Job Description

Job Category: IT
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About the Role:
This is a senior role, operating across multiple delivery domains to ensure solutions are secure, pragmatic, and aligned to NEXT's architectural direction.
The Security Solution Architect will be responsible for designing and delivering secure, pragmatic, and cost-effective solutions that align with NEXT's technology strategy and security standards. They will ensure all solutions consider security, resilience, operability, and compliance from the outset, while being easy for delivery teams to adopt and operate.
They will act as a trusted representative of the InfoSec function within projects, providing clear guidance and options to stakeholders, and defining secure best practices when existing standards or patterns do not exist. They will collaborate across Product, Engineering, Platform, and InfoSec domains to ensure solutions are well-integrated and deliver measurable business value.
Key Responsibilities:

• Design and document end-to-end secure solutions for key projects, translating security standards into practical implementation guidance.
• Govern delivery against approved designs, managing exceptions and documenting architectural decisions and risks.
• Work closely with project and engineering teams to embed security by design into new and existing solutions.
• Define secure, best-practice approaches in areas without existing patterns, balancing business needs with security principles.
• Develop and promote reusable security patterns, reference architectures, and guardrails that drive consistency across solutions.
• Contribute to the wider architecture community, sharing knowledge and helping to shape standards and future-state designs.

About you:
We're looking for an experienced Architect with deep knowledge of enterprise security principles and a pragmatic approach to solution design. You'll be confident engaging at all levels of the organisation, balancing business priorities with technical excellence, and influencing outcomes through collaboration.
Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience designing and delivering secure solutions in complex, multi-platform environments (on-premise, hybrid, and Azure cloud).
• Strong expertise in security principles across identity, data, application, and infrastructure domains.
• Ability to translate requirements and frameworks (e.g. NIST, ISO 27001) into practical, consumable designs.
• Experience embedding controls for authentication, encryption, monitoring, and recovery within solution architectures.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence decisions at all levels.
• Familiarity with modern practices such as DevSecOps, containerisation (Kubernetes/AKS), and Zero Trust models would be highly advantageous.

#LI-LE1 #LI-Hybrid
About Us: 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!
About the Team:

• 25% off most NEXT, MADE*, Lipsy*, Gap* and Victoria's Secret* products (*when purchased through NEXT)
• Company performance based bonus
• Sharesave scheme
• On-site Nursery available; OFSTED outstanding in all areas
• 10% off most partner brands & up to 15% off Branded Beauty
• Early VIP access to sale stock
• Access to fantastic discounts at our Staff Shops
• Restaurants with great food at amazing prices
• Access a digital GP and other free health and wellbeing services
• Free on-site parking
• Financial Wellbeing - Save, track and enhance your financial wellbeing
• Apprenticeship - Grow and develop on the job whilst gaining a qualification
• Direct to Work - Discount online and instore, collect your items the next day for free from your place of work or local store
• Support Networks - Access to Network Groups to empower and celebrate each other
• Wellhub - Discounted flexible monthly gym memberships, with apps, PT sessions and more

Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.
We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email headoffice_careers@next.co.uk (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.

Skills Required