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 hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with diverse teams and stay ahead of emerging technologies in a supportive culture.
- 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 experience in fast-paced environments.
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 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
✨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 Currys Ltd 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 Currys Ltd.
✨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 Currys Ltd.
✨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 Currys Ltd 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 Solution Architect
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 Currys Ltd.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Currys Ltd 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 Currys Ltd
✨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 Currys Ltd 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.
