At a Glance
- Tasks: Design innovative integration solutions for a leading retail client in a hybrid role.
- Company: Join FDM, a top global business and technology consultancy with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy career coaching, upskilling opportunities, competitive salary, and annual leave.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the retail sector while working with cutting-edge technologies.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in Solutions Architecture with expertise in integration technologies and API design.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for global assignments and career growth.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
About The Role
FDM is a global business and technology consultancy seeking a Solutions Architect to work for our client within the retail sector. This is initially a 6 month contract with the potential to extend and will be a hybrid role that will be based in either London or Coventry.
Responsibilities:
- Design robust integration solutions across commercial, HR, and data platforms within a complex, multi-brand retail environment
- Lead architectural planning for the decommissioning of legacy systems, ensuring smooth transitions to modern, scalable services
- Define and document integration standards, including API strategies, event schemas, and interface contracts to enable decoupled, reusable services
- Implement event-driven architectures using Kafka to support real-time data exchange and responsive system interactions
- Collaborate cross-functionally with product managers, engineering teams, and platform leads to define scalable service boundaries and integration touchpoints
- Support the design and adoption of strategic data services, promoting data integrity, consistency, and standardisation across the enterprise
- Ensure integration consistency in areas such as data handling, authentication, error management, and versioning
- Lead design reviews for integration solutions, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture principles and governance frameworks
- Act as a trusted advisor, championing best practices in integration architecture and guiding teams on modern interoperability approaches
About You
Requirements:
- 5+ years of experience in Solutions Architecture, preferably within retail or consumer-facing industries
- Proven expertise in enterprise system integration, including legacy system transformation and platform modernisation
- Hands-on experience with integration technologies, including Kafka (or similar event streaming platforms), Java-based backend systems, and service orchestration
- Strong proficiency in API design (REST/GraphQL), microservices architecture, and middleware solution
- Deep understanding of data flow, interface management, and end-to-end process mapping across complex ecosystems
- Skilled in producing architectural documentation, including HLDs, LLDs, sequence diagrams, and integration blueprints
- Comfortable operating in hybrid environments, spanning both cloud and on-premise infrastructure
- Effective communicator and collaborator, with experience engaging stakeholders and working across cross-functional delivery teams; familiarity with tools like Confluence, JIRA, and frameworks such as TOGAF or ArchiMate is a plus
About Us
Why join us?
- Career coaching, mentoring and access to upskilling throughout your entire FDM career
- Assignments with global companies and opportunities to work abroad
- Opportunity to re-skill and up-skill into new areas, develop non-linear career paths and build a skillset within your field
- Annual leave, work-place pension and BAYE share scheme
About FDM
We are a business and technology consultancy and one of the UK\’s leading employers, recruiting the brightest talent to become the innovators of tomorrow. We have centres across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and a global workforce of over 3,500 Consultants. FDM has shown exponential growth throughout the years, firmly establishing itself as an award-winning employer and is listed on the FTSE4Good Index.
Diversity and Inclusion
FDM Group is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, provincial or local laws.
Solutions Architect - London or Coventry employer: FDM Group Ltd.
Contact Detail:
FDM Group Ltd. Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Solutions Architect - London or Coventry
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who’s already in a Solutions Architect role. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help land that dream job.
✨Show Off Your Skills
When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, don’t hold back! Share your hands-on experience with integration technologies and architectural documentation. We want to hear about your successes and how you’ve tackled challenges in past projects.
✨Tailor Your Approach
Make sure to tailor your conversations and presentations to the specific needs of the company you’re applying to. Research their current systems and think about how your skills can help them transition smoothly to modern services. We love seeing candidates who do their homework!
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we’re always on the lookout for talented individuals like you to join our team and make an impact in the retail sector.
We think you need these skills to ace Solutions Architect - London or Coventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Solutions Architect role. Highlight your experience in integration solutions and any relevant projects you've worked on in the retail sector. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you a perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention your hands-on experience with technologies like Kafka and API design.
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on your achievements rather than just responsibilities. Use metrics where possible to demonstrate the impact of your work, especially in areas like legacy system transformation and service orchestration.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of success. It’s straightforward and ensures your application gets to the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect with us directly!
How to prepare for a job interview at FDM Group Ltd.
✨Know Your Integration Solutions
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of integration solutions, especially in the retail sector. Be ready to discuss how you've designed robust systems in the past and how you can apply that experience to the role.
✨Showcase Your Architectural Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience with architectural planning and legacy system decommissioning. Have examples ready that demonstrate your ability to lead these processes smoothly and effectively.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Event-Driven Architectures
Since Kafka is a key technology for this role, ensure you understand event-driven architectures thoroughly. Be prepared to discuss how you've implemented similar systems and the benefits they bring to real-time data exchange.
✨Communicate and Collaborate
This role requires strong communication skills, so practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams and how you engaged stakeholders in previous projects.