Job description

At Deckers Brands, Together, Every Step is a promise kept that every employee can bring their authentic self, is valued and supported, as a whole person, at work and beyond. Together, Every Step is how we continue to deliver exceptional business results, experience an amazing place to work, and have a positive impact on the communities and world around us. Job Title: Principal Enterprise Architect Reports to: Sr. Director, Enterprise Architecture Location: US (Remote) Interested applicants must reside in one of the following approved states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin The Role As Principal Enterprise Architect, AI and DTC Technology, you will shape the architecture powering Deckers’ consumer-facing platforms and build the foundations for practical, governed, and measurable AI across our business. You’ll work across brands, regions, and technology teams to define a composable DTC architecture and a shared AI platform, balancing enterprise-wide standards with the flexibility needed for innovation. Your vision and technical leadership will empower the business, manage risk, and support operational excellence. We celebrate diversity--of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together. Your Impact Develop and articulate a clear, enterprise-wide architectural vision for DTC commerce and AI, aligning with Deckers business goals and focusing on consumer experience, agility, scalability, and innovation. Define and enforce architecture governance policies and standards across all brands and regions, including an AI review process for use-case approval, risk, and production readiness. Create and maintain a multiyear DTC and AI architecture roadmap with clear milestones, dependencies, risks, and ownership. Own the target architecture for the DTC landscape, ensuring seamless cross-platform functionality and data flow across ecommerce, OMS, inventory orchestration, payments, CDP, loyalty, content management, search and personalization, marketplaces, and fulfillment. Champion MACH principles (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) to create a flexible and composable commerce architecture. Drive modernization of legacy commerce and integration systems to modern, cloud-based, API-driven architectures. Define the enterprise AI reference architecture and shared AI platform, covering model access, orchestration, RAG, vector and feature stores, prompt and agent management, evaluation, guardrails, cost controls, and observability. Establish responsible-AI controls, including use-case approval, bias and safety evaluation, human oversight, privacy, data residency, model risk management, and regulatory compliance. Define API-first and event-driven integration patterns across commerce platforms, marketplaces, payment providers, 3PLs, marketing technology, and customer service tools. Oversee data architecture and governance for DTC and AI, ensuring data is trusted, discoverable, secure, and compliant. Collaborate with executive leadership and senior stakeholders to prioritize architectural initiatives that deliver strategic impact and operational efficiency. Lead and mentor architects, engineers, and AI practitioners, fostering a collaborative environment that emphasizes innovation, excellence, and best practices. Define and track key performance indicators for DTC architecture and AI initiatives, reporting progress to senior management and monitoring emerging technologies and industry trends. Who You Are Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent applicable industry experience; Master’s degree is a plus. 8 years of experience in enterprise or solution architecture within retail, fashion, or consumer goods, with deep expertise in DTC ecommerce, order management, customer data, and integration. 3 years of hands-on experience architecting AI and machine learning solutions, including generative AI and large language model applications delivered into production. Proven track record of implementing MACH and composable commerce architecture, with experience in microservices, API integration, cloud-native environments, and iPaaS platforms such as Boomi. Experience managing large-scale transformation projects, including commerce platform modernization and AI adoption programs. Experience supporting global products aligned with varying regional strategies, working with both technical and global business stakeholders. Experience evaluating AI and commerce vendors and platforms for capability fit, total cost of ownership, lock-in, security, and roadmap risk. Familiarity with the retail or fashion industry and a solid understanding of the consumer journey from discovery through purchase, fulfillment, and service. Extensive knowledge of multi-cloud computing (AWS is a must) with a strong understanding of scalability, security, and cloud architecture best practices. Strong understanding of AI and ML architecture, including LLMs, RAG, agents, vector databases, model evaluation, MLOps and LLMOps, guardrails, and responsible-AI practices. Proficiency across the DTC technology stack, including major ecommerce platforms, OMS, CDP, loyalty, personalization, and payment platforms. Strong background in data architecture, data governance, and large-scale data processing. Proficiency in enterprise integration and interoperability, with a working understanding of Oracle EBS, PLM, PIM, and other large-scale enterprise systems. Ability to produce clear reference architectures, decision records, and solution blueprints. Strategic vision and leadership skills, with the ability to translate business goals and AI opportunities into a cohesive enterprise architecture strategy. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Adaptable, forward-thinking, and pragmatic about AI, embracing emerging technologies and challenging the status quo while remaining grounded in evidence, safety, and business value. Detail-oriented team player committed to delivering high-quality work that meets business requirements. What We ll Give You – Competitive Pay and Bonuses - We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued. Financial Planning and wellbeing - No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future. Time away from work - Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever. Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras Growth and Development - Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development. Health and Wellness - There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle. $154,700.00 - $208,800.00 The salary range posted reflects the estimated minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for this role in: Goleta, California (Remote) Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process. Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all the other beautiful parts of your identity.

Requirements

Must-haves

Job Title: Principal Enterprise Architect
Reports to: Sr. Director, Enterprise Architecture
Location: US (Remote)
Interested applicants must reside in one of the following approved states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin
Develop and articulate a clear, enterprise-wide architectural vision for DTC commerce and AI, aligning with Deckers business goals and focusing on consumer experience, agility, scalability, and innovation.
Define and enforce architecture governance policies and standards across all brands and regions, including an AI review process for use-case approval, risk, and production readiness.
Create and maintain a multiyear DTC and AI architecture roadmap with clear milestones, dependencies, risks, and ownership.
Champion MACH principles (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) to create a flexible and composable commerce architecture.
Drive modernization of legacy commerce and integration systems to modern, cloud-based, API-driven architectures.
Establish responsible-AI controls, including use-case approval, bias and safety evaluation, human oversight, privacy, data residency, model risk management, and regulatory compliance.
Define API-first and event-driven integration patterns across commerce platforms, marketplaces, payment providers, 3PLs, marketing technology, and customer service tools.
Oversee data architecture and governance for DTC and AI, ensuring data is trusted, discoverable, secure, and compliant.
Collaborate with executive leadership and senior stakeholders to prioritize architectural initiatives that deliver strategic impact and operational efficiency.
Lead and mentor architects, engineers, and AI practitioners, fostering a collaborative environment that emphasizes innovation, excellence, and best practices.
Define and track key performance indicators for DTC architecture and AI initiatives, reporting progress to senior management and monitoring emerging technologies and industry trends.
8 years of experience in enterprise or solution architecture within retail, fashion, or consumer goods, with deep expertise in DTC ecommerce, order management, customer data, and integration.
3 years of hands-on experience architecting AI and machine learning solutions, including generative AI and large language model applications delivered into production.
Proven track record of implementing MACH and composable commerce architecture, with experience in microservices, API integration, cloud-native environments, and iPaaS platforms such as Boomi.
Experience managing large-scale transformation projects, including commerce platform modernization and AI adoption programs.
Experience supporting global products aligned with varying regional strategies, working with both technical and global business stakeholders.
Experience evaluating AI and commerce vendors and platforms for capability fit, total cost of ownership, lock-in, security, and roadmap risk.
Familiarity with the retail or fashion industry and a solid understanding of the consumer journey from discovery through purchase, fulfillment, and service.
Extensive knowledge of multi-cloud computing (AWS is a must) with a strong understanding of scalability, security, and cloud architecture best practices.

Nice-to-haves

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent applicable industry experience; Master’s degree is a plus.

Application prep

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Keywords to mirror

aiapimachine learningawsml

Platform: workday
Effort: long

Benefits

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Vision

Wellness

Professional Development