Sr. Staff Enterprise Architect

AppFolio, Inc; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 167,200 - 209,000; Full time

Job summary

AppFolio, Inc in Santa Barbara, California is seeking a Senior Staff Enterprise Architect to guide the design and evolution of scalable integration solutions. You will evaluate technology initiatives, establish architectural standards, and lead cross-functional collaborations to support AppFolio's growth objectives.

The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in software engineering and integration architecture, with strong skills in API-led connectivity and event-driven architectures. A commitment to diversity and equality is central to AppFolio’s mission.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, integration architecture, or related roles.
• Strong understanding of API-led connectivity and event-driven architecture.
• Experience leading complex initiatives and influencing architectural direction.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical leader for integration and architecture capabilities.
• Translate business priorities into architectural decisions.
• Evaluate proposed technology initiatives for alignment with standards.

Skills

Software engineering

Integration architecture

Cross-functional leadership

API-led connectivity

Event-driven architecture

Education

10+ years of experience in relevant fields

Tools

MuleSoft

AWS

Workato

Job description

Business Operations Santa Barbara, California Dallas, Texas San Diego, California Remote - San Francisco, CA Remote - Denver, CO Remote - Atlanta, GA Remote - Chicago, IL Remote - Washington DC, United States

As a Senior Staff Enterprise Architect, you will play a key role in establishing and maturing AppFolio's integration and architecture capabilities within Business Systems. Acting as a strategic advisor and technical leader, you will guide the design and evolution of secure, scalable solutions that support AppFolio's growth and long‑term objectives.

You will translate business priorities into pragmatic architectural decisions by assessing current‑state capabilities, defining target‑state approaches, and establishing the standards and patterns that enable teams to deliver with consistency and confidence. Your work will span enterprise applications, system integrations, and emerging AI‑enabled workflows, partnering closely with stakeholders across Business Systems, Engineering, Data, Security, and the business.

You will also serve as the primary authority for Third‑Party Risk Management (TPRM) architectural reviews, ensuring proposed technology investments are evaluated through sound architectural governance and risk assessment. Through influence, collaboration, and trusted relationships, you will help move AppFolio from tribal knowledge to trusted infrastructure.

Enterprise Integration Architecture & Strategy

• Assess current‑state integrations, dependencies, and architectural patterns across the enterprise application landscape.
• Define target‑state architectures and pragmatic transition roadmaps for enterprise applications and integrations.
• Establish and maintain architecture principles, reference architectures, and design patterns that promote scalability and consistency.
• Design scalable, secure, resilient integration solutions that support evolving business needs.
• Define integration guidance across APIs, events, batch processing, orchestration, and automation capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to simplify architectures, reduce technical debt, and improve maintainability.

Architecture Governance & TPRM

• Serve as the primary architect for Third‑Party Risk Management (TPRM) architecture reviews.
• Evaluate proposed technology initiatives for alignment with enterprise standards, security requirements, and architectural principles.
• Develop lightweight governance processes that enable speed while maintaining appropriate controls.
• Document architecture decisions through Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) and related artifacts.
• Participate in Architecture Review Board activities and represent Business Systems architecture perspectives.
• Define standards and decision frameworks across AppFolio's integration platforms, including MuleSoft, AWS, Workato, and emerging technologies.
• Recommend appropriate integration patterns based on business requirements and non‑functional needs.
• Promote modern integration practices including API‑first design, event‑driven architectures, serverless capabilities, and reusable services.
• Partner with engineering teams to improve observability, reliability, and supportability of integrations.
• Provide guidance on platform selection and architectural tradeoffs.

AI Enablement & Emerging Technologies

• Partner with cross‑functional teams to assess and prioritize AI‑enabled use cases within Business Systems.
• Advise teams on architectural considerations related to AI capabilities, including data readiness, integration patterns, and operational considerations.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend practical applications aligned to business objectives.
• Support the transition of AI initiatives from experimentation to production readiness in alignment with evolving governance practices.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence

• Facilitate architecture discovery and strategy sessions with technical and business stakeholders.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for diverse audiences.
• Build trusted partnerships across Business Systems, Engineering, Security, Data, Product, and business teams.
• Establish the artifacts, operating rhythms, and decision frameworks necessary to mature the Enterprise Architecture capability within Business Systems.
• Influence technology direction through evidence‑based recommendations and collaborative decision‑making.
• Mentor team members and elevate architectural thinking across the organization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, integration architecture, enterprise applications, or related technical leadership roles, including experience leading complex cross‑functional initiatives and influencing architectural direction across multiple teams.
• 8+ years designing and delivering enterprise integration solutions within complex environments.
• Experience developing architecture standards, integration patterns, and technical guidance across multiple platforms.
• Experience architecting or supporting AI‑enabled capabilities, with an understanding of the architectural considerations associated with large language models, agentic workflows, and enterprise data integration.
• Hands‑on experience with enterprise integration technologies such as MuleSoft, AWS, Workato, Boomi, or similar platforms.
• Experience facilitating architecture reviews and evaluating proposed solutions against established principles.
• Strong understanding of API‑led connectivity, event‑driven architecture, and modern integration approaches.
• Experience leading cross‑functional initiatives and influencing decisions without direct authority.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and drive outcomes independently.

Preferred

• Experience building or maturing architecture practices within high‑growth SaaS organizations.
• Familiarity with architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, or similar approaches applied pragmatically.
• Exposure to data architecture concepts including data governance, lineage, and modern data platform patterns.
• Experience participating in Architecture Review Boards or governance forums.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, observability concepts, and infrastructure‑as‑code principles.
• Experience working with globally distributed teams.

The compensation we reasonably expect to pay for this role is 167,200-209,000 base pay. The actual compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, education, experience, and internal equity.

Please note that compensation is just one aspect of a comprehensive Total Rewards package. The compensation range listed here does not include additional benefits or any discretionary bonuses you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type. Regular full‑time employees are eligible for benefits – see here.

At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That’s why we’re a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status, you’re always welcome at AppFolio.