Are you passionate about shaping the future of HR technology on a global scale? We’re looking for a Workday-focused Solution Architect to lead the design, direction, and evolution of our HR technology landscape. This is a senior role for someone who enjoys influencing strategy, solving complex design challenges, and collaborating across business and technology teams.
The Opportunity
As our Lead Architect for HR Technology, you will guide the architecture, roadmap and integration strategy for the firm’s global HR platforms. You’ll partner with HR, Product, and Technology leaders to design secure, scalable and high‑performing solutions that support the full colleague lifecycle and deliver real business value.
You will play a key role in mentoring delivery teams, shaping architectural standards, and ensuring coherence across multiple workstreams. This role operates globally, so flexibility in working style and occasional travel may be required.
What You’ll Do
* Co‑create the architectural vision and platform strategy for global HR technology.
* Lead design assurance for HR solutions, ensuring security, data integrity, performance and interoperability.
* Own and evolve HR platform architecture, integration patterns and documentation.
* Translate complex concepts into clear business language for senior stakeholders.
* Ensure effective integration between HR systems and finance, payroll, identity, data, and other enterprise platforms.
* Champion common standards and patterns to drive consistency across teams.
* Provide hands‑on support in prototyping, configuration, data modelling or integration design when needed.
* Support governance, compliance, privacy and audit requirements across HR technology.
* Mentor architects, SMEs and delivery teams to build capability and confidence.
What You’ll Bring
* Broad understanding of modern HR platforms (HCM, Talent, Compensation, Absence, Recruitment, Payroll).
* Experience leading HR technology architecture across full lifecycle programmes.
* Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence senior decision‑makers.
* Experience building and maintaining technology roadmaps aligned to strategic outcomes.
* End‑to‑end implementation experience across multiple cycles.
* Expertise in integrations (APIs, middleware, event‑based patterns).
* Knowledge of identity, security, privacy, and compliance considerations in HR domains.
* Experience in regulated, partnership, or professional services environments.
* Exposure to HR analytics, workforce insights or data visualisation platforms.
* Familiarity with automation, workflow orchestration or AI‑enabled HR capabilities.
What We Offer
* A people‑first culture where your ideas and expertise shape the future of our HR technology ecosystem.
* The opportunity to influence strategy at enterprise level and work closely with senior global stakeholders.
* A genuine commitment to professional development, with pathways for progression into broader architecture leadership.
* A collaborative environment that values inclusion, curiosity, innovation and continuous improvement.
* Flexibility in how and where you work to support work‑life balance.
Inclusion
Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.
Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.
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