At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of innovative technology solutions for a leading omni-channel retailer.
- Company: Join a dynamic retailer with over 30,000 colleagues across the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and career development.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology in retail and make a real impact on business initiatives.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in IT architecture, strong solution design skills, and cloud experience (Azure preferred).
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
We are a leading omni channel retailer operating across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, with a workforce of more than 30,000 colleagues. As part of our strategic technology transformation, we are introducing a number of key solutions to support our long term business vision. To enable this, we are seeking an experienced Solution Architect to shape, deliver, and evolve technology solutions across a portfolio of business critical initiatives.
The Solution Architect will take ownership of solution architecture design and associated technology roadmaps. The role requires evaluating business needs, collaborating with delivery partners, and ensuring technology solutions are well aligned, cost effective, and architecturally sound. You will work closely with business, engineering, and partner teams to translate business goals into effective, scalable, and secure technical solutions.
You will lead the design of major programmes and initiatives, ensuring that solutions meet business requirements and align to architectural standards. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong stakeholder engagement, be confident in supporting and guiding other architects, and work effectively in a fast paced, change oriented environment. Collaboration will span teams including Omnichannel, Commercial, Finance, IT, and Analytics, with delivery teams located both in the UK and overseas.
Role overview:
- Lead creation, analysis, and review of solution architectures across a diverse portfolio of projects and programmes.
- Own the end to end design of solutions, ensuring alignment between business requirements and technical needs, using best practices, reference architectures, and reusable assets.
- Define system components, services, technologies, and designs spanning Business, Information, Application, and Technology architecture domains.
- Contribute to multiple complex or large scale programmes in a matrixed environment.
- Support the development and evolution of technology standards, architectural principles, and delivery processes.
- Oversee and guide the development of solutions across hardware, software, operability, scalability, and associated business processes.
- Provide architectural leadership and oversight to delivery teams and engineering partners.
- Review software designs, architectural documentation, and technical capabilities to ensure alignment with strategy and standards.
- Maintain the architecture repository, ensuring quality and completeness of technical artefacts.
- Ensure solutions meet business, operational, and end user needs.
- Stay informed of emerging technologies and propose opportunities to innovate and optimise delivery.
- Partner with Enterprise Architecture to influence future technology choices.
- Validate testing approaches and ensure technical completeness across owned areas.
- Provide technology advisory services to business and IT leadership to help shape solution approaches.
- Author white papers, guidance notes, and supporting documentation to drive architectural clarity and innovation.
- Offer technical mentorship, guidance, and support to team members.
- Support smooth delivery of projects, enhancements, and BAU activities, contributing to strong cross team collaboration.
- Act as a role model for high standards of delivery, accountability, and professional conduct.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in an IT architecture role with accountability for solution design and technology delivery.
- Strong expertise across solution architecture domains: networks, data, application, systems, and integration.
- Demonstrated experience working in API first environments.
- Understanding of cloud hosting platforms (preferably Azure).
- Experience in complex, fast paced IT delivery environments.
- Ability to work with ambiguity and design pragmatic, workable solutions.
- Full SDLC experience across both Agile and Waterfall methodologies (Agile experience essential).
- Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
- Retail or e commerce experience advantageous.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
Solution Architect - Hybrid, Azure, 12-Month FTC in London employer: Currys Ltd
Currys Ltd is an excellent employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, where innovation and collaboration thrive. With a focus on employee growth, you will have access to continuous learning opportunities and the chance to shape the future of technology delivery in a vibrant location like Waterloo. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values your contributions and supports your professional development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solution Architect - Hybrid, Azure, 12-Month FTC in London
✨Get Involved in Open-Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects is a brilliant way to showcase your skills and connect with other developers in the community. Not only will you beef up your GitHub profile but you might also catch the eye of someone at Currys Ltd who values hands-on experience over just theory.
✨Attend Local Tech Meetups
Tech meetups are gold mines for networking and discovering job opportunities, especially in the fast-paced world of software engineering. Check out local listings for events in your area and don’t shy away from introducing yourself. This could lead directly to a temporary position at Currys Ltd!
✨Showcase Your Work Online
With temporary roles, it’s all about standing out in a short space of time. Create a portfolio website where you highlight your projects and skills. Talk about your code, and provide links to your GitHub repositories. This will not only demonstrate your abilities but will also make it easier for recruiters at Currys Ltd to see what you bring to the table.
✨Leverage Temporary Job Boards
Don’t forget to check specialised job boards for temporary software development roles. Websites like We Work Remotely or Remote OK often list short-term gigs that can be a perfect fit. Apply directly through our website as well, making sure your application is sharp—temporary roles can move fast!
We think you need these skills to ace Solution Architect - Hybrid, Azure, 12-Month FTC in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Skills:Make sure your CV highlights your tech stack and any programming languages you’re proficient in. Include specifics about any frameworks or technologies you’ve worked with; they can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. It’s all about showing that you have the chops we need at Currys Ltd!
Portfolio 2.0:Since you’re applying for a temporary gig, it’s super important to showcase a portfolio that highlights your best projects. Include links to GitHub or any personal projects that demonstrate what you can do in a real-world environment. This gives us a taste of your style and your problem-solving approach!
Keep It Brief and Relevant:With a temporary position, we want to see your ability to hit the ground running. Be concise in your CV and cover letter; stick to experiences that directly relate to the role. Highlight any previous temporary roles or freelance gigs that show your adaptability and quick learning!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t just send a generic cover letter. Personalise it for Solution Architect - Hybrid, Azure, 12-Month FTC at Currys Ltd! Mention why this temporary role excites you and how you see yourself contributing in the short run. Show us what you've got and why you're the one for this quick turn-around!
How to prepare for a job interview at Currys Ltd
✨Nail the Technical Skills
For a software engineering role, you'll likely face technical questions or coding tasks during your interview. Brush up on the relevant programming languages and frameworks that Currys Ltd uses, and don’t forget to practice some coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Showing your coding prowess can really make you stand out!
✨Prepare for System Design Questions
Even for a temporary role, having a grasp of system design principles can be crucial. Be ready to discuss how you would architect a software solution, including discussing trade-offs, scalability, and performance considerations. Having examples from previous projects can really show off your analytical thinking.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, you'll want to emphasise your ability to hit the ground running. Highlight experiences where you quickly adapted to new technologies or teams. Let’s make it clear to the interviewers at Currys Ltd that you can learn on the job and deliver results in a short timeframe!
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
Make sure to have a portfolio or GitHub ready showcasing your projects. Having tangible evidence of what you've done—be it personal projects, contributions to open-source, or previous work—can convey how capable you are. Tailor this for what might interest Currys Ltd, so it's relevant and sparks conversation during your interview.
