Adobe Experience Platform (AEP/AJO) Architect in Katy, TX (Hybrid role)

Job Description: Looking for a hands-on Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) and Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) Architect to design, build, and scale our enterprise Customer Data Platform (CDP) ecosystem. This is not a pure PowerPoint-architect role; you will be expected to be deep in schema design, dataset configuration, identity resolution, segmentation logic, and journey orchestration alongside the engineering team, while also owning the architectural blueprint for how AEP integrates across our broader data and Martech landscape.

Key Responsibilities

Real-Time CDP (RT CDP) Design & Implementation

• Architect and configure Real-Time CDP: XDM schemas, class/field group design, datasets, identity namespaces, and identity graph strategy
• Design and build audience segmentation (streaming and batch), merge policies, and profile fragment strategy
• Own data governance implementation, including data usage labels (DULE), sandboxes (dev/stage/prod), and access controls

Data Modeling & Ingestion

• Design canonical and source-aligned XDM schemas that scale across multiple business units, brands, and data domains
• Architect ingestion pipelines from batch (CSV, Parquet, cloud storage), streaming (Web/Mobile SDK, server-side), and API-based sources into AEP
• Define and enforce data quality, deduplication, and identity stitching rules across first-, second-, and third-party data
• Partner with data engineering on source-to-target mapping and reconcile CDP data models with the enterprise data warehouse/lakehouse

Platform Setup & Administration

• Lead end-to-end platform provisioning: sandbox strategy, environment promotion, access/role management, and platform governance frameworks
• Establish CI/CD and configuration-as-code practices for AEP (schemas, datasets, segments) where applicable
• Monitor platform health, data latency, ingestion failures, and segment/profile performance; drive optimization

Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO)

• Architect customer journeys, event-based triggers, and decisioning logic within AJO
• Design cross-channel orchestration (email, push, SMS, in-app, direct mail, paid/offline via Destinations)
• Integrate AJO with RT CDP profiles/audiences and external channel/partner systems for activation

Enterprise Integration Patterns

• Define reusable integration patterns for connecting AEP RT CDP with:
• Upstream sources: CRM, POS, e-commerce, mobile apps, web analytics, IoT/offline systems
• Downstream destinations/partners: ad platforms, ESPs, data warehouses, personalization engines, and other MarTech/AdTech tools
• Architect real-time and batch activation via Adobe Destinations (Streaming, Batch, Cloud Storage) and custom/webhook destinations
• Establish standards for API-led connectivity, event-driven architecture, and pub/sub patterns feeding AEP
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise data privacy, consent, and compliance requirements (GDPR/CCPA)

Leadership & Collaboration

• Act as the technical authority on AEP/AJO for engineering, marketing, and data teams
• Mentor implementation engineers/developers on best practices
• Partner with Adobe account teams on roadmap, platform limits, and escalations

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong stakeholder communication: able to translate business requirements into technical architecture and vice versa
• Comfortable owning ambiguity in a fast-evolving platform (Adobe ships frequent updates)
• Documentation discipline: architecture diagrams, data dictionaries, integration runbooks
• Must 2+ years hands-on experience with Adobe Experience Platform (Real-Time CDP) and Adobe Journey Optimizer in production environments
• Strong expertise in XDM schema design, identity resolution/graph, segmentation (streaming & batch), and profile management
• Proven experience with data ingestion methods: Source Connectors, Streaming Ingestion API, Batch Ingestion API, Web/Mobile SDKs
• Solid understanding of enterprise data architecture patterns, including event-driven design, API integration, ETL/ELT, and pub/sub
• Experience integrating AEP with CRM, DMPs, CDPs, ESPs, ad platforms, and data warehouses/lakehouses (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, etc.)
• Working knowledge of Adobe Analytics, Adobe Target, and Customer Journey Analytics (CJA), for integration context, not necessarily deep configuration
• Proficiency with JSON, JavaScript, SQL; familiarity with Postman/API testing
• Understanding of data privacy/consent frameworks and how they're operationalized in AEP (DULE, consent flags)
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/Google Cloud Platform) as they relate to data pipelines feeding AEP

Preferred Qualifications

• Adobe Certified Expert, AEP Architect / AJO certification
• Experience with Adobe Experience Platform APIs and Adobe I/O
• Familiarity with Composable CDP / Federated Audience Composition

Background in customer data strategy, MDM, or identity resolution platforms outside Adobe (e.g., Tresure Data, Segment, mParticle, Tealium