Principal Solution Architect & Practice Manager

As Principal Solution Architect & Practice Manager at Co-op, you shape technology solutions that deliver business value while leading a team of Solution Architects. You’ll set architectural direction, roadmaps and governance, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategy. You’ll influence complex designs across retail-focused initiatives and foster a collaborative architecture community. This role offers the chance to impact technology-enabled business outcomes and grow a high-performing team in a purpose-driven organisation.

• annual bonus
• 28 days holiday (32 with service)
• pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Private healthcare
• gym access
• employee discounts

• Own end-to-end solution architecture for key initiatives aligned with business goals and technology strategy
• Define and maintain long-term solution roadmaps supporting priorities and direction
• Lead architectural decision-making balancing standard capabilities and bespoke options
• Ensure scalable, resilient, secure, well-integrated solutions across the tech landscape
• Provide senior architectural guidance on complex designs and trade-offs
• Coach and develop a team of Solution Architects and support their career growth
• Foster a strong architecture community with knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
• Drive quality across designs, ensuring governance and standards compliance
• Coordinate deployment of Solution Architects across change initiatives to meet business needs
• Build trusted relationships with engineering, delivery teams, vendors and external partners

• Significant experience as a Solution Architect with a track record in complex retail-like environments
• Strong architectural judgement balancing business, ops and technical needs
• Passion for people leadership with experience coaching and developing others
• Excellent communication and influencing skills to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Collaborative mindset with ability to build relationships and share knowledge
• Ability to foster innovation and continuous improvement in people and technology

• leadership
• communication
• collaboration
• solution architecture
• enterprise architecture
• governance and standards