At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape technology and processes to support millions of customers and colleagues.
- Company: Join M&S, a leading UK retail brand on an exciting modernisation journey.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team driving innovation in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in retail by connecting strategy to practical delivery.
- Qualifications: 5–10+ years in business architecture with strong communication and collaboration skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 € per year.
At M&S, we’re on an exciting journey to modernise one of the UK’s most iconic brands. Our Architecture team plays a key role in shaping technology, processes and ways of working that support millions of customers and thousands of colleagues every year. We’re making bold investments in innovation to ensure M&S continues to lead in retail. As a Business Architect, you’ll bring your business and process expertise into a dynamic, customer‑focused environment. Your role will be about connecting strategic goals to practical delivery—helping us translate vision into clear, measurable outcomes. You’ll shape priorities that balance ambition with financial impact, ensuring the big picture and day‑to‑day execution stay aligned. We’re looking for someone who’s curious, creative and pragmatic—someone who enjoys solving complex problems in empowered, collaborative teams. You will work across architecture, platform and engineering, helping to scope, design and support products and platforms that deliver real value.
What You’ll Do
- Define the business impacts of strategic objectives—capturing targets, roadmaps, and transition states, and identifying guardrails, risks, issues and dependencies.
- Lead value stream and business process design, optimising processes to make sure they align with strategic goals.
- Support prioritisation by ensuring investment and operating costs are factored into decision‑making.
- Work across squads and tribes to keep end‑to‑end architecture and roadmaps aligned.
- Maintain architectural integrity while balancing business needs and cost‑effectiveness, gaining approvals through design authority or architecture boards where appropriate.
Who You Are
- 5–10+ years of experience in business architecture, ideally with modelling skills (e.g. BPMN, APQC).
- A proven track record of delivering business architectures for large‑scale digital transformation, with experience of emerging technologies within the last 3 years.
- Strong knowledge of current and emerging platforms/technologies, and the ability to align them with strategic goals.
- A strategic thinker with excellent communication skills—able to turn complex ideas into clear, customer‑focused outcomes.
- Naturally collaborative, engaging the right stakeholders at the right time and keeping them bought in through to delivery.
What’s in it for you?
- 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third‑party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation.
- Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more.
- Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours.
- Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future.
- Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one.
- Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal.
- Market‑leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave.
- 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services.
- One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you.
Everyone’s welcome. We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you would benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try to put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Business Architect employer: Marks and Spencer
At M&S, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive and innovative employer, dedicated to modernising one of the UK's most iconic brands. Our collaborative work culture fosters creativity and empowers employees to influence the future of retail while enjoying a range of benefits, including competitive holiday allowances, a generous colleague discount, and comprehensive wellbeing support. With tailored training and development opportunities, we ensure that every team member can thrive and contribute to our mission of delivering quality and value to millions of customers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Business Architect
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at M&S on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by understanding M&S's recent projects and innovations. Show us how your skills as a Business Architect can directly contribute to their goals—make it personal and relevant!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your problem-solving skills! M&S is looking for someone who can tackle complex issues. Use real-world examples from your experience to demonstrate how you've successfully navigated challenges in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the M&S team.
We think you need these skills to ace Business Architect
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in business architecture. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what M&S is looking for.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, share specific examples of how you've tackled complex problems in previous roles. This will demonstrate your ability to think strategically and deliver clear outcomes.
Highlight Collaboration Experience:Since the role involves working across teams, mention any past experiences where you've successfully collaborated with different stakeholders. This shows you're a team player who can engage others effectively.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves and helps us keep track of all candidates.
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Know Your Business Architecture
Make sure you brush up on your business architecture knowledge, especially around modelling skills like BPMN and APQC. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past roles, particularly in large-scale digital transformations.
✨Align with Strategic Goals
Understand M&S's strategic objectives and think about how your experience can help achieve them. Prepare examples of how you've connected strategic goals to practical delivery in previous positions, showcasing your ability to balance ambition with financial impact.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
M&S values collaboration, so be prepared to share stories that highlight your teamwork skills. Think of instances where you've engaged stakeholders effectively and kept them involved throughout a project, ensuring everyone is aligned towards the end goal.
✨Be Curious and Creative
Demonstrate your curiosity and creativity during the interview. Prepare to discuss how you've solved complex problems in innovative ways, and don't hesitate to share ideas on how M&S can continue to lead in retail through smart solutions.
