SAP SuccessFactors Architect

Job Description

SAP SuccessFactors Architect
6 month
SC eligible
Remote with Travel to Southampton
RATE INSIDE IR35 £716

Provide senior SAP SuccessFactors solution architecture, design authority and service assurance to the SAP Service.
The role will provide architectural governance across the SuccessFactors landscape, strengthen the existing run capability and act as the senior escalation point for complex solution, integration and service issues.
The Solution Architect will augment, rather than replace, the existing ADM team, providing architectural oversight and senior SME expertise where issues or changes require deeper product knowledge, cross-solution understanding, design assurance or strategic engagement.
The role will help strengthen SAP capability within the service, improve solution quality and supportability, address recurring issues and technical debt, and provide access to senior SuccessFactors expertise for both immediate service needs and longer-term platform evolution.

* Act as the senior SAP SuccessFactors Solution Architect and design authority for the service.
* Provide architectural oversight across the end-to-end SuccessFactors landscape, including Employee Central, Talent modules, platform capabilities, security, integrations, upstream and downstream systems, and relevant payroll interfaces.
* Review and assure significant solution, configuration and integration changes, ensuring they are architecturally sound, secure, scalable and supportable.
* Ensure solutions remain aligned with SAP recommended practices and the wider enterprise architecture
* Review solution designs produced by ADM, project/change teams, SAP or third parties where changes impact the SuccessFactors landscape.
* Maintain and evolve relevant solution architecture principles, key design decisions, integration architecture, technical debt considerations and architectural recommendations.
* Provide architectural input into change and design governance, assessing cross-functional and cross-system impacts before significant changes are implemented.
Service Assurance & Complex Problem Resolution
* Act as the senior SuccessFactors escalation point for complex, high-impact or recurring service issues requiring deeper product or architectural expertise.
* Provide expert intervention, root-cause guidance and architectural recommendations for complex SuccessFactors incidents and problems.
* Identify systemic weaknesses across configuration, integrations, security, data, solution design and operational processes.
* Distinguish between tactical fixes and underlying architectural issues and ensure short-term remediation does not create longer-term supportability or technical debt.
* Participate in major incident and problem reviews where senior SAP SuccessFactors expertise is required.
* Where appropriate, engage SAP product support and escalation channels and constructively challenge proposed resolutions.

Roadmap, Change & Continuous Improvement
* Assess the architectural and operational impact of SuccessFactors releases, upgrades, patches and significant changes.
* Identify technical debt, optimisation opportunities, architectural risks and areas where the service or solution can be improved.
* Advise team on the SuccessFactors roadmap, optimisation opportunities and future platform capabilities.
* Provide architectural guidance on the integration of SuccessFactors with the wider SAP and non-SAP enterprise landscape, including SAP Integration Suite/CPI, SAP ERP or S/4HANA and third-party platforms.
* Support development of a sustainable SuccessFactors roadmap balancing immediate service priorities with longer-term architectural direction.
* Provide informed guidance on emerging SAP capabilities, including SAP BTP and relevant SAP Business AI capabilities where applicable to the landscape.

Stakeholder & Capability Leadership
* Act as the senior SuccessFactors architecture contact within the ADM service.
* Engage credibly with senior stakeholders, translating complex technical issues into clear business implications, risks, options and recommendations.
* Work effectively across application management, project/change, enterprise architecture, integration, security and other technical teams.
* Collaborate with SAP and relevant third parties where specialist product or technical engagement is required.
* Coach and knowledge-transfer to the existing ADM team to strengthen SuccessFactors capability and reduce unnecessary dependency on specialist escalation.
* Promote consistent architecture, design and support practices across the service.

Essential Experience
* Significant hands-on SAP SuccessFactors experience at Lead Consultant, SME, Solution Architect or Enterprise Architect level.
* Demonstrable experience acting as a SuccessFactors Solution Architect or Design Authority within a complex enterprise environment.
* Strong functional knowledge of SuccessFactors Employee Central and a broad understanding of the wider SAP SuccessFactors/HXM landscape.
* Ability to operate across multiple SuccessFactors functional areas and understand cross-module dependencies without needing to be the configuration specialist for every module.
* Proven experience supporting complex live SuccessFactors environments, including production issue diagnosis, problem management, architectural remediation and service improvement.
* Strong understanding of SuccessFactors integration patterns, APIs, SAP Integration Suite/CPI and integration with SAP ERP/S/4HANA and third-party platforms.
* Experience developing and reviewing solution architectures, design principles, roadmaps and architectural recommendations.
* Experience of SuccessFactors release management and assessing the impact of SAP's release life cycle on enterprise solutions.
* Strong understanding of security, roles, data, integration and non-functional considerations across SuccessFactors.
* Experience supporting enterprise-scale and/or global SuccessFactors estates.
* Ability to work effectively across application management, project/change, architecture and technical teams.
* Strong client-facing communication and stakeholder-management capability, including engagement with senior stakeholders.

Highly Desirable
* Relevant SAP SuccessFactors professional certification.
* Experience working in complex, regulated or critical-national-infrastructure environments.
* Previous SAP AMS/ADM or comparable live-service experience.
* Experience with SAP BTP and SAP Integration Suite.
* Understanding of SAP Business AI and evolving AI capabilities across the SuccessFactors/HXM portfolio.
* Experience providing design assurance, architecture governance or independent architecture review.
* Experience working across complex SAP and non-SAP integration landscapes.
* Ability to operate effectively across both tactical incident resolution and strategic roadmap conversations.

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Due to the nature and urgency of this post, candidates holding or who have held high level security clearance in the past are most welcome to apply. Please note successful applicants will be required to be security cleared prior to appointment which can take a minimum 10 weeks. LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

An award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over multiple years. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.