Platform Systems Architect
hace 8 días
Sterling
Job DescriptionDescription: We are HALO! We are the global leader in branded promotional merchandise (aka swag), uniform programs, and recognition and incentive solutions. We combine unparalleled creativity, targeted strategic insights, the diversity of our talent, and flawless execution to unleash the energy and spark the magic that create unforgettable moments, energizing and amplifying brands to capture—and hold—the attention of the people who matter most to our clients. The Platform Systems Architect is a senior, high-leverage leadership role responsible for designing and stewarding Halo’s future platform—one capable of translating creative, human-driven intent into scalable, auditable, and increasingly automated execution. Reporting directly to the CPTO, this role partners deeply with Product, Operations, Sales, Finance, and Technology leaders to architect systems that support exception-heavy workflows, complex decision logic, and evolving business models. The Platform Systems Architect ensures Halo’s technology ecosystem encodes how the company reasons and operates, not just how it transacts. This role is central to Halo’s transformation from a people and process-driven organization into a differentiated platform where decision logic, exception handling, and operational judgment become durable enterprise capabilities. Why This Role Matters HALO’s differentiation lies in its ability to turn creative intent and human judgment into reliable execution in complex, real-world scenarios. This role ensures that capability becomes embedded in the platform itself, creating defensible long-term advantage rather than scaling cost with headcount. Core Responsibilities: Platform & Enterprise Architecture Leadership • Design and evolve Halo’s enterprise platform architecture with clear separation and accountability across:, • Sales enablement and client-facing experiences, • Order orchestration and exception management (Halo Connect), • Financial execution and systems of record (NetSuite), • Define and defend architectural boundaries to prevent operational complexity from leaking into downstream systems, • Partner with the CPTO to translate business strategy into durable architectural bets and platform evolution roadmaps Decision & Exception-Centric System Design • Architect systems optimized for variability, ambiguity, and exception density, not just happy-path automation, • Identify recurring human decisions, tradeoffs, and failure modes across sales, operations, and finance—and design them into explicit, governable platform capabilities, • Ensure rules, decision logic, and exception handling live in intentional control layers rather than being fragmented across applications AI-Enabled Architecture & Automation Readiness: • Design Halo’s platform to safely and effectively incorporate AI-assisted reasoning, decision support, and automation as capabilities mature, • Establish architectural patterns for:, • Human-in-the-loop decisioning, • AI-assisted exception triage and resolution, • Decision traceability, auditability, and operational control, • Partner with Product, Data, and Engineering to ensure orchestration layers function as future-ready control planes for agentic and AI-assisted workflows This role focuses on architectural enablement and governance of AI—not on model selection, prompt engineering, or tool optimization. Enterprise Stewardship & Governance • Define enterprise architecture principles that balance flexibility, speed, cost, and operational control, • Serve as a trusted thought partner to executive leadership on platform tradeoffs, risk, and long-term scalability, • Guide architectural decision-making across initiatives to reduce redundancy, technical debt, and unintended downstream cost Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence Partner closely with: • Product leaders on problem framing, system design, and platform ownership, • Operations leaders on execution realities, exception patterns, and scalability constraints, • Finance leaders on controls, auditability, revenue integrity, and compliance, • Mentor senior engineers, architects, and product leaders in platform-level thinking and enterprise design Requirements: Required Experience • 12+ years designing and evolving complex enterprise or platform systems, • Demonstrated experience architecting exception-heavy, operationally complex environments, • Proven ability to translate human workflows and judgment into scalable system behavior, • Deep experience with orchestration layers, workflow engines, rules engines, or comparable control-plane architectures, • Strong executive communication skills with the ability to reason clearly in ambiguity and influence across functions Preferred Experience • Experience designing or stewarding AI-enabled platforms, including familiarity with modern AI stacks such as:, • Cloud-based LLM platforms (e.g., AWS Bedrock or equivalent), • Model Context Protocols (MCP) or similar context and orchestration frameworks, • Human-in-the-loop and agent-assisted system patterns, • Background in industries with complex fulfillment, customization, or regulatory constraints, • Prior experience partnering closely with Product and Operations leadership—not solely Engineering, • Formal certifications (e.g., TOGAF, cloud certifications) are secondary to demonstrated architectural judgment and platform impact. Success in this role will be measured by: • Reduced operational cost driven by architectural clarity and better exception handling, • Clear, shared understanding of platform boundaries across Product, Operations, Finance, and Technology, • Faster onboarding of new clients, products, suppliers, and business models, • Decreased reliance on manual workarounds and downstream system overrides, • Architectural readiness for AI-assisted execution without sacrificing control, auditability, or financial integrity Compensation: The estimated base salary range for this position is between $180,000 - $205,000 annually. Please note that this pay range serves as a general guideline and reflects a broad spectrum of labor markets across the US. While it is uncommon for candidates to be hired at or near the top of the range, compensation decisions are influenced by various factors. At HALO, these include, but are not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's work experience, location, education and training, key skills, internal equity, external market data, and broader market and business considerations. Benefits: At HALO, we offer benefits that support all aspects of your life, helping you find a work-life balance that’s right for you. Our comprehensive benefits include nationwide coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability insurance, along with additional Voluntary Benefits. Prepare for your financial future with our 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Application Information: To apply to this opportunity, click the APPLY button at the top right or very bottom of the screen to complete our online application. A resume is optional, so you may choose to upload and have the application prefill with your information. There are 5 sections to complete in total, including General information, Work History, Education, Compliance, and optional demographic questions. Once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive a submission confirmation email from our system. Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed and processed only when there is a specific need or opportunity, rather than on a fixed schedule or at a set deadline. Because they are reviewed on an as-needed basis, a job posting will be removed once the position has been filled or is no longer available. More about HALO At HALO, we unleash the energy of our client's brands and amplify their stories to capture the attention of those who matter most. For that reason, more than 60,000 small- and mid-sized businesses work with HALO and have made us the global leader of the branded merchandise industry. • Career Advancement: At HALO, we love promoting from within. Internal promotions have been the key to our exponential growth in the last few years. With so many industry leaders at HALO, you'll have the opportunity to accelerate your career by learning from their experience, insights, and skills and gain access to HALO's influential global network, leadership experiences, and diverse thinking., • Culture: We love working here and know that you will too. You can expect a positive culture of ingenuity, inclusion, and relentless determination. We push the limits of possibilities and imagination by staying curious, humble, and provocative in order to break through yesterday's limit. Diversity is the source of our creativity and we thrive when each of us contributes to an inclusive culture of respect, dignity, and equity mindset in everything we do. We keep our promise for excellence with an unrelenting commitment to achieving results and supporting one another to stay accountable, transparent, and dependable. HALO participates in E-Verify. Please see the following notices in English and Spanish for important information: E-Verify Participation and Right to Work. HALO is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process – you may email us at . Please do not use this as an alternative method for general inquiries or status on applications as you will not receive a response. Reasonable requests will be reviewed and responded to on a case-by-case basis.