Principal Architect - Networks & Enabling Tech

As a Principal Architect you will ensure network architecture and enabling technologies are aligned with the needs of the business area and enact business outcome driven enterprise architecture. Providing M&S wide (cross functional) coverage to achieve improved revenue generation, cost reduction and risk mitigation aligned to the M&S business strategy. You will collaborate & coordinate technical strategy and facilitate & assist with the prioritisation of delivery.

You will lead a team of architects with a wide area of influence across solution architecture, engineering, delivery, product management and key business stakeholders to enable the implementation of your target. You will decide on the partner strategy for your area and own the TCO and simplification of your landscape.

What you’ll do

• Decides on architectural strategic technology & vendor choices/selection for the architecture landscape and TCO economic ambition bringing together technical depth and breadth in a drive towards a single vision.

• Decides and sets direction on 1–3-year technical strategy, target architectures, transitional states, blueprints, principles, standards & rolling adaptable costed roadmaps for their area. This is in collaboration with D&T product, engineering, data and business stakeholders with a clear line of sight to business need / outcome/ vision and simplifies the landscape.

• Ensure the total cost of ownership (TCO) is considered in all decision-making enabling simplification and lowering towards target state.

• Ensure technology vision, targets and changes are delivered seamlessly in partnership with the business

• Drive cross-functional alignment and represent architecture in Communities of Practice

• Lead Enterprise Architects to develop and maintain architecture assets and drive to a target

Your skills and experience will include:

• Expert Enterprise Architect with 10+ years expertise & deep knowledge in their domain proven track record of leadership and strategic thinking

• Experience of leading architecture strategy, roadmaps in one or more of the areas of Network or Cloud, using the latest future technology, at the M&S size and scale. These skills/experiences are critical for the role and makes up the most sizable investment and landscape size

• Outcome based thinker able to assess emerging/disruptive technology, evaluate drive strategic implementation

• Proven track record of delivering digital transformation at scale and execution at pace in these areas within the last 3 years of emerging architecture and technology trends.

• Recognised externally and internally as an industry thought-leader in either Cloud or Network architecture.

What’s in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 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. 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. #hybridrole #LI-Hybrid #LI-OT1