Lead Enterprise Architect – Retail Transformation Location & Flexibility: • Hybrid role with an expectation of 3 days per week onsite in the Midlands. • Occasional UK travel may be required based on client engagements. About: We’re hiring on behalf of a global digital transformation powerhouse renowned for driving innovation through cutting-edge solutions in cloud, AI, engineering, and cybersecurity. With a strong footprint across industries, they help clients unlock measurable value by architecting scalable, future-ready technology landscapes. This is an opportunity for an influential technology leader to guide large-scale transformation programmes across the retail sector. You’ll serve as the principal architect and strategic partner to executive teams, crafting future-facing digital strategies that enable agility, intelligence, and growth in an AI-accelerated world. The Role: This role is perfect for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategic advisory and hands-on transformation leadership. You’ll lead enterprise-scale change initiatives across commerce, supply chain, marketing, and customer experience for some of the largest and most ambitious retail brands. What You’ll Be Doing: Strategic Technology Leadership • Define and shape long-term digital transformation roadmaps aligned with clients’ commercial objectives and operational goals. • Advise senior executives on leveraging emerging technologies to transform customer engagement, operational agility, and revenue growth. • Lead current-state evaluations and design forward-looking enterprise architectures powered by composable commerce, cloud-native platforms, and AI. Transformation Programme Execution • Architect and drive complex technology initiatives, including migrations to modern cloud infrastructures, microservices-based systems, and API-led integrations. • Oversee full-scale transformation programmes — not just from a technical standpoint, but across people, processes, and performance. • Promote agile delivery and a product-led mindset across engineering and technology teams. AI & Data Enablement • Identify innovative ways to integrate AI, machine learning, and automation into the retail technology stack — from personalisation engines to pricing algorithms and customer insights. • Support the development of intelligent commerce platforms, smart recommendations, and predictive systems. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Build trusted partnerships with stakeholders across IT, product, and business functions. • Collaborate with diverse delivery teams — from architects and engineers to product owners and consultants — to bring complex visions to life. Thought Leadership & Innovation • Represent the organisation at industry forums and executive briefings, positioning yourself as a leading voice in digital retail transformation. • Contribute to business growth by shaping proposals, leading discovery workshops, and driving innovation-led conversations. What You’ll Bring: • Extensive experience (15+ years) in enterprise architecture, with a focus on retail, consumer, or digital commerce environments. • A proven background in leading enterprise-scale transformations for major retailers — including omnichannel, eCommerce, and traditional. • Deep technical knowledge of retail platforms such as order management, eCommerce (Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, Fluent, Shopify Plus), CRM, POS, ERP (preferably Dynamics), and loyalty systems. • Cloud and integration expertise, including experience with AWS, Azure or GCP, plus API design, microservices, DevOps tooling, and modern data ecosystems. • Strong awareness of retail-specific AI and GenAI opportunities — from operational optimisation to customer-facing enhancements. • Proficiency in agile frameworks, modern product management principles, and large-scale architectural design. • Excellent communication and influence skills, with the ability to advise and challenge at CxO level. Bonus If You Have: • Experience partnering with or working within leading UK/EU retail brands. • A background in technology consulting or advisory roles with SIs or digital agencies. • A balance of strategic foresight and hands-on delivery acumen, knowing when to inspire and when to execute. If you’re excited about reshaping the future of retail through strategic tech leadership, we’d love to hear from you.