Technical Director, HR & Corp Tech Enterprise Platform Engineering

Estée Lauder Companies • , NY

14d • $139,850 - $241,550 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Technical Director, HR & Corporate Technology Platform Engineering serves as the Platform Owner for engineering strategy, realization, lifecycle management, modernization, optimization, and long-term health of enterprise platforms supporting Human Resources and Corporate Technology. The portfolio includes Global HR, Global Legal, Global Security & Privacy, and Global Communications & Public Affairs, with a primary focus on enterprise HR technology. Reporting to the Executive Director, Enterprise Platform Engineering, this role provides strategic platform engineering leadership and ensures platforms remain secure, scalable, resilient, supportable, and aligned with approved functional technology strategy, product roadmaps, target-state architecture, and enterprise standards.

A significant focus is modernization of the enterprise HR technology landscape, which currently includes a legacy core HR platform and an established SAP SuccessFactors talent ecosystem integrated with platforms such as Eightfold. The Technical Director will provide engineering expertise during evaluation of the future-state HCM architecture and guide realization of the selected solution. This includes assessing platform suitability, architecture, scalability, implementation feasibility, integration, security, data requirements, release models, and long-term sustainability, as well as supporting complex global HCM transformation, implementation, integration, and migration.

The role retains accountability for the stability, lifecycle, and engineering outcomes of the existing HR technology landscape throughout modernization. It leads Enterprise Platform Engineering's engagement with System Integrators, Enterprise Business Services, and strategic technology partners, with accountability for engineering quality, technical outcomes, production readiness, knowledge transfer, and long-term sustainability. The Technical Director also owns engineering leadership across Corporate Technology platforms and works with business, product, architecture, security, operations, and partner teams to translate approved capabilities and solution designs into scalable engineering solutions.

This position leads engineering capability and platform disciplines across a federated delivery model, including governance, modernization, platform health, partner accountability, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement. The role also develops engineering talent and ensures the organization can govern, enhance, and sustain current and future platforms.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, Human Resources Technology, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of progressive experience in enterprise application engineering, HR technology, HCM platforms, platform engineering, or technology delivery within complex global organizations.
• Demonstrated leadership owning or governing enterprise HR technology platforms supporting complex global Human Resources capabilities.
• Deep experience with one or more leading enterprise HCM platforms, such as SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle Cloud HCM, or comparable enterprise-grade solutions.
• Strong understanding of modern cloud HCM architecture, platform lifecycle management, security, extensibility, integration, and implementation considerations.
• Strong understanding of enterprise HR capabilities, including Core HR, talent management, recruiting, onboarding, performance, compensation, succession, learning, workforce management, and related employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience playing a technology or platform engineering leadership role in at least one major end-to-end enterprise HCM implementation, modernization, or transformation.
• Experience transitioning from legacy or highly customized HR platforms to modern enterprise SaaS HCM solutions, including migration planning, data transition, integration, testing, deployment, production acceptance, and operational transition.
• Experience partnering with major System Integrators during enterprise HCM implementations and maintaining accountability for engineering quality, technical outcomes, architecture alignment, readiness, knowledge transfer, and sustainability.
• Strong understanding of global HCM implementation considerations, data migration, integration, testing, release management, security, controls, privacy, and operational readiness.
• Demonstrated ability to balance legacy HR platform stability and lifecycle requirements with implementation and transition to a future-state HCM environment.
• Experience establishing platform engineering governance, lifecycle management, release governance, environment strategy, engineering standards, platform health measures, and long-term operating models.
• Ability to govern engineering realization across Enterprise Business Services, System Integrators, strategic technology partners, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of enterprise SaaS architecture, APIs, integration patterns, identity and access management, cloud technologies, security, privacy, SDLC, Agile delivery, DevSecOps, and modern engineering practices.
• Experience governing HCM ecosystems and dependencies across payroll, identity, Finance, talent, workforce management, data and analytics, and other enterprise platforms.
• Ability to balance modernization, engineering quality, operational stability, security, privacy, technical risk, production readiness, and long-term sustainability.
• Ability to establish operating models, governance mechanisms, partner accountability, decision rights, and escalation processes in complex federated delivery environments.
• Experience managing dependencies, engineering sequencing, technical risks, and capacity across enterprise platforms or technology domains.
• Experience driving platform optimization through technology rationalization, SaaS utilization management, automation, technical-debt reduction, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of SaaS vendor ecosystems, release models, platform utilization, licensing considerations, technical obsolescence, and technology lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated success leading complex global platform engineering organizations and providing technology leadership across major enterprise transformations.
• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, organizational influence, negotiation, and decision-making skills, including communicating complex technology considerations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity and significant modernization while remaining accountable for existing platform health and future-state engineering outcomes.
• Ability to build and evolve engineering capabilities, develop engineering leaders, plan succession, and establish sustainable knowledge transfer from implementation partners.
• Ability to lead a broad platform portfolio through technical credibility, influence, governance, and clear accountability.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with SAP SuccessFactors or an equivalent enterprise HCM platform, including Core HR and/or Talent capabilities; SuccessFactors is particularly relevant.
• Experience with talent intelligence and workforce platforms such as Eightfold and their role in a broader enterprise HCM ecosystem.
• Familiarity with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), SAP integration and extensibility capabilities, or comparable cloud platform technologies.
• Experience providing platform leadership across Corporate Technology applications beyond HR, such as Legal, Security & Privacy, or Communications & Public Affairs.
• Experience driving optimization through AI-enabled capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the platform engineering and lifecycle roadmap, modernization initiatives, and long-term evolution of enterprise HR and Corporate Technology platforms.
• Serve as the senior Platform Engineering authority during HCM platform evaluation, assessing suitability, architecture, scalability, configurability, extensibility, implementation feasibility, integration, security, data requirements, release models, and sustainability.
• Translate approved business capabilities, solution designs, and product roadmaps into coordinated platform and engineering realization plans with business, product, capability design, and architecture partners.
• Develop and execute lifecycle and modernization plans that balance business priorities, technical sustainability, security, platform health, operational continuity, and future-state objectives.
• Maintain ownership of the existing HR technology landscape during modernization, ensuring lifecycle management, stability, reliability, supportability, and appropriate investment.
• Provide stewardship for the SAP SuccessFactors talent ecosystem and related technologies, including Eightfold.
• Own lifecycle and engineering leadership for Corporate Technology platforms supporting Global Legal, Global Security & Privacy, and Global Communications & Public Affairs.
• Establish common platform engineering and lifecycle practices covering modernization, technical debt, resiliency, security, supportability, and sustainability.
• Govern engineering realization from build through production acceptance across Enterprise Business Services, System Integrators, strategic technology partners, and Enterprise Platform Engineering.
• Provide technical direction, engineering governance, implementation oversight, quality assurance, and platform decision-making through major HCM implementation activities.
• Lead engagement with System Integrators and strategic partners, ensuring engineering quality, architecture alignment, delivery accountability, knowledge transfer, operational readiness, and sustainability.
• Lead engineering for migration from legacy HR technology to the future-state HCM environment, including migration strategy, data transition, integration readiness, cutover, production acceptance, and operational transition.
• Establish the future-state HCM engineering operating model, including governance, release and lifecycle management, technical standards, enhancement delivery, optimization, and partnership with EBS.
• Establish accountability for platform health, performance, reliability, scalability, supportability, security, technical sustainability, environment strategy, release readiness, and operational readiness.
• Drive optimization of technology utilization, environment strategy, SaaS capabilities, technical debt, data lifecycle, automation, engineering efficiency, licensing utilization, and sustainability.
• Manage platform risks, technical dependencies, implementation challenges, and lifecycle concerns; escalate issues that could compromise approved designs, enterprise standards, security, controls, stability, or sustainability.
• Establish engineering governance, decision rights, and escalation mechanisms across platform engineering, EBS, System Integrators, strategic partners, and supporting technology teams.
• Partner across Process Technology, Product, Capability Design, Enterprise Architecture, Security, Operations, and engineering organizations to realize approved capabilities through secure, scalable, resilient, sustainable platforms.
• Ensure engineering solutions align with enterprise architecture standards, technology principles, security requirements, and engineering patterns.
• Collaborate with Cyber Security, Privacy, Operations & Infrastructure, EBS, and strategic partners to meet requirements for sensitive employee information, including security, privacy, controls, resiliency, and operations.
• Ensure the HR technology ecosystem works effectively with talent, identity, payroll, Finance, data and analytics, and other dependent platforms.
• Coordinate across HR, Corporate Technology, architecture, engineering, operations, security, EBS, System Integrators, and partners to resolve dependencies, risks, and implementation challenges.
• Manage dependencies, engineering sequencing, capacity, and technical risks across HR, Legal, Security & Privacy, Communications & Public Affairs, and adjacent enterprise capabilities.
• Balance modernization velocity with platform stability, operational continuity, security, employee experience, and production transition.
• Provide organizational and engineering leadership, establishing accountability for engineering quality, platform health, modernization delivery, and sustainability.
• Lead EBS, System Integrators, strategic partners, and internal resources through clear governance, technical leadership, delivery accountability, and organizational alignment.
• Champion modern engineering practices, automation, AI-enabled engineering, reusable assets, and continuous improvement.
• Establish knowledge transfer and capability building during HCM implementation so Enterprise Platform Engineering can govern and evolve the future-state platform.
• Build and evolve HR and Corporate Technology Platform Engineering capability, including required skills, leadership structure, succession pipeline, and operating model.
• Develop engineering talent through mentoring, technical leadership, succession planning, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Promote engineering documentation, platform standards, operational readiness, and institutional knowledge throughout platform lifecycles.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage, including 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.
• Highly competitive bonus program, with potential overachievement based on performance and company results.
• Participation in a share incentive plan.

What This Job Offers

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