Head of Enterprise Architecture - US TECH

CHANEL • New York, NY

4d • $223,300 - $265,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

CHANEL is hiring the Head of Enterprise Architecture for the US Tech Team. This leadership role will be based in New York City and will report to the CIO. The CIO is seeking a transformative Head of Enterprise Architecture to lead a pivotal evolution in how technology empowers our luxury retail business. This executive will have strategic and operational ownership for the overall design of the architecture of the application landscape, architecting scalable, future-ready solutions that empower the business to accelerate growth and operational excellence. Fostering cross-regional collaboration and shared learning to build bridges between the US and global architecture communities. The role will align capabilities within a product-oriented model. The Head of Enterprise Architecture architects the platforms, data pipelines, integration patterns, and guardrails that make responsible and scalable AI possible. The ideal leader will bring at least 15+ years of experience in hands-on IT, Enterprise Architecture, SDLC, executive-level presentation and storytelling with a proven track record of driving successful architecture adoption across teams and regions. Strong relationships, collaboration, and influence to drive modernization, simplification, measurable value, and technology engagement. The Head of Enterprise Architecture will define and govern the end-to-end architecture that supports CHANEL’s product lifecycle. The role ensures that product systems, data domains, integrations, and platforms are connected, scalable, and aligned with both US business needs and global standards, enabling faster execution, operational efficiency, removing architecture fragmentation and future innovation. The ideal leader simplifies the product-system landscape and connects creativity, operations, technology, and client experience.

Requirements

• Knowledge of enterprise architecture principles, frameworks, and governance models; ability to define, implement, and govern enterprise-wide architecture direction that ensures alignment of technology capabilities with business strategy across regional & global operations
• Expertise with technical / solution architecture and system design principles; ability to guide and govern architecture decisions for complex, multi-domain initiatives to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and strategic direction.
• A minimum of 15 years in a leadership technology role with a focus on Enterprise Architecture; ideally for a global matrixed company, major consultancy or system integrator
• Operates effectively between US autonomy and global alignment; knows when to push for standards and when to advocate for flexibility
• Speaks the language of retail; understands P&L, merchandising, consumer behavior, clienteling, supply chain, and store operations as it relates to technology. Balances architectural rigor with delivery speed.
• Complete understanding and practical application of EA frameworks such as TOGAF or equivalent, including current/target state, transition planning, roadmaps, gap analysis, and migration planning
• Technical debt reduction: identify, assess and mitigate the operational, obsolescence, and financial risks associated with maintaining legacy platforms
• Strong expertise in designing and executing phased application decommissioning playbooks to securely sunset end-of-life, legacy hardware and software
• Experience and understanding of multiple technical domains, application, data, DevOps, AI/ML, integration, big data, mobility, analytics, cloud, platform architecture, etc.
• Knowledge of Enterprise Architecture methodologies such as TOGAF or the equivalent, and experience with tools such as SAP LeanIX, ServiceNow APM / CMDB, ArchiMate, Bizzdesign, or equivalents
• Drive enterprise-wide simplification of technology landscapes, reducing complexity across platforms, applications, and processes to improve agility and operational efficiency
• Experience working in complex IT environments, and able to prioritize and plan complex work in a rapidly changing context
• Complex Problem Solving and Systems Thinking: Leverages deep technical acumen and a systems-oriented mindset to resolve multifaceted architectural challenges, while continuously optimizing digital employee experience at scale
• Knowledge of financial, market, and operational drivers of business performance; ability to ensure enterprise architecture initiatives deliver measurable business value and support strategic outcomes
• Proven advanced capability to work credibly at an executive level, and be able to anticipate, understand and respond to strategic business challenges and how IT can help solve them
• Solutions mindset; exceptional problem-solving skills and ability to connect the dots within a complex work environment
• Proven track record in managing external vendors and establishing a strong partnership and relationship with them
• Strong enthusiasm for building strategic relationships and managing multiple key stakeholders and projects
• Demonstrate proven qualities of leadership with integrity, humility, and open-mindedness
• Team player with experience leading and collaborating cross-team to ensure successful delivery of solutions
• Excellent presentation, facilitation and storytelling ability
• Entrepreneurial spirit with ability to handle ambiguity and challenge the status quo to drive continuous improvements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate complex technical concepts, designs and goals to technology leaders and non-technical stakeholders
• Exceptional analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving abilities
• A measured and informative approach to highlighting and dealing with conflicts

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a retail environment, with understanding of the customer trends and digital innovations in luxury retail is a plus
• Mastery of Enterprise Architecture frameworks with SAP LeanIX, or similar, and TOGAF certification or equivalent experience preferred
• BSc/BA in computer science, engineering or relevant field; MSc/MA is preferred

Responsibilities

• Driving architectural consistency and standardization across the global technology landscape to ensure coherence and reliability and harmonize with regional and global priorities
• Establishing and upholding robust governance frameworks and structural discipline to guide enterprise-wide technology decisions
• Defining the Enterprise Architecture operating model, governance forums, decision rights, standards, exceptions, and gates
• Embedding strong architecture principles for Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning enablement. Moving from static architecture to dynamic capability-driven architecture.
• Design the enterprise data architecture - from ingestion to consumption, ensuring data flows from operational systems (POS, OMS, WMS) to analytics and AI platforms with minimal friction
• Define data domain ownership - clear accountability for customer data, product data, transaction data, and supply chain data, aligned with business domains
• Harmonize US data architecture with the global data platform - ensuring US data products are consumable by global analytics teams and vice versa, while respecting data residency and privacy requirements
• Architect for unstructured data - text, image, video, and conversational data alongside structured retail data, enabling generative AI use cases
• Future-proof technology: evaluate and integrate emerging technologies (genAI, agentic frameworks, multicloud solutions) into the enterprise operating model
• Provide the necessary thought leadership, analysis and design related to developing a well-managed enterprise architecture. Define repeatable processes that guide portfolio planning, investment decisions, and roadmap execution aligned to business outcomes
• Own Application Portfolio Management using SAP LeanIX, ServiceNow APM / CMDB, or equivalents to map capabilities, rationalize redundancy, and show dependencies
• Define and enforce the end-to-end Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) standards across the region, ensuring consistent delivery practices - from requirements through to deployment and post-production support. Using Agile Methodology drive quality, speed, and repeatability across all delivery teams and vendor partners
• Shape the enterprise approach to AI and Machine Learning adoption, working closely with business stakeholders to identify high-value use cases, establish guardrails for responsible deployment, and ensure AI/ML capabilities are architected into the broader technology landscape rather than bolted on as standalone initiatives
• Stand up and lead a Center of Excellence (COE) for Architecture, bringing together architecture talent across the region to build shared capability, creating a high-performing community of architects across the enterprise to drive standards, share best practices, and ensure architectural consistency across programs and domains
• Own the Reference Architecture for US CHANEL Tech, using and adopting global playbooks, including librarianship and delivery of standards and build patterns
• Define cloud, integration, platform, security, and resiliency standards, including landing zones, API-first patterns, and secure-by-design expectations
• Build and maintain strong relationships with all functions across the business and IT to understand their processes and how they work to develop them into secure, automated, and integrated solutions that improve speed, efficiency, performance, accuracy, and security
• Optimize business workflows: translate complex capability maps into simplified, efficient IT value stream to enhance agility and operational efficiency
• Provide architecture input into planning, budgeting, TCO reduction, investment prioritization, and KPIs for rationalization, debt reduction, reuse, and target architecture alignment

Benefits

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing (2-week August Office Closure) and a Wellbeing fund
• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership)
• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days
• 401K and other incentives
• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive