architectural playbooks — at scale.Fluency across the modern data and AI stack: cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery), agentic frameworks, RAG, vector databases, LLM orchestration, data governance, and enterprise integration patterns.Experience with prompt engineering, agent lifecycle management, and hands-on prototype development.Hands-on proficiency in programming (e.g., Python, JavaScript, SQL) and data frameworks.Understanding of agent interoperability standards (MCP, A2A) and the broader external agent ecosystem.Experience operating in complex, matrixed enterprise environments across multiple EMEA markets.Exceptional communicator and storyteller — able to translate architectural complexity into board-level narratives and back again.Fluent English required; additional EMEA language skills are a strong plus.Degree or equivalent relevant experience required. Experience will be evaluated based on the core competencies for the role (e.g. extracurricular leadership roles, military experience, volunteer roles, work experience, etc.)Technical Skill SetData Architecture & Platforms Cloud data platforms, SQL, ingestion pipelines (batch, streaming, CDC), ETL/ELT, data modelling, semantic layers, integration patterns, and the TCO trade-offs of building with hyperscalers vs. Salesforce. Deep familiarity with Informatica (IDMC) for enterprise data integration and MDM, alongside Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, and Redshift.AI & Agentic Architecture Foundational ML concepts, data preparation, Python, applied AI, Generative AI, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector stores, and agentic architectures. Hands-on familiarity with platforms like Databricks, Snowflake, SageMaker, or Vertex. Agent lifecycle management, observability, and governance frameworks.Agentforce & Salesforce Platform Deep architectural understanding of how Data and AI are activated within Salesforce — including Agentforce, Data360, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Industry Clouds. Hands-on experience with Agentforce Studio and Agent Builder to configure conversational and background agents; integration with external channels including voice via hyperscaler APIs. Proficiency in prompt design, testing, monitoring, and iteration; familiarity with agent lifecycle best practices from development through refinement. Understanding of how external agents (Copilot, Gemini, etc.) integrate with Agentforce via open standards (MCP, A2A).Analytics & BI Working knowledge of Tableau, PowerBI, or Looker and how they connect to enterprise data strategy.Integration Patterns MuleSoft APIs, hyperscaler SDKs, cross-platform integrations, and enterprise governance and compliance frameworks.Key QualitiesFuturist: Consistently brings a forward-looking perspective to customers, the team, and the product roadmap. Connects today's architectural decisions to tomorrow's possibilities.Gravitas: Commands a room — from a customer whiteboard session to a 2,000-person conference stage.Depth: Goes beyond the talking points. Materially engages with the architecture, the data model, the trade-offs, and the edge cases.Multiplier: Naturally codifies what they learn and gives it back to the team.Storytelling: Translates complex technical concepts into compelling narratives that resonate with both technical and business audiences.Trusted Advisor: Demonstrates integrity, transparency, and reliability with customers, teammates, and partners.Curiosity: Stays close to the technology — continuously learning, experimenting, and bringing new ideas back to the team.Benefits & PerksCheck out our benefits site that explains our various benefits, including wellbeing reimbursement, generous parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility benefits, and more.Unleash Your PotentialWhen you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best , and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best . Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.AccommodationsIf you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form .Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.We are a recognised Disability Confident member under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme. We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. Applicants are welcome to opt-in to the interview scheme as part of the application process. If you would like to apply under the scheme, please click the link to the Accommodations Request Form above and scroll to the UK Disability Confident Scheme section within the form.Posting StatementSalesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. 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