Technical Architect

Technical Architect role: platform and system architecture, technology choices, and integration patterns

Category: Team
Tags: salesforce roles technical-architect architecture platform

Author: callinj
Name: Joe Callin
Title: Sr. Salesforce Developer
Email: joe@jcallin.dev

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Quick Facts
  3. Core Responsibilities
  4. Required Skills & Experience
  5. Typical Deliverables
  6. Decision Authority
  7. Code Involvement
  8. Mentorship & Collaboration
  9. Success Metrics
  10. Career Progression
  11. Related Roles
  12. See Also

Overview

Technical Architects focus on platform and system-level architecture. They own technology choices, integration patterns, data architecture, and cross-team technical standards on the Salesforce platform. They understand code and can provide guidance when needed but are not focused on day-to-day code. They create technical design documentation for Technical Leads to implement and maintain, and they ensure scalability, performance, and alignment at the system level.

Quick Facts

  • Code Involvement: 10-20% (Review for strategic alignment only, guidance when needed)
  • Typical Experience: 7+ years
  • Decision Authority: System architecture, technology choices, integration patterns, cross-team technical standards
  • Focus Area: Platform architecture, integrations, data model, technical standards

Core Responsibilities

  • Design system and platform architecture on Salesforce
  • Define technology choices and cross-team technical standards
  • Define integration patterns and data architecture
  • Evaluate new technologies and make recommendations
  • Ensure scalability and performance at system level
  • Document system architecture and technical design decisions
  • Create technical design documentation for Technical Leads to implement and maintain
  • Provide strategic technical guidance to Tech Leads and Senior Developers
  • Coordinate with Solution Architects on end-to-end solution alignment
  • Review code for strategic and architectural alignment (not day-to-day review)

Required Skills & Experience

Technical Skills

  • Deep understanding of Salesforce platform architecture and limits
  • Strong understanding of integration patterns (APIs, middleware, event-driven)
  • Experience with data architecture and data model design
  • Ability to evaluate and recommend technologies and tools
  • Strong understanding of scalability and performance at system level

Experience

  • 7+ years of Salesforce development experience
  • Experience designing and architecting complex systems on Salesforce
  • Experience with cross-team technical coordination
  • Experience with enterprise-scale and multi-system solutions

Knowledge Areas

  • Salesforce platform capabilities, limits, and best practices
  • Enterprise integration patterns and data architecture
  • Scalability and performance optimization
  • Cross-team technical standards and patterns

Typical Deliverables

  • System and platform architecture designs and documentation
  • Technical design documentation for Technical Leads
  • Technology recommendations and evaluations
  • Integration patterns and data architecture definitions
  • Cross-team technical standards and patterns

Decision Authority

  • System and platform architecture (final authority within technical scope)
  • Technology choices and cross-team technical standards
  • Integration patterns and data architecture
  • Strategic technical direction and roadmap input

Code Involvement

10-20% - Minimal code involvement. Code review for strategic and architectural alignment only, not day-to-day code review. Provides guidance when needed, but focused on platform and system design, not implementation.

Key Point: Understands code and can provide guidance; focused on higher-level technical architecture, not day-to-day code.

Mentorship & Collaboration

  • Provides strategic technical guidance to Technical Leads and Senior Developers
  • Coordinates with Technical Leads on system design (Technical Lead provides implementation input)
  • Collaborates with Solution Architects on end-to-end solution and business alignment
  • Collaborates with other Technical Architects on enterprise technical standards
  • Provides guidance when architectural or platform questions arise

Success Metrics

Qualitative

  • System scalability, maintainability, and technical coherence
  • Architecture quality and alignment with platform best practices
  • Cross-team technical coordination effectiveness
  • Technology and integration pattern adoption

Quantitative

  • System performance and scalability metrics
  • Architecture and technical design documentation completeness
  • Cross-team standard adoption and adherence

Career Progression

Path From

Path To

  • Senior Technical Architect (larger scope or more complex systems)
  • Enterprise Architect (organization-wide technical focus)
  • Technology leadership roles

See Also