Amazon

Head of Solutions Architecture, Amazon External Payments

Amazon • $201K — $272K *
Seattle, WA 98115In-Person
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in infrastructure/database/network architecture
  • 5+ years managing technical teams of solution architects
  • Bachelor's degree required
  • Experience with enterprise customer-facing resources
  • Familiarity with payments or e-commerce, particularly agentic AI

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with product and engineering to co-design technical architecture
  • Translate market needs into architectural requirements
  • Lead architecture design sessions with partners
  • Evaluate technology trends to inform platform strategy
  • Define SA engagement model and layered coverage
  • Own capacity planning to prioritize strategic projects
  • Establish success metrics for partner satisfaction and integration velocity

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Paid time off and parental leave
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Mental Health Support and EAP options
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Head of Solutions Architecture to lead a global team of Solutions Architects. You will define how the SA function operates, design the technical engagement model across our partner ecosystem, and develop the people, processes, and artifacts that accelerate integration velocity and partner success. This is a leadership role with a transformational mandate: you will evolve an established team to meet a new charter and operating model.

Key job responsibilities

Strategic Architecture & Partner Collaboration

- Partner with Product, Engineering, and partner teams to co-design the technical architecture of AEP's platform, influence roadmap decisions, and define how solutions scale across partners

- Serve as the connective tissue between GTM and the technical organization, translating partner needs and market signals into architectural requirements

- Lead joint architecture design sessions with partner engineering teams to define integration patterns, API contracts, and solution blueprints

- Evaluate emerging technology trends (agentic AI, identity, fraud) and inform platform strategy with a forward-looking technical point of view

Engagement Model & Enablement

- Define the SA engagement model: how the team partners with Product, Engineering, partner teams, and GTM to deliver solutions

- Design layered coverage: strategic advisory for complex architecture decisions vs. scaled self-service enablement (reference architectures, developer tooling, integration guides)

- Own capacity planning, ensuring the team prioritizes high-impact strategic work over transactional support

- Drive creation of reusable assets: reference architectures, solution patterns, and API adoption frameworks that reduce repetitive effort

Business Outcomes

- Define and own success metrics: partner satisfaction, platform adoption, architecture quality, and integration velocity

- Serve as trusted technical advisor to senior partner and product stakeholders, shaping joint roadmaps

- Represent the SA function to senior leadership with insights on platform health, partner technical alignment, and strategic opportunities

Team Leadership

- Lead a global, distributed team of Solutions Architects; own hiring, performance management, career development, and retention

- Create structured career paths and technical depth standards; develop future leaders

- Foster a culture of strategic thinking, knowledge sharing, and technical excellence

About the team

Amazon External Payments is at the frontier of agentic commerce, building modular payments infrastructure that enables AI-powered shopping experiences across Amazon's partner ecosystem. The Solutions Architect team is the technical bridge between platform capabilities and partner go-to-market success, embedding with partners to accelerate integration, unblock complexity, and drive merchant activation.

This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in transformation, loves redesigning organizations as much as architectures, and wants to elevate a team at the intersection of payments infrastructure and generative AI.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- 10+ years of infrastructure architecture, database architecture and networking experience

- 5+ years of managing a technical team of solution architects, sales engineers or similar technical roles experience

- Bachelor's degree

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Experience in management of technical, enterprise customer facing resources or equivalent

- Experience in payments or e-commerce

- Familiarity with agentic AI, generative AI, or conversational commerce as they relate to payments.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, SEATTLE - 201,000.00 - 272,000.00 USD annually

USA, WA, Seattle - 201,000.00 - 272,000.00 USD annually

About Amazon

Audible is a provider of spoken audio information and entertainment , on the Internet. They provide premium spoken audio content, such as audio versions of books and newspapers and radio programs, that is delivered over the Internet and played back on personal computers and hand-held electronic devices. The Audible service allows consumers to purchase and download their content from their Website, store it in digital files and play it back on personal computers and electronic devices. More than 15,000 hours of audio content are available on their Web site, including audio versions of books, periodicals and radio programs. Several manufacturers have agreed to support and promote the playback of their content on their hand-held audio-enabled electronic devices.

Amazon Careers

Joining Amazon presents an unparalleled opportunity to become part of a vibrant team pushing the boundaries of innovation and growth in the global marketplace. As a leader in e-commerce, technology, and logistics, Amazon offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and professional interests. Work You’ll Do At Amazon, every day is an opportunity to collaborate with the brightest minds in technology and business to redefine what’s possible. Whether you’re interested in software development, marketing, human resources, or customer service, Amazon has a position waiting for you. Transform the way the world shops and innovates with our diverse and inclusive team. Amazon is not just a company; it’s a community where you can drive real change and contribute to projects impacting millions globally. Lead with Innovation and Leadership Amazon is the perfect place to enhance your leadership and innovation skills. Our culture encourages pushing the envelope and imagining the unimaginable. Here, you will lead projects that challenge the status quo and define new industry standards. Work with a team that values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our leadership is focused on harnessing the collective power of unique perspectives to foster growth and innovation. Explore Amazon’s Employment Benefits Amazon’s commitment to its employees extends beyond just career growth. We offer competitive benefits, including health care, parental leave, and diversity training, ensuring that our team not only excels professionally but also enjoys well-being and security. Internship and Networking Opportunities Start your career with an Amazon internship and gain hands-on experience that matters. Our internships provide a gateway to full-time employment and an opportunity to network with professionals across various sectors of the company. Future-Proof Your Career With Amazon, your career path is filled with numerous opportunities for advancement. Our learning and development programs are designed to nurture your professional growth and keep you at the forefront of industry trends. Stay Connected Join Our Team Discover the job opportunities at Amazon that match your skills and interests. We are constantly on the lookout for passionate, curious, and innovative team players ready to make a difference. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Explore the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await at Amazon. Amazon is more than just a company—it’s a platform for building a promising future. Whether you’re starting or looking to advance your career, Amazon offers the resources, support, and network you need to succeed. Join us, and be a part of our continuing mission to be Earth's most customer-centric company.
Learn more about Amazon
Size
1,608 employees
Market Cap
$832.6 billion
Industry
Retail & Consumer Goods
Net Income
$21.3 billion
Founded
1994
5 Year Trend
+28.1%
Revenue
$386 billion
NASDAQ
AMZN
* Ladders Estimates

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