Application Architect - Data Specialist

While you’ll have heard our name, there’s a lot you probably don’t know about Next. Like how we create most of our systems ourselves – whether it’s a website, mobile app or application. What’s more, we’re growing. Fast. And it’s the kind of growth and investment that is exciting for everyone in our business.

 

About the role

We are seeking a talented and highly motivated Application Architect to join our team and support our data side of the business.

As an Application Architect in this team, you’ll identify opportunities and recommend solutions to improve efficiencies in all aspects of business operations through the use of technology, staying up-to-date on emerging technology trends. 

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, technical leads and other architects to define technical specifications, providing alternative solutions to business stakeholders for review.

This position requires excellent problem-solving skills, technical expertise, and the ability to work unsupervised in a diverse and international environment.

 

Other responsibilities

• Contribute to the creation of the platform architecture, cloud strategy, governance and future roadmap to support business objectives.
• Provide oversight of projects to ensure they conform to Next enterprise architecture principles, security standards and non-functional requirements.
• Contribute to the creation and implementation of architecture standards, policies and reference architecture patterns.
• Strong skills in creating and maintaining technical documentation, especially related to architecture.
• Shares own knowledge and experience and encourages learning and growth.

 

About you

Essential Skills

• Exhibit strong leadership and technical leadership skills.
• Experience in managing various stakeholder relationships, the ability to influence and build relationships across technical and business teams.
• A strong communicator, both written and verbal.
• Takes initiative to advance own learning and professional development.
• Knowledge of cloud infrastructure, storage optimization, and query optimizations.
• Experience with Azure DevOps & CICD processes, software development lifecycle including infrastructure as code (Terraform).
• Big Data including SQL DW, Snowflake, Big Query, Advanced Analytics including Azure Data Bricks, visualisation tools such as PowerBI.
• Understand data warehousing concepts, including dimensional modelling, star schema, data aggregation and best practices for designing efficient and scalable data models.
• Familiarity with data visualisation tools such as Tableau, or Power BI.

 

Desirable Skills

• Technical Cloud Certification preferred e.g., Azure, Amazon Web Services or Google.
• Understanding of cloud cost management tooling and processes.
• Understanding of EntraID including, SAML/OIDC & OAuth (authentication & authorisation), RBAC, hybrid identity management and zero trust security.

 

You’ll be doing all this from our Leicestershire Head Office on a hybrid basis. A fast-paced, encouraging and supportive environment in which everyone brings an energy and a commitment to delivering for our customers and their own careers. Bring your energy. Play to your strengths. Make things bigger and better than before. Let’s Take It On.

 

So if you’re an expert in this field, have strong communication skills and considerable Architecture knowledge, work with initiative and can build great working relationships within the business, this is the place for you – and your career.

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!