Architecture Lead – IT Online & Retail Operations

About the role

Join Woolworths in Cape Town as the Architecture Lead for IT Online and Retail Operations. You will steer the digital and stores commerce architecture team through a transformation toward an integrated, future‑ready architecture.

Key responsibilities

• Translate business vision into architectural decisions across payments, inventory, order management and online fulfilment.
• Drive alignment and architectural thinking among solution architects to support stores, digital channels and online fulfilment operating models.
• Lead major architectural transformations, influencing technical direction in a complex, matrix‑style environment.
• Collaborate with senior technical peers to secure buy‑in for architectural changes without formal authority.

Required profile

• 12‑15 years of IT architecture experience with a proven track record of shaping technical direction.
• 5‑7 years leading major architectural decisions and guiding teams through transformation.
• 3‑5 years hands‑on experience in digital channel architecture (e‑commerce platforms, payment gateways, customer data, order management).
• 1‑2 years influencing peers in matrix or cross‑functional structures without direct authority.
• Demonstrated experience in at least one large‑scale architectural redesign involving multiple teams and legacy constraints.
• Deep expertise in core commerce domains such as order management, inventory systems, fulfilment orchestration and payment processing, preferably in retail or large‑scale e‑commerce environments.

Required skills

• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
• API‑first design and event‑driven architecture.
• Distributed systems architecture.
• Security architecture and compliance (payments, employee and customer data).
• E‑commerce platforms, payment processing, order management, inventory systems, fulfilment orchestration.
• Customer data platforms.