At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the architecture vision for M&S, shaping technology strategies and guiding teams.
- Company: Join M&S, a beloved brand transforming retail through innovation and technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and extensive wellbeing support.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on one of the UK's most iconic brands while driving digital transformation.
- Qualifications: Proven architecture expertise and experience in large-scale digital transformations.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team that values diversity and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
As a key member of the Architecture team, you'll help shape the future of a brand loved by millions. Technology is at the heart of M&S's transformation, driving innovation for customers and empowering thousands of colleagues every day. We're investing heavily in architecture because we know it's the foundation for smarter, faster, and more strategic growth.
As a Tribe Architect within Customer, you'll take ownership of a broad and impactful portfolio, including loyalty, CRM, banking, personalisation, online selling platforms, fulfilment and returns, contact centres, and the technology that powers our store estate.
You'll be accountable for defining and realising the target architecture for your tribe, making sure enterprise and system capabilities are fully aligned to business needs. Working closely with solution architects and Principal Engineers, you'll guide architecture solutions end-to-end, shape technical strategies, and help prioritise delivery to achieve the right outcomes. This is a chance to bring vision, clarity, and leadership to complex technology landscapes and to make a measurable impact on one of the UK's most iconic brands.
What you'll do
- Define and deliver the Tribe's architecture vision, set the roadmap, target states, and technical direction that align with business strategy, ensuring simplification, scalability, and cost optimisation.
- Lead and inspire technical teams, guide solution architects and engineers, mentor future talent, and foster a high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive architecture community.
- Shape technology choices and standards, drive vendor and tooling decisions, set architecture principles and patterns, and ensure solutions align with enterprise models, policies, and compliance requirements.
- Partner with business and product leaders, translate business outcomes into actionable architecture, influence priorities, and co-create executable plans that bring value to customers and colleagues.
- Safeguard and optimise the landscape, ensure security, reliability, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement, while driving innovation and measurable business impact.
Who you are
- Retail store Domain knowledge covering selling applications, operations, platforms, network and back office highly valued.
- Proven architecture expertise, significant experience in solution architecture, with recent hands-on delivery of large-scale digital transformation using Agile ways of working.
- Technical leadership at scale, deep knowledge of architectural patterns, integration, platforms, and modern engineering practices, with the ability to evaluate and apply emerging technologies.
- Strategic influence, experienced in aligning technology, people, and process change to business objectives, with strong commercial acumen and a track record of driving enterprise-wide outcomes.
- Collaboration and communication, exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, able to build consensus across complex environments and inspire cross-functional teams.
- Risk, compliance & change expertise, skilled at balancing innovation with governance, managing risk, and leading change through Agile and enterprise architecture frameworks.
What's in it for you
Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever-evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.
Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:
- After completing your probationary period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
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. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. 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'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Senior Solution Architect - Stores in London employer: Marks & Spencer Plc
Contact Detail:
Marks & Spencer Plc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Solution Architect - Stores in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at M&S on LinkedIn or through mutual connections. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for your application process. It’s all about making those connections!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into M&S's recent projects and innovations. Show us that you’re not just familiar with the company, but that you’re genuinely excited about how you can contribute to their tech transformation.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of your past work that align with the role. We want to hear how you’ve tackled challenges and led teams in your previous positions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role and keeping you top of mind for the hiring team.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Solution Architect - Stores in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific skills and experiences that align with the Senior Solution Architect role. Highlight your architecture expertise and any relevant projects you've led that showcase your ability to drive innovation.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Tribe Architect, you'll be leading teams and guiding solutions. Use your application to demonstrate your technical leadership experience and how you've inspired others in previous roles. Share examples of mentoring or collaborating with cross-functional teams.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, clarity is key! Use straightforward language and avoid jargon where possible. Make it easy for us to see how your background aligns with the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. This ensures that your application goes directly to our recruitment team, making it easier for us to review your credentials and get back to you quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks & Spencer Plc
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest architectural patterns and integration techniques. Brush up on your knowledge of CRM, loyalty systems, and online selling platforms, as these are key areas for the role. Being able to discuss how you’ve applied these in past projects will show your hands-on experience.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Solution Architect, you’ll need to inspire and guide teams. Prepare examples of how you’ve led technical teams or mentored others in your previous roles. Highlight your ability to foster collaboration and build consensus across complex environments.
✨Align Technology with Business Goals
Be ready to discuss how you can translate business outcomes into actionable architecture. Think about specific instances where you’ve influenced priorities or co-created plans that brought value to customers. This will demonstrate your strategic influence and commercial acumen.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think through potential challenges you might face in this role, such as balancing innovation with compliance. Practising your responses will help you articulate your thought process clearly during the interview.