Chief Systems Architect - Client Engineering

Visa’s Corporate IT group is on a groundbreaking transformational journey to redefine our approach to technology. We are moving beyond the 'traditional' IT playbook of simply purchasing off-the-shelf solutions. Instead, we are transforming into a true engineering organization where customer experience is paramount, and we create highly leveraged platforms with a focus on operational excellence to ensure our platforms and services are resilient and robust. The Chief Architect, Client Engineering is a senior individual contributor who defines end-to-end architecture, engineering standards, and platform direction for enterprise workstation technologies. The role partners closely with various engineering teams, cyber security, operations, and product teams to design scalable, secure, and user-centric client platforms across Windows, macOS, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with Citrix.

Job Scope
This role is accountable for reference architectures, roadmaps, and technical governance for endpoint platforms and services. The Chief Architect drives complex solution designs, conducts deep technical evaluations, leads major design reviews, and provides hands-on guidance to engineering squads without direct people management responsibilities.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Architecture and Roadmaps

• Own the client engineering reference architecture and multi-year roadmap covering Windows, macOS, VDI, and Citrix.
• Translate business outcomes into platform capabilities and architectural epics with clear success criteria and guardrails.
• Produce decision records (ADRs) and cost/benefit analyses to justify technical direction and investment.

Platform Design & Integration

• Design cohesive end-user experiences across devices, OSs, and access patterns, integrating identity, security, collaboration, and management tooling.
• Define patterns for automated provisioning (Autopilot/ABM/DEP), configuration (Intune/Jamf), software distribution, patching, and telemetry.
• Architect resilient, scalable VDI/Citrix solutions (resource locations, image management, profiles, app layering, HDX policies, capacity planning).

Security by Design

• Embed Zero Trust, least privilege, and hardware-backed attestation into endpoint architectures (Windows Hello for Business, FileVault/BitLocker, Conditional Access).
• Partner with Cyber Security to threat-model changes and codify controls as policy-as-code across platforms.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate emerging capabilities (Autopatch, Windows 11 features, macOS changes, Citrix cloud services, AI-driven device health) and run proofs-of-value.
• Establish measurable experiments, scale what works through patterns, modules, and reusable reference implementations.

Execution Excellence

• Lead design reviews, RFCs, and readiness gates for major releases (OS upgrades, image updates, platform migrations).
• Provide tier-4 escalation guidance on complex incidents and drive root-cause and reliability improvements (SLOs, error budgets).

Collaboration, Influence & Communication

• Acts as a force multiplier by empowering teams, mentoring engineers, and building scalable systems and processes that amplify impact beyond individual contributions.
• Communicate complex strategies in clear, outcome-focused language for executives and in actionable detail for engineers.

Governance & Metrics

• Define architecture standards, reference builds, compliance checks, and automated drift detection.
• Instrument platforms with telemetry to track reliability, performance, security posture, and user experience (e.g., logon time, boot time, crash rate).

Leadership Behaviors (for Individual Contributors)

• Strategic Thinking: Anticipate platform evolution and align designs to enterprise objectives and total cost of ownership.
• Influencing Skills: Drive adoption of patterns and standards across global teams through credibility, clarity, and outcomes.
• Business Case Expertise: Build data-driven cases for change with ROI, risk, and user impact quantified.
• Executive Presence: Represent architecture choices confidently in reviews, steering committees, and incident postmortems.
• Culture Stewardship: Model inclusive, low-ego collaboration, mentor engineers and uplift engineering excellence.
• Change Leadership: Plan and socialize change, de-risk cutovers, and land change with measurable benefits and minimal disruption.
• Stakeholder Management: Maintain trusted partnerships with Cyber Security, Networking, Collaboration, End-User Services, and key business units.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your hiring manager.

Basic Qualifications:

• 12+ years in endpoint/client engineering or architecture with deep expertise in Windows, macOS, VDI, and Citrix.
• Hands-on architecture and engineering experience with: Intune/Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Autopilot, Group Policy/MDM, Jamf Pro, imaging/zero-touch, packaging, and patch orchestration.
• Citrix architecture experience (e.g., Citrix DaaS/CVAD, StoreFront/Workspace, Gateway, FAS, PVS/MCS, profile management, HDX optimization).
• Identity and access patterns: Azure AD/Microsoft Entra, Conditional Access, device compliance, SSO, cert lifecycle, PAM for admins.
• Endpoint security controls: EDR, disk encryption, firewall, application control, privilege management, and vulnerability remediation.
• Proven ability to create high-quality architecture documents, diagrams, and ADRs, strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, facilitate design decisions, and mentor engineers without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with large-scale OS upgrades (Windows 11, annual macOS releases) and image lifecycle automation.
• Automation and IaC: PowerShell, Python, Git, CI/CD for configuration/policy-as-code, desired state with Intune/Jamf APIs.
• Monitoring & EUEM: Log analytics, endpoint analytics, DEX/UX tools SLO/SLA design.
• Cost optimization and capacity planning for Citrix/VDI and device fleets.
• Prior experience in regulated or high-availability environments, formal risk assessment and change management discipline.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft, Apple, Citrix, Cyber Security).

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements: This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements: This position will be performed in an office setting.  The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Visa is an EEO Employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.  Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY:  The estimated salary range for this position is $195,800.00 to $313,500.00 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable).  Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.