Solution Architect (Finance)

Burberry; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading luxury brand in London is seeking a Solution Architect to oversee IT solutions within business operations. The role involves delivering and governing solution designs, managing IT debt, and collaborating with partners to ensure quality. Ideal candidates have a strong understanding of Fashion/Retail and proven delivery experience. Applicants should possess excellent communication skills and be proactive in problem-solving.

Qualifications

• Experience in the Fashion/Retail industry with proven delivery.
• Strong business understanding in Finance, HR, Supply Chain, or similar.
• Ability to manage competing priorities independently.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and govern end-to-end solution design for the domain.
• Accountable for the quality of the overall solution.
• Manage design process alignment with partners and vendors.
• Own and manage IT/Technical Debt within your domain.
• Engage in architecture governance over projects.

Skills

Organizational skills

Effective communication

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Technological innovation

Industry knowledge in Fashion/Retail

Job description

Introduction

At Burberry, we believe creativity opens spaces. Our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. This is the core belief that has guided Burberry since it was founded in 1856 and is central to how we operate as a company today.

We aim to provide an environment for creative minds from different backgrounds to thrive, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to everything we do. As a purposeful, values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in the world as well, creating the next generation of sustainable luxury for customers, driving industry change and championing our communities.

Job Purpose

A Burberry Solution Architect will be aligned to a principal domain and will own the IT solutions enabling the business processes & capabilities within that domain. They are expected to understand and document, at a high level, how the IT solutions function, end-to-end, aware of the connecting and dependent business capabilities and technologies up- and down-stream for the domain. They will be aware of pain points, risks and opportunities with the solutions in their space and the impact that has on their stakeholders and users. This understanding will be called upon to advise on software/service selection during RFP’s along with informing multi-year roadmaps, highlighting technical dependencies and scope.

They will guide and advise on the impact of any new business requirements through collaboration with the wider architecture/SME teams, such as Information Security and Data teams. They are expected to help to shape the scope and advise Project and Product Managers on the architecture deliverables needed to successfully design and implement a solution, balancing and leading through several competing principles, requirements and priorities. SA’s are not expected to be Application or Technical Architects, perform detailed, low-level design or fix incidents (although may be called upon to advise/coordinate fundamental impacts/flaws in solutions they own) but retain a core purpose to be custodians of the ‘memory’ of their domain capabilities and to continuously evolve them to generate business value.

Whilst their primary focus in role will be to establish and/or improve the core capabilities within their principal domain they will also be expected to apply their core architecture skillset and experience within any domain in Business Operations based on delivery demand.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and govern an end-to-end solution design, for projects, programmes and change requests, for the domain ensuring this remains aligned to our Principles, Tech Priorities and Roadmaps.
• Be accountable for the quality of the overall solution delivered through change, and maintaining up-to-date architecture repository data reflecting the current state.
• Manage design process alignment between internal and external partners and support the wider IT relationship with any technology vendors.
• Ensure with known business function priorities and roadmaps, agreeing design changes and trade-offs where pragmatic balancing the need to minimise IT/Technical Debt.
• Own and manage IT/Technical Debt within your domain, appropriately balancing risk, cost and value to the business.
• Engage / lead the structured management of architecture governance over a project or change request. This includes Architecture Review Board (ARB), Design Authority (DA) and solution approvals.
• Provide oversight, management of the IT Estate, for the domain to ensure risks are identified and are mitigated appropriately.
• Ensure duplication of capability is minimised, as well as ensuring solutions are well documented and accessible.
• Support strategic decision making and retain the ability to remain agile as result of events.

Personal Profile

• Good organisational skills and effective communication
• Demonstrate active listening and empathy.
• Proactive, takes initiative and can work independently managing competing priorities and areas of focus.
• Creativity - enjoys solving problems and offering ideas. Take high level ideas and shape them into well-formed concepts and tasks.
• Inquisitive – asks questions and seeks to understand context and why something is important.
• Collaboratively work towards a positive outcome with others across the IT, Tower and architecture communities.
• Ensures the well-being of individuals.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Passion for technology and innovation.
• Experience in the Fashion/Retail industry with proven delivery and strong business understanding in one more of Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Product Development, Sustainability, Planning & Merchandising.

Burberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.