Lead Systems Engineering (d/f/m)

Personio's intelligent HR platform helps small and medium-sized organizations unlock the power of people by making complicated, time-consuming tasks simple and efficient. Our team of 1,500 Personios is building user-friendly products that delight our 15,000+ customers and their 1.5 million employees. Ready to make an impact from day one?

This position is office-based from one of the following cities: Munich, Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, or London.

We empower Personio's decision-making with advanced analytics and strategic insights, while boosting productivity through systems improvement and automation. Be part of our transformative journey in HR technology, where your contributions will shape our data-driven future.

We are seeking a Lead Systems Engineering for our Business Systems team. This role will lead strategy, architecture, and techniques. The ideal candidate has deep technical knowledge of Salesforce technologies, Zendesk, and integration tools like Workato or Mulesoft. Reporting to the Sr. Lead Systems Engineering & Architecture, this role collaborates with stakeholders and teams to ensure solutions support business needs, adhere to architectural principles, and scale internal systems through AI.

Role Responsibilities: “What You’ll Do”

• Lead, mentor, and grow a cross-functional team of 5–10, spanning Salesforce Admins, Salesforce Developers, and Zendesk Engineers, building a culture of technical rigor and continuous improvement

• Manage relationships with offshore staff augmentation vendors. Setting expectations, reviewing deliverables, and ensuring contracted resources are integrated effectively into team workflows, sprint cadence, and architectural standards

• Architect complex customizations and projects across our Salesforce.com-based Lead-to-Cash suite, CPQ, billing/financial systems, Zendesk workflows, Workato recipes, and our ERP

• Develop robust, scalable, and flexible solution architectures for various projects including crafting prototypes, developing proofs of concept, and preparing architecture roadmaps

• Perform hands-on solution design, solution architectures, prototyping, and development tasks in support of current and future projects

• Conduct architectural reviews to ensure technical designs are scalable and meet business requirements

• Develop and maintain architecture artifacts, frameworks, and patterns as references

• Lead architecture of large transformational initiatives and provide technical oversight and guidance to developers working on building products

Participate in the evaluation of new AI tools that can add field productivity

Role Requirements - What you need to succeed:

• BS degree or equivalent experience

• 10+ years’ experience in information technology, including experience in Systems Architecture (SaaS products)

• 4+ years of experience leading software development teams

• 5+ years of experience in architecting Salesforce technology solutions

• 1+ years of experience with Zendesk

• Multiple Certifications in Salesforce preferably System Architect, Platform Dev, etc

• Hands-on experience with the Zendesk platform:

  • Dev tools including the Zendesk Apps Framework (ZAF) for building custom apps, client-side/server-side scripting in JavaScript, Triggers, Automations, and Business Rules for workflow logic

  • Data tools and integration technologies (Zendesk REST API, Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS), webhooks, and event-driven architectures) for connecting Zendesk to CRMs (e.g., Salesforce), ERPs, and other SaaS tools

• Hands-on experience with the Salesforce.com platform:

  • Dev tools including Apex Classes, Controllers and Triggers; Visualforce, LWC, and Aura components; VS Code IDE, DX, etc.

  • Data tools and integration technologies (web services, event-driven architectures and cloud middleware tools like Workato,Mulesoft, Boomi, etc.)

• Experience creating roadmaps and architectural reference diagrams

• Functional knowledge of marketing, sales, and service business domains

• Experience working in large, highly customized Enterprise instances with large data volumes and heavy integrations with external business applications

• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including teamwork, facilitation and negotiation

• Experience designing and deploying AI agents and AI-assisted workflows (e.g., LLM-based automation, dev copilots) to amplify team’s reach and capacity, automating repetitive architecture, dev, and QA tasks.

• AI Fluency: You have hands-on experience using AI to improve your workflow, and the sound judgment to know exactly when to rely on it and when to step in yourself.

Benefits

Personio is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building an integrative culture where everyone feels welcomed and supported. We embrace uniqueness and understand that our diverse, values-driven culture makes us stronger. We are proud to have an inclusive workplace environment that will foster your development no matter your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, education level, or race.

Aside from our people, culture, and mission, check out some of the other benefits that make Personio a great place to work:

• Receive a competitive reward package – reevaluated each year – that includes salary, benefits, and pre-IPO equity

• Enjoy 28 days of paid vacation, plus an additional day after 2 and 4 years

• Make an impact on the environment and society with 1 Impact Day per year

• Receive generous family leave, child support, mental health support, and sabbatical opportunities

• We follow an office-led, remote friendly approach, including opportunities to work from home and international locations. Many of our teams have designated days for gathering in the office to enhance collaboration and foster a sense of community.

• We enjoy gathering for meals, cultural initiatives, and events like local Summer Sessions and year-end celebrations. There's also healthy snacks, drinks, and a weekly catered lunch.