Director, Engineering Architecture and Enablement

Job description

Engineering Director, Architecture & Enablement AbbVie’s Allergan Aesthetics technology organization is seeking an Engineering Director, Architecture & Enablement to lead a team of highly senior Engineering Solution Architects responsible for shaping and guiding the technical execution of our most complex initiatives. This is a senior engineering leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of architecture, execution, and organizational influence. You will lead a team of staff-level technical leaders who work across engineering teams, systems, and program increments to define solution architecture, surface dependencies early, develop high-level estimates, orchestrate technical alignment, and help ensure successful execution against delivery commitments. This role is not about owning day-to-day coding teams. It is about leading the technical function that helps those teams succeed on the work that matters most. You and your team will be trusted to bring clarity to complexity, reduce delivery risk, strengthen technical decision-making, and improve confidence in execution across the portfolio. This is also a rare opportunity to help shape the technology behind one of the most recognized aesthetics portfolios in the world — including products such as BOTOX® and JUVÉDERM® — and the digital platforms that power the leading loyalty experience in the market. The work is meaningful, visible, and directly connected to customer and business outcomes. The Engineering Director, Architecture & Enablement is a member of the Technology Leadership Team (TLT) for AA Tech and reports directly to the VP Technology, Allergan Aesthetics. Senior Technical Leadership You will lead and develop a team of senior, staff-level Engineering Solution Architects who serve as technical leads across major cross-team initiatives. This team plays a central role in helping the organization execute complex work successfully by driving: End-to-end solution architecture across teams and systems Technical dependency mapping and sequencing High-level estimates and level-of-effort alignment Technical orchestration across engineering teams and managers Early identification and resolution of architectural gaps and delivery risks Sustained technical guidance through execution to keep initiatives on track In addition to leading this team, you will help mature architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical guidelines across the organization. These capabilities matter, but they are secondary to the core mission: enabling strong technical execution and predictable delivery for complex initiatives. Key Responsibilities Lead, coach, and develop a team of senior Engineering Solution Architects, setting clear expectations and creating a culture of accountability, sound judgment, and high technical impact. Deploy the architecture team to the organization’s highest-priority and most complex initiatives, ensuring the right technical leadership is applied where it matters most. Oversee end-to-end solution architecture for major cross-team efforts, including technical sequencing, dependency planning, and high-level solution design. Guide high-level estimates and level-of-effort assessments in partnership with engineering leaders to improve planning quality and delivery confidence. Drive alignment across engineering teams, managers, and stakeholders on assumptions, tradeoffs, implementation approach, risks, and constraints. Stay engaged through execution to resolve ambiguity, unblock decisions, and ensure solutions are implemented as intended and remain on track against schedule. Serve as a senior technical leader across AA Tech for initiatives that span multiple teams, systems, or domains. Partner closely with Engineering, Product, and Program Management leaders to strengthen coordination, execution predictability, and technical delivery outcomes. Oversee the development of practical architecture standards, guidelines, and reusable patterns that improve consistency, scalability, and maintainability. Establish lightweight architecture review and alignment mechanisms that support speed and execution without adding unnecessary process. Serve as a member of the AA Tech Technology Leadership Team, contributing to broader technology planning, organizational direction, and leadership decision-making. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required 10+ years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, or technical leadership roles Significant experience leading complex technical initiatives across multiple teams, systems, and stakeholders Experience managing highly senior technical individual contributors, including Staff-level engineers or architects Strong background in solution design, dependency management, technical estimation, and cross-team technical leadership Proven ability to influence engineering managers, technical leaders, and teams without relying on direct delivery ownership Strong understanding of modern software architecture, distributed systems, APIs, integrations, and engineering delivery practices Experience designing and guiding high-reliability, cloud-based implementations with strong focus on scalability, resilience, performance, and operational excellence Experience with AI-driven engineering implementation, including use of tools such as Claude Code or similar AI-assisted development capabilities to improve engineering workflows and delivery outcomes Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills Preferred Qualifications Experience leading a formal solution architecture function within a technology organization Experience supporting execution across major roadmaps, large initiatives, or program increments Experience working in complex, matrixed environments with multiple engineering teams and business stakeholders Experience developing architecture standards, technical guidelines, and reusable engineering patterns Experience in regulated environments where qu