Estée Lauder Companies Senior Lead Capability Design Architect

Role & Responsibilities

• Define, maintain, and execute the three-year technical capability vision and architectural roadmap for assigned business capability L2 domains and sub-domains, translating business objectives into modular technical blueprints that guide product squad execution
• Partner with Domain Directors, Product Managers, and Process Technology Leads to align technical designs with business roadmaps while maintaining clear separation between business needs and technical realization
• Track and model Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) across domain platforms, identifying redundant applications and outdated interfaces whilst authoring architectural business cases for platform modernization
• Lead domain-level Value Stream Mapping (VSM) exercises to identify data latency, process bottlenecks, and integration friction, designing high-speed automated technical integrations to optimize operational flow
• Maintain and govern the accurate inventory of all technology products, custom components, and active integrations within domain capability boundaries, ensuring complete software lifecycle tracking
• Serve as primary technical authority for the domain, translating complex functional workflows into detailed architectural patterns, data schemas, and platform configuration parameters
• Guard the standard-to-FIT ERP engine against custom configurations by requiring unique business logic to be built via side-by-side cloud extensions and clean APIs
• Monitor vendor software roadmaps, cloud technology advancements, and industry best practices within the domain, recommending timely technical upgrades to maintain competitive advantage
• Ensure 100% of critical domain L3 process maps, system interfaces, and configuration rules are continuously updated in living shared documentation tools such as Confluence and Signavio
• Partner with Product Managers and engineering squads to ensure user stories, sprint backlogs, and feature implementations conform to long-term capability blueprints and architecture standards
• Formally audit technical solution designs and estimates provided by Enterprise Business Services (EBS) partners and external system integrators, preventing scope creep and ensuring adherence to ELC architectural standards
• Present capability domain architectural designs at Architecture Review Boards, obtaining formal design approvals and resolving cross-domain integration dependencies
• Implement platform telemetry metrics to monitor post-deployment system performance, interface reliability, and quality metrics, ensuring solutions deliver intended business value
• Identify and implement practical Generative AI and automation use cases within the domain, embedding intelligent capabilities into business workflows and technical architecture
• Leverage ChatGPT Enterprise and AI tools to streamline the drafting of technical specifications, data dictionaries, and API contracts, reducing manual documentation effort
• Serve as formal mentor to other architects and product managers, providing continuous technical coaching, reviewing design artifacts, and supporting career progression
• Actively present complex domain capability designs in peer design, strategy, and architecture review forums, adopting assigned personas to pressure-test peer architectures and drive collaborative design improvements

Qualifications

• Advanced capability to model end-to-end domain technical architectures using TOGAF or SAP Enterprise Architecture frameworks, defining robust data flows and interface specifications across complex corporate capabilities
• Deep technical proficiency in designing side-by-side extensions (SAP BTP, cloud microservices), defining REST/GraphQL API contracts, and decoupling legacy middleware implementations
• Skilled in using ChatGPT Enterprise and AI development tools to accelerate technical specification drafting, analyze legacy configuration dependencies, and maintain living repositories
• Proven ability to review, audit, and benchmark system integrator technical designs, SOW proposals, and code artifacts
• Proficiency in applying Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and APQC modeling to optimize business process workflows and translate operational needs into modern technical architecture
• Deep SAP ECC Finance expertise within a single global SAP instance across Intercompany, Treasury and Cash Management, Bank Electronic Bank Statement Processing, and Financial Close
• Capability to define and maintain enterprise capability architecture to enable end-to-end process integration across Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Order-to-Cash (O2C), and Billing-to-Revenue (B2R), ensuring standardized capabilities and cross-functional process alignment
• Demonstrated ability to lead workshops to gather business requirements and conduct Fit/Gap analysis for global and regional deployments
• Experience supporting global SAP implementations, enhancement releases, and business transformation initiatives
• Proven capability to partner with regional and global stakeholders to standardize processes whilst addressing local business requirements
• Experience supporting testing activities and providing architectural oversight for Application Management Services (AMS), enhancements, break-fix activities, and production support
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with development teams to define and review functional specifications, custom enhancements, interfaces, and integrations
• Experience working closely with ABAP developers throughout design, build, testing, and deployment cycles
• Adherence to Solution Architecture and Center of Excellence (CoE) standards and methodologies
• Preferred experience with S4 HANA Financial architecture and capabilities, including understanding of Universal Journal, Business Partner Integration, Central Finance, Fiori applications, and Group Reporting

Skills

Experience

7+ years of enterprise architecture, SAP systems design, or financial technology implementation experience, with demonstrated expertise in defining and governing technical capability domains, managing cross-functional technical teams, and delivering large-scale enterprise transformation initiatives within global luxury or complex consumer goods organizations.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related discipline, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating advanced technical architecture expertise.

Workplace

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 119,300 to USD 196,600 per annum.

Benefits

Health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, competitive bonus program with performance overachievement potential, share incentive plan participation.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.