Senior Enterprise Web Architect (AEM / Drupal)

JOB DETAILS:

Position: Senior Enterprise Web Architect (AEM / Drupal)

Location: Palo Alto, CA Remote

Type of Employment: Contract (2+ Months)

Job Description:

Project Overview

We are seeking a seasoned Senior Enterprise Architect with 15+ years of experience working with leading digital technologies particularly AEM, Drupal, GraphQL, Next.js, Optimizely, and Storyblok. The successful candidate will serve as a key decision-maker in comprehensive platform comparison and selection, guiding the organization toward a unified and future-proof enterprise architecture. This role is central to our digital transformation journey and will ensure that each chosen technology supports the company s overall objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Technology & Architecture Strategy

Develop, maintain, and communicate a holistic technology roadmap for digital platforms and services.

Perform in-depth comparative assessments of AEM, Drupal, GraphQL, Next.js, Optimizely, and Storyblok, evaluating technical fit, scalability, cost, security, and alignment with business goals.

Present recommendations and architectural blueprints to executive leadership, demonstrating how selected platforms can drive digital transformation.

Comparative Analysis & Recommendations:

Lead end-to-end exploratory and evaluative processes, comparing CMS options and front-end frameworks based on organizational requirements and industry best practices.

Evaluate platform performance, extensibility, and integration capabilities to determine the best combination for delivering enterprise-grade solutions.

Create documented analyses around operational efficiency, time to market, and total cost of ownership, ensuring data-driven decisions.

Solution Design & Delivery:

Architect scalable, secure, and high-performance digital solutions that integrate with existing and emerging technologies.

Guide teams through the setup, configuration, and orchestration of API first microservices architectures.

Oversee the development process, ensuring compliance with best practices, standards, and quality benchmarks

Establish CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies for the proposed stack/architecture

Implement security, performance, and scalability patterns across the architecture

Leadership & Collaboration:

Serve as a senior technical advisor, collaborating with cross-functional groups (product, engineering, QA, operations) to align development efforts with strategic objectives.

Mentor and coach development teams, fostering a culture of continual improvement and innovation.

Communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, tailoring messaging to multiple levels of the organization.

Governance & Compliance:

Establish and reinforce enterprise-wide policies, standards, and technology governance frameworks.

Ensure solutions comply with security, regulatory, and industry standards.

Monitor emerging trends, tools, and solutions to keep the organization at the forefront of digital transformation.

Required Skills & Experience:

Core Technical Expertise (15+ Years)

Drupal: 12+ years of deep expertise in Drupal 9/10/11 architecture, custom module development, and headless CMS implementation

AEM: 12+ years of strong demonstrated experience in leading large scale AEM implementation projects (AEM 6.x) from inception to execution to delivery and most recently AEM as a Cloud service. Strong understanding of the entire AEM tech stack Apache Sling, Apache Felix, OSGI, Jackrabbit Oak, CRX, Dispatcher, Apache Server, Workflows, Replication, Run Modes, JCR Queries, Indexing, Search, Content and Experience Fragment architecture,Clustering, Performance and Security Management, Load testing, CDN, Caching, Load Balancing, AEM deployment topologies. AEM Edge delivery services, GraphQL and OpenAPI with AEM Headless and micro frontends like ReactJS/Next JS.

Architecture: Good understanding of Microservices architecture, Queueing, API design , API gateways, queueing, different cloud integration patterns, Authentication, Authorization, Security , SSO, IAM, AWS, Cloud Native systems.

Architecture: Broad understanding of Adobe Stack and integrations Marketo, Adobe Launch, Target, Analytics, Audience Manager, Adobe IO, Adobe RTCDP, AI integrations for Adobe Experience Cloud.

Architecture: Strong experience in doing sizing and assessments for scale. Understanding of pros and cons of both AEM and Drupal systems for both headless and headful stacks.

GraphQL: 8+ years of experience designing and implementing GraphQL APIs, schemas, and performance optimization

Next.js/ReactJS: 10+ years of advanced Next.js development including SSR, SSG, API routes, and performance optimization

Tailwind CSS: 5+ years of experience with utility-first CSS framework and component design systems

Bachelor s or Master s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a similarly related field (or equivalent experience).

Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale technology transformations, balancing innovation with operational realities.

Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with experience influencing C-level executives and technical stakeholders alike.

Leadership experience with cross-functional teams and vendor relationships.

Both AEM and Drupal architecture skills with projects showcasing breadth and depth are mandatory. Broader understanding of multiple modern CMS systems (eg; Optimizely, StoryBlok) are preferred.

Enterprise Architecture

Extensive experience in enterprise-scale system architecture and design patterns

Proven track record of successful large-scale migrations and system modernization

Deep understanding of microservices, API-first architectures, and distributed systems

Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform) and containerization technologies

Migration & Integration

Hands-on experience with CMS migrations, particularly from monolithic to headless architectures

Expertise in content modeling, data migration strategies, and API design

Knowledge of AEM architecture and integration patterns (highly preferred)

Experience with content delivery networks, caching strategies, and performance optimization

Development & DevOps

Advanced proficiency in TypeScript, JavaScript, PHP, JAVA and modern development practices

Experience with Git workflows, CI/CD pipelines for both Drupal and Adobe stacks, and automated testing strategies

Knowledge of database design, optimization, and migration patterns

Familiarity with monitoring, logging, and observability tools

Nice to Have

Additional Technical Skills

Experience with Elasticsearch integration and search architecture

Knowledge of personalization platforms and customer data management

Familiarity with analytics platforms and tracking implementation

Experience with progressive web applications (PWA) and mobile-first design

Industry Experience

Previous experience in enterprise content management transformations

Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and compliance requirements

Experience with multi-site, multi-tenant architectures

Background in performance optimization and SEO best practices

Certifications

AEM architect certification.

Drupal certifications (Acquia Certified Developer/Architect preferred)

Cloud platform certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, etc.)

Enterprise architecture certifications (TOGAF, etc.)