Senior Solutions Architect - Retail Technology

Very Group; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible, hybrid working

Flexible benefits allowance

30 days holiday

LinkedIn Learning access

Bonus potential

Discount on Very.co.uk

Matched pension

Job summary

Very Group is seeking a Senior Solution Architect to provide architectural leadership across complex technology initiatives. You will shape roadmaps, design scalable cloud-native solutions and lead architecture for large-scale programmes, partnering with Product, Engineering and Delivery teams to drive strategic direction and delivery.

The role emphasizes delivering business value while adhering to enterprise standards, with a focus on AWS, API-led integration and modern engineering practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and delivering complex enterprise-scale solutions.
• Strong architectural leadership with a balance of vision and delivery.
• Experience defining technology roadmaps and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive informed technical decisions.
• Excellent communication across technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Shape architecture roadmaps aligning technology strategy with business goals.
• Design scalable, secure and resilient solutions in a cloud-native ecosystem.
• Lead solution architecture for large-scale, business-critical programmes.
• Partner with Product, Engineering and Delivery to set direction and delivery approaches.
• Provide technical leadership on risks, dependencies and architecture governance.
• Evaluate technologies and recommend future-proof solutions.
• Influence stakeholders across Technology and the business.
• Support evolution of cloud-native architecture and engineering capabilities.
• Champion Agile and Lean delivery practices across multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Enterprise-scale architecture

Architectural leadership

Technology roadmaps

Agile delivery

Communication skills

Tools

Java

AWS

Terraform

React

API Gateway

Oracle Database

Spring Boot

AWS RDS

Job description

About us

We’re the team behind digital retailer Very.

Our purpose, helping families get more out of life, powers everything we do.

And we want our people to get more out of life too! If you’re high-performing, ambitious and make the most of every opportunity, we want to hear from you. In return, you’ll enjoy heaps of flexibility, great perks and benefits, and the freedom to be yourself, keep learning and take your career wherever you want it to go.

If you love making a difference, you’ll love making it sparkle for millions of Very customers.

About the Team

The Retail Tribe is at the heart of our digital transformation journey.

Responsible for the technology that supports our end-to-end retail operation, the team owns the design, development, integration and operation of solutions spanning:

• Sourcing and Supplier Management
• Planning and Forecasting
• Buying and Merchandising
• Pricing and Promotions
• Product Information and Publishing
• Retail Operations and Commercial Systems

Together, we’re modernising legacy platforms, embracing cloud technologies and creating innovative solutions that support the next generation of retail capabilities.

About The Role

As a Senior Solution Architect, you’ll provide architectural leadership across complex technology initiatives, ensuring solutions deliver business value while adhering to enterprise standards and best practice.

You will:

• Shape architecture roadmaps that align technology strategy with business objectives.
• Design scalable, secure and resilient solutions across a modern cloud-based ecosystem.
• Lead solution architecture for large-scale, business-critical programmes and products.
• Partner with Product, Engineering and Delivery teams to define technology direction and delivery approaches.
• Provide technical leadership on complex risks, dependencies and architectural challenges.
• Drive architectural governance, ensuring solutions align with standards, principles and target architecture.
• Evaluate technologies and recommend solutions that support future business growth.
• Influence stakeholders across Technology and the wider business, translating complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes.
• Support the evolution of our cloud-native architecture and engineering capabilities.
• Champion Agile and Lean delivery practices within multidisciplinary teams.

About You

We’re seeking an experienced architect with a passion for technology, innovation and business transformation.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience designing and delivering complex enterprise-scale solutions.
• Strong architectural leadership skills, balancing strategic vision with pragmatic delivery.
• Experience defining technology roadmaps and influencing senior stakeholders.
• The ability to navigate ambiguity, solve complex problems and drive informed technical decisions.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences alike.
• Experience working within Agile delivery environments and modern product organisations.
• A collaborative approach, coupled with the confidence to challenge constructively and influence outcomes.
• A track record of driving architectural best practice and continuous improvement.

We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience across:

• Java
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Cloud-native architecture and distributed systems
• API-led integration and modern engineering practices

Experience in any of the following would be advantageous:

• Spring Boot
• Oracle Database
• Terraform
• React
• AWS API Gateway
• AWS RDS

Some of our benefits

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews

• £6500 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• LinkedIn Learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities

We’re building a culture of everyday inclusion, and welcome applications from anyone who believes they can do the job. We don’t discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply, interview, or perform a role, let us know via [e-mail]. We’ll be happy to support you.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer and have nine brilliant colleague networks - including DAWN (Disability Awareness at Very) and Think (Neurodiversity at Very) - that are helping us make Very an even more inclusive place to work.