Salesforce Solutions Architecture Director

Dentsu; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Competitive benefits package

Permanent role

Job summary

Dentsu in Ireland seeks a Salesforce Solutions Architecture Director to lead the architecture capability, translating client priorities into compelling Salesforce solutions and guiding governance, strategy and capability development. You will manage the Ireland Salesforce team, collaborate with UKI/EMEA and global centres, and drive modernisation including AI and automation across Salesforce delivery.

You will partner with sales, client leadership, and delivery teams to shape strategic pursuits,

Qualifications

• Leadership experience setting practice direction in Salesforce architecture.
• Experience leading Salesforce architecture across large enterprise programs.
• Ability to govern architecture standards and reviews.
• Skill in balancing client value, delivery risk and profitability.
• Ability to shape commercially viable Salesforce solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead Salesforce practice in Ireland, directing architecture and solutions teams.
• Collaborate with sales, delivery, alliances and client leadership.
• Drive capability planning, certification and capability maturity.
• Own architecture governance across Salesforce engagements.
• Shape opportunities from discovery through delivery and proposals.

Skills

Senior leadership

Salesforce architecture

Enterprise programmes

Governance & standards

Commercial & pricing sense

Solution strategy

Executive stakeholder engagement

Community building

Job description

The purpose of this role is to lead the architecture capability of the company by establishing and maintaining the people, process and tooling that allows the leadership of the company to understand and change how both the business and technology operates.

Job Description: Role Overview

The Salesforce Solutions Architecture Director is a senior leadership role combining client advisory, solution leadership and commercial acumen with responsibility for the technical strategy and capability development of the Salesforce team in Ireland. The role translates client business priorities into compelling, commercially sound Salesforce solutions, leading executive conversations and shaping opportunities from discovery through proposal and delivery. It balances client value, solution quality, delivery feasibility and profitability. As the senior technical authority for the Salesforce Practice, the role remains accountable for architecture quality, engineering standards, capability maturity and solution assurance, ensuring technical decisions support measurable client outcomes and sustainable growth. Working closely with the sales, solutions, client leadership and alliance teams, the role helps set direction, prioritise capability investment and shape strategic pursuits. It provides visible senior leadership to clients and teams, connecting market ambition with the capability to win and deliver profitable Salesforce transformation programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Senior Leadership & People Development

Contribute to Salesforce strategy and senior leadership decisions, bringing a clear view of client priorities, solution opportunities, commercial trade-offs and capability investment

Directly lead, manage and develop the Ireland Salesforce technical and solutions team as a core priority

Develop relationships and strong collaboration with other Merkle Salesforce delivery teams across UKI, EMEA and global delivery centres

Provide leadership on modernisation of Salesforce delivery including AI, automation and evolving Salesforce product set.

Set clear objectives, expectations and development priorities for the Ireland-based Solution Architects, Technical Architects and specialist consultants

Own Ireland technical capability planning, including team shape, skills coverage, recruitment needs and succession planning

Build a strong Ireland leadership bench by coaching future technical leaders and creating clear progression paths

Establish regular coaching, mentoring and performance conversations across the Ireland technical team

Create a clear sense of community, engagement and ownership across the Ireland Salesforce technical team

Collaborate across the wider Salesforce Practice through matrix leadership, shared standards and communities of practice

Influence and coordinate with UK&I Salesforce leadership to align Ireland capability priorities with wider practice goals

Capability Strategy

Own the development of practice capability aligned to Salesforce market demand and business strategy

Define the Salesforce capability roadmap to support the Salesforce GTMs

Identify future skills requirements and capability gaps

Drive certification and accreditation plans

Develop reusable assets, accelerators and best-practice frameworks

Embed consultative selling skills throughout the technical community

Support GTM readiness for emerging Salesforce technologies

Ensure technical capabilities align to future client & business demand

Architecture & Technical Governance

Act as the technical design authority for the Salesforce Practice

Own architecture governance across Salesforce engagements

Establish technical standards and engineering principles

Define architecture review processes

Govern technical quality and design consistency

Lead technical escalations and solution reviews

Ensure delivery follows agreed architecture standards

Drive quality assurance and technical risk management

Promote scalable and repeatable delivery approaches

Client, Solutions & Commercial Leadership

Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, advising on how Salesforce can address business priorities and deliver measurable value

Lead discovery and executive workshops to define the client problem, challenge assumptions and shape the transformation roadmap and investment case

Own solution strategy and architecture for priority pursuits, bringing together business, platform, integration and delivery considerations into a coherent proposition

Shape and qualify opportunities with growth and client leaders, assessing strategic fit, client value, delivery feasibility and commercial viability

Apply commercial judgement to scope, estimates, delivery models, assumptions and risks, working with commercial and delivery leads to support competitive pricing and protect margin

Lead solution responses to RFPs and RFIs, proposals and client presentations, clearly articulating differentiation, business benefits and the rationale for investment

Provide technical design authority and solution assurance across strategic opportunities, making trade-offs explicit before commitments are agreed

Partner with account and delivery leaders to identify further client needs and ensure a clear handover from the proposed solution to delivery

Delivery Excellence

Ensure architecture decisions translate into successful delivery outcomes

Provide governance across major programmes

Support delivery teams with technical decision-making

Support issue resolution on complex engagements

Drive best practice delivery methodologies

Improve delivery predictability and quality

Key Performance Indicators Architecture Governance: Percentage of strategic Salesforce engagements with documented architecture reviews, approved design decisions and clear technical risk tracking Technical Quality: Reduction in avoidable technical escalations, rework and quality issues through agreed engineering standards, design assurance and delivery governance Capability Growth: Progress against the Salesforce capability roadmap, including priority skills coverage, certification targets, succession plans and readiness for agreed GTMs Practice Engagement & Leadership: Stronger engagement across the Salesforce technical community, evidenced through active communities of practice, regular knowledge-sharing, visible leadership and clearer ownership across the technical team Team Leadership & Performance: Clear goals, role expectations and development priorities agreed for the Salesforce technical team, with regular check-ins and visible progress against agreed objectives Coaching & Development: Evidence of structured coaching, mentoring and career development for Solution Architects, Technical Architects and specialist consultants, including growth plans for high-potential team members Succession & Future Leaders: Progress in building a stronger leadership bench, with named successors or deputies identified for critical technical leadership areas Team Engagement & Retention: Improved engagement, retention and participation across the Salesforce technical team, supported by clear communication, inclusive leadership and stronger connection to practice priorities Reusable Assets & Standards: Number and adoption of reusable architecture patterns, accelerators, delivery standards and best-practice frameworks used across pursuits and live engagements Client, Solutions & Commercial Contribution: Senior client engagement and agreed solution roadmaps; contribution to priority pursuit conversion and commercially viable proposals, with clear client value, scope, estimates, assumptions and delivery risks Delivery Excellence: Improved delivery predictability, margin protection and client satisfaction through better technical decision-making, issue resolution and architecture governance

Core Competencies & Experience

Proven senior leadership experience setting practice direction, leading technical consulting teams and aligning capability investment with client demand and business growth

Senior Salesforce Technical Architect or Enterprise Architect background

Experience leading Salesforce architecture across multiple enterprise programmes

Experience establishing governance and architecture standards

Ability to shape commercially viable solutions, assess business cases, scope, estimates and pricing trade-offs, and balance client value with profitability, delivery risk and margin protection

Experience leading solution strategy for complex bids and strategic pursuits, translating client needs into differentiated proposals and credible delivery approaches

Ability to build trusted relationships with executive clients, influence senior business and technical stakeholders, and explain solution choices in terms of business value and commercial impact

Experience building and scaling technical communities

What we offer

This is a permanent role

The team is based in our Dublin office but operates under flexible working arrangements.

As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We recognise the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

Location: Dublin

Brand: Merkle

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Temporary

About dentsu

For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of our offering – exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We’re leading the way – helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way. Find out more about us