Lead Solutions Architect - D365

AO; Crewe; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25-27 days of holidays

5% pension contribution

Health & wellbeing perks

Exclusive discounts

Enhanced family leave

Paid charity leave

On-site perks including breakfast

Job summary

A leading appliance retailer in the UK is seeking a D365 Solution Architect responsible for the end-to-end architecture across Finance & Operations, Supply Chain, WMS, and Azure. This role encompasses setting design standards, ensuring robust integrations, and optimizing platform resilience. The ideal candidate will demonstrate extensive D365 experience, strong stakeholder influence, and the ability to simplify complex decisions. A collaborative approach is essential to support operational needs, particularly during peak times. Competitive benefits and career development opportunities await you.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience architecting D365 F&O, Supply Chain and/or WMS.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft extensibility framework, integration patterns and data architecture.
• Deep understanding of D365 internals, data entities, and APIs.
• Strong familiarity with Azure services.
• Experience in multi-vendor, multi-workstream ERP transformations.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture across Finance & Operations, Supply Chain, WMS and Azure.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, reliable, and aligned to Microsoft’s roadmap.
• Govern configurations, extensions, integrations, and ISVs.
• Provide architectural oversight across environments and cutover.
• Guide decisions and challenge complexity in solution building.

Skills

Architecting D365 F&O

Integration patterns

Microsoft extensibility framework

Azure services

High-volume enterprise solutions

Stakeholder influence

Tools

Logic Apps

API Management

Service Bus

Event Grid

Function Apps

Job description

Job Overview

About The Role

The D365 Solution Architect plays a key role in shaping how we use Microsoft Dynamics 365 across Finance & Operations, Supply Chain, WMS and Azure. They’re responsible for the end‑to‑end design of our solutions, making sure everything hangs together — from functionality and integrations through to data, security and long‑term supportability. This role keeps us aligned with Microsoft’s roadmap, sets clear architectural standards and cuts out unnecessary complexity. The focus is on building solutions that are scalable, reliable and ready for One Version — not just today, but for the long term. Working closely with Functional and Technical Consultants, Integration Engineers, Test Leads, Enterprise Architects and our business teams, the Solution Architect helps create a D365 platform that’s secure, cost‑effective and built to support the way AO operates.

Here’s What You Can Expect To Be Doing

As D365 Solution Architect, you own the end‑to‑end architecture across Finance & Operations, Supply Chain, WMS and Azure. You set the direction, define clear design standards and make sure solutions are simple, scalable and aligned to Microsoft’s roadmap — with minimal customisation and full One Version readiness. You govern configuration, extensions, integrations and ISVs, balancing the right use of D365, Power Platform and third‑party tools while keeping technical debt under control. You ensure integrations are robust, data flows are reliable and the platform can handle high‑volume, business‑critical workloads. You provide architectural oversight across environments, releases, data migration and cutover, making sure the platform is resilient, secure and operationally ready. Working closely with delivery teams, enterprise architecture, Microsoft and vendors, you guide decisions, challenge complexity and help build a D365 platform that’s cost‑effective, secure and built to support how AO runs — especially at peak.

A Few Things About You

Architecture & Technical Expertise

• Extensive experience architecting D365 F&O, Supply Chain and/or WMS.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft extensibility framework, integration patterns and data architecture.
• Deep understanding of D365 internals, data entities, dual‑write/CDS/Dataverse and APIs.
• Strong familiarity with Azure services (Logic Apps, API Management, Service Bus, Event Grid, Function Apps).
• Experience assessing ISVs, AppSource solutions and custom extensions.

Engineering, Delivery & Governance

• Experience in multi‑vendor, multi‑workstream ERP transformations.
• Strong skills in solution governance, impact assessments and quality gates.
• Experience supporting release readiness, regression strategy and One Version compliance.
• Ability to produce high‑quality architectural documentation and solution diagrams.
• Awareness of DevOps pipelines, environment strategy and testing automation needs.

Security, ITSM and Operational Awareness

• Understanding of RBAC, identity patterns, compliance and operational security.
• Experience designing observable, traceable and monitorable enterprise solutions.
• Awareness of cloud cost optimisation and operational SLAs.

Core Skills

• Excellent communicator with strong stakeholder influence.
• Ability to simplify complex architectural decisions.
• Structured, analytical and proactive approach.
• Highly collaborative, working across teams to maintain platform and programme alignment.

A Bit About Us

We’re big on appliances and electricals, REALLY big. Washing machines, fridge freezers and TVs? They’re our bread and butter. Mobiles, Airwraps and Ring doorbells? Yep, those too. If it plugs in, powers up or makes life easier, AO probably has it. But we’re more than that… For over 25 years, trust has been at the heart of everything we do, helping us become the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer. Our customers rate us 4.9 on Trustpilot from nearly ONE MILLION reviews and more 5-star ratings than any other UK electrical retailer, because they know they can rely on us and it’s the exact same for our AOers too. We truly believe it’s more than just a job, we genuinely care about each other and our impact on making our customers lives easier, by helping them brilliantly. Everyone here knows how their role makes a difference. Our people are our superpower, so, when it comes to finding new AOers, we know it’s about more than just a CV, it’s about what makes you, YOU.

Our Benefits

• Holidays; 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Pension; Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we'll do the same, giving you a little extra support for the future.
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena; we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre‑sale access!
• Health & wellbeing; discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP’s, Mental Health support and much more.
• Discounts; exclusive discounts across our product range.
• Family leave; Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave.
• Making a difference; 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On site perks; start your day with free on site parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our subsidised in house coffee shop!

To see all our benefits and perks, visit our AO Benefits page.