At a Glance
- Tasks: Design innovative solutions for retail forecasting and replenishment using cutting-edge technology.
- Company: Join a global retail leader with a focus on transformation and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the future of retail with AI/ML technologies and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in IT design, strong communication skills, and experience in retail environments.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Location: Reading or Dublin – hybrid (2 days a week)
Travel: Occasional travel between sites
Salary & Package: Competitive
A global retail organisation is seeking an experienced Solution Architect – Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment to join its Technology Architecture function. This is a permanent role within a growing architecture practice, supporting large‑scale transformation across retail, supply chain and planning systems.
This position will play a key role in shaping a modern, ML/AI‑enabled retail ordering platform, guiding solution design, and ensuring architectural integrity across complex, high‑volume enterprise environments.
What You’ll Do
- Design end‑to‑end enterprise solutions across processes, applications, data, integration, technology, service and security
- Create and review solution blueprints and integration/security documentation
- Analyse requirements, identify gaps and shape architectures to meet functional and non‑functional needs
- Define as‑is, to‑be and transition architectures, securing alignment with stakeholders
- Present solution designs to the Design Authority for approval
- Oversee low‑level design activities and collaborate with specialist architects and systems integrators
- Resolve design issues, manage change impacts and ensure architectural decisions are understood
- Ensure solution delivery aligns with programme plans, testing phases and cutover timelines
- Support environment provisioning and maintain solution quality throughout development
- Maintain architecture documentation and update baseline architecture at go‑live
- Work closely with business partners, SMEs, delivery teams and service teams to ensure smooth implementation and transition to support
What You’ll Bring
- Demonstrable experience with inventory planning and forecasting platforms
- Strong communication skills with excellent documentation and diagramming capability
- Proven experience designing solutions in high‑volume retail environments (fashion/general merchandise ideal)
- Experience with forecasting, allocation and replenishment systems
- Familiarity with retail supply chain and planning platforms
- Experience working on large‑scale IT transformation programmes
- Solid understanding of the systems development lifecycle
- Experience with cloud applications and Retail ERP (Oracle Retail preferred)
- Ability to analyse complex, interconnected systems and produce simplified architectural models
Successful Candidates Will Have
- 7+ years in IT engineering/design within large multinational organisations
- 5+ years in solution architecture
- Broad understanding of major IT disciplines and software development practices
- Experience integrating applications in high‑volume environments (Azure Integration Services a plus)
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence without authority
- A proactive, curious, self‑starter mindset with a passion for continuous improvement
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate comfortably with senior leaders, product owners and delivery teams
- Experience working in retail or other fast‑paced consumer environments
- Experience developing solutions aligned to an overarching architecture strategy
- Ability to provide leadership and guidance to peers and junior team members
Solutions Architect (Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment) in Slough employer: Caraffi
Join a leading global retail organisation that champions innovation and collaboration within its Technology Architecture function. With a hybrid work model based in Reading or Dublin, employees benefit from a competitive salary, a supportive work culture that fosters professional growth, and the opportunity to shape cutting-edge solutions in a dynamic environment. This role not only offers the chance to work on large-scale transformations but also encourages continuous learning and development, making it an excellent employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solutions Architect (Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment) in Slough
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Caraffi or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Caraffi.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Caraffi.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Caraffi that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Solutions Architect (Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment) in Slough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Caraffi.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Caraffi and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Caraffi
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Caraffi uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
