Solution Architect (Hiring Immediately) in London

Who We Are: At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

A Solution Architect is required for a high-profile role giving the successful applicant the chance to lead the solution architecture for some of the world’s largest online brands and retailers and be an integral part of our talented and expanding Solution Architecture team.

The opportunity: You will be responsible for creating and assuring solution architecture using a wide range of technologies, from SaaS eCommerce platforms through to client-specific cloud solutions. You’ll develop relationships with key client-side stakeholders in charge of IT and digital strategy and architecture, and you’ll work closely with our internal delivery teams to ensure your architecture vision is realised. Our Solution Architecture team not only focus on delivery but also work with our clients in delivering the best consulting advice to ensure world class solutions that enable our clients to transact more digitally.

What you’ll be doing:

• Working on large-scale digital transformation programmes with global clients, designing solutions for all the opportunity and complexity this brings.
• Own the solution architecture, document it, and communicate that architecture to a wide range of audiences.
• See out and develop relationships with key client stakeholders responsible for digital and architecture strategy.
• Orchestrate and run design workshops, and translate business strategy and requirements into solution architecture.
• Ensure your architecture vision is realised by our teams, across all phases of programme delivery.
• Understand common problems, design patterns and considerations for a distributed eCommerce architecture and apply this knowledge to your solutions.
• Understand the level at which solution architecture applies, and help transition your solutions to application and cloud architects and technical leads.
• Make and justify key architectural decisions considering all relevant constraints.
• Follow the principles and guidance set out by the Solution Architecture team.
• Contribute to the initiatives of our Solution Architecture team, including developing common patterns for new technologies and developing PoCs against industry trends.

What we want from you:

• Core understanding of the capabilities of a wide range of technologies typically found within an eCommerce landscape, including enterprise eCommerce platforms and components, and apply this knowledge to your solutions.
• Proven experience of solution ownership.
• Experience delivering solution transformations, roadmaps and (or) Integration strategies.
• Understand the capabilities of public cloud platforms and be an advocate of cloud-native solutions.
• Proven experience designing quality solutions, often large scale and transactional in nature, for global enterprise clients.
• Be client and delivery focussed, able to adapt a solution to meet additional requirements and constraints and apply pragmatism when required.
• Prior experience running design workshops.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Have excellent communication, presentation and documentation skills.

If you know some of this, even better:

• Experience with OMS.
• Experience with PIM.
• Specific Solution Architecture experience with the following technologies: React, Next.js, GraphQL (incl. federated), Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Sanity.io, GCP.

What we can offer you: Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

Permanent only: We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.

Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage. We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish. We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges. And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

AT VML Enterprise Solutions: Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.

We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business.

As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.