Customer Data Solution Architect

Marks and Spencer; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company based in the City of London seeks an experienced Data Solutions Architect. This role involves designing and specifying customer data solutions to enhance business outcomes. The ideal candidate will drive customer data initiatives, ensure compliance with design principles, and collaborate closely with stakeholders. Benefits include a generous discount for colleagues, competitive holiday entitlement, and variety of wellbeing support options. Join us in revitalizing retail solutions with innovative data strategies.

Benefits

20% colleague discount

Competitive holiday entitlement

Discretionary bonus schemes

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Tailored induction and training programmes

Wellbeing support and resources

Charity volunteer day

Qualifications

• Experienced in designing secure, high-performing Customer data solutions for Retail.
• Expert in identity resolution and master data management.
• Ability to create design artifacts and define Key Design Principles.

Responsibilities

• Build collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams.
• Provide thought leadership on Customer data architecture.
• Design and maintain Customer data solutions to meet business requirements.
• Stay informed on industry trends in Customer data technologies.

Skills

Data architecture expertise

Collaboration and communication

Knowledge of data management

Analytical thinking

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Data lakes

Analytics tools

Job description

Summary

We are seeking an experienced Data Solutions Architect with deep expertise in designing and specifying Customer data solutions in a Retail environment.

Collaboration will be key as you propose and socialise target and transition states for Customer data mastering, management, and consumption. You will propose technologies and solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes, such as improved personalization, enhanced data quality, and accelerated analytics capabilities.

You will also oversee the design of customer-related data solutions to ensure strategic alignment.

Your coverage will include the systems and processes that master, conform, manage and assure our customer data, as well as the systems that derive value from our data.

Who You Are

An expert in designing secure, scalable, and high-performing Customer data solutions for Retail, ensuring trusted and consistent data across all channels.

A leader in Customer data architecture, confident in driving initiatives for identity resolution, master data management, and integration strategies that enable personalization and analytics.

Highly knowledgeable about modern data platforms, including data lakes and lakehouses, and their role in delivering advanced Customer insights.

Detail-oriented and strategic, able to create design artefacts, define Key Design Principles (KDPs) and Key Design Decisions (KDDs), and review solutions for architectural alignment.

An excellent communicator and collaborator, skilled at presenting solution proposals to senior stakeholders and engaging cross‑functional teams effectively.

What You Will Do

Build strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across Customer‑focused initiatives, ensuring alignment and shared understanding of data strategies.

Provide thought leadership on Customer data architecture, shaping solutions that deliver consistent, trusted Customer data across all channels.

Design, maintain and review artefacts for Customer data solutions, enabling engineering teams to build effectively or integrate acquired solutions.

Review Customer data solutions for compliance with design principles and functional/non‑functional requirements, recommending changes where necessary.

Stay ahead of industry trends in Customer data technologies and Retail data strategies, applying insights to improve personalization and analytics capabilities.

What's in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:

• After completing your probationary period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third‑party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry‑leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

Everyone's welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're redefining, innovating and leading the industry into a more diligent, inspiring digital era. We're reconsidering how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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