Lead Architect

Staples is seeking a Senior Manager – Software Engineering (Salesforce Platform) to lead Salesforce engineering initiatives supporting Sales and Service functions. Based at the Chennai Global Capability Center (GCC), this role serves as a strategic extension of the SDS Salesforce organization, driving global delivery, platform innovation, and operational scale. The role will own the Salesforce platform engineering roadmap, lead AI-powered transformation initiatives (Agentforce / Einstein), and build a high-performing, distributed engineering organization across the US and GCC. Key Responsibilities Leadership & Organization Build, scale, and lead a high-performing engineering organization across GCC (India). Establish robust hiring pipelines, mentoring frameworks, and performance management practices. Drive a unified global operating model with clearly defined sprint cadences, OKRs, and governance rhythms. Platform Ownership & Delivery Own and execute the Salesforce roadmap across Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, CRM Analytics, and enterprise integrations. Deliver and scale AI-driven capabilities, including Agentforce and Einstein-powered experiences. Lead modernization initiatives such as case management transformation and workflow automation. Platform Transformation & Integration Rationalize overlapping tools, eliminate technical debt, and consolidate workflows onto Salesforce. Partner with Data Engineering to centralize enterprise analytics leveraging Snowflake and Data Cloud. Design and implement secure, scalable integrations across Salesforce and enterprise platforms. Engineering Excellence & Governance Establish and enforce DevSecOps standards, CI/CD pipelines, and release governance practices. Drive Salesforce Center of Excellence (CoE) standards, including coding practices, test automation, and documentation discipline. Ensure platform stability, scalability, data integrity, and adherence to governance frameworks. Stakeholder & Partner Management Partner with Sales Operations, Customer Service, Finance, and Product teams to align priorities and deliver outcomes. Manage SI/ISV partners to accelerate delivery and innovation. What You Bring Proven leadership in building and inspiring high-performing, distributed engineering teams. Demonstrated ability to drive large-scale platform transformations and cross-system initiatives. Deep expertise in Salesforce architecture, development, governance, and platform best practices. Strong focus on engineering quality, automation, documentation, and operational rigor. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leadership. Requirements Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in computer science, Data Science, Business Analytics, or a related field. 10+ years of experience in enterprise software engineering. 5+ years of experience leading Salesforce engineering teams. Proven expertise in Salesforce platform development, architecture, and solution design. Experience managing distributed teams across offshore (GCC India) & dotted line reporting to US leadership. Experience with AI-enabled Salesforce capabilities and Snowflake/Data Cloud integrations. Preferred Qualifications Salesforce certifications (Architect, Platform, or AI specialization preferred). Master's degree in engineering, Technology, or Business Management. Why Join Staples Play a leadership role in shaping next-generation sales and service platforms. Drive AI-led innovation with measurable business impact at scale. Lead a globally distributed engineering organization across India. Contribute to a high-visibility transformation charter within SDS Salesforce.