Solution Architect

John Lewis Partnership; Derby; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK employee-owned retailer seeks a Solution Architect to modernize technology for Waitrose's inventory and stock management. You'll lead efforts in shaping efficient technology solutions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure robustness and compliance in architecture while influencing strategic decisions across the business. This role offers hybrid flexibility and seeks immediate joiners.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in grocery retail context or inventory management.
• Knowledge of IT and financial control.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Direct work of Systems Integrator to ensure effective tech solutions.
• Apply architectural best practices to minimize risk.
• Engage stakeholders and track architecture artifacts.

Skills

Governance of architectural designs

Pragmatic decision-making

Influencing skills

Simplification and standardization

Education

Experience as an architect or solution analyst

Job description

About the role

As a Solution Architect, focused on Waitrose's store inventory management, stock ledger, and sales audit capabilities, you will play a critical role in shaping and modernising the technology capabilities that enable getting the right stock to the right place at the right time and keep our stock accounting accurate & compliant. You'll be part of a larger team of Architects sitting in the Technology & Transformation operating model, working to identify the technical capabilities and changes that will enable the Partnership to successfully operate, adapt, and transform through technology across Waitrose.

At a glance

• Contract type - 12 Months Secondment

• Working pattern/flexible working - This is a hybrid working role, primarily split between working from home and the Bracknell Head Office, with occasional visits to other locations as needed.

• Our Architecture team currently works from the office roughly once a week, depending on business needs.

• We are looking for Immediate joiners

What will you be doing?

• Steer, direct, assure, and support the work of our Systems Integrator as they collaborate with Business Stakeholders to deliver effective, efficient, and sustainable end-to-end technology solutions, ensuring the business understands the full implications of proposed designs and bringing a whole-business perspective.

• Ensure architectural best practices are applied during solution design to increase value, reduce delivery risk, and control technical debt.

• Contribute to modernising applications by removing unnecessary customisations and simplifying solutions.

• Help the programme progress efficiently by defining architecture work, resources, and priorities, engaging stakeholders, and tracking architecture artefacts against the project plan.

• Inform senior stakeholders' thinking by steering the Systems Integrator to offer suitable technology options and influence Product backlogs, representing the programme to the wider JLP architecture and IT community.

What you'll have

• Experience working with a Systems Integrator as an architect or solution analyst, with effective governance of architectural designs and decisions.

• Experience designing and delivering solutions in a (Grocery) Retail context or understanding of Inventory Management and Stock Accounting capabilities and technologies in other industries.

• Experience working with IT and Financial control teams.

• Knowledge of deliverables in waterfall and agile environments and ability to assess their quality.

• Pragmatic decision-making skills balancing strategic ideals with achievable goals within cost and time constraints, with the ability to communicate implications and build consensus.

• Influencing skills for both IT and Business stakeholders, adapting style to the audience.

• Ability to evaluate impacts across the entire value chain.

• Capacity to simplify and standardise architecture.

• Curiosity, self-starting attitude, diplomacy, and networking skills.

Additional skills/competencies (Desirable):

• Familiarity with Oracle Retail Merchandising Suite's Retail Sales Audit and Retail Stock Ledger modules, and Trust's Store Inventory Management solution.

• Broad understanding of current techniques and tooling such as Domain driven design, Microservices, API-first design, Cloud Native, Continuous Delivery & DevOps, Containerisation, PaaS on GCP or AWS, and other data and integration technologies.

Additional Information

• Application involves CV upload and answering questions, preferably prepared beforehand.

• Internal applicants can view the job outline at this link.

• Vacancies may close early upon high application volume; apply promptly.

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About The Partnership

We're the largest employee-owned business in the UK, home to John Lewis and Waitrose. We are Partners, driven to build a happier world, focusing on retail excellence, innovation, and diversification. We share ownership and responsibility, working together with kindness and respect, embracing diversity, and fostering an environment to thrive and grow individually and collectively.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points:

Some roles may require pre-employment vetting, including DBS checks, with the process explained during recruitment. Quick completion of vetting documents is encouraged to avoid delays. DBS checks are conducted by registered bodies, and financial probity checks may also be required.

We support flexible working arrangements to promote work-life balance; discuss options with the hiring manager during interviews.