{"id":1897447,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vml-principal-solutions-architect","title":"Principal Solutions Architect","company":{"id":456023,"name":"VML","domain":"vml.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/vml","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":78,"open_postings":93,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.892,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":49,"computed_at":"2026-10-07T05:47:15Z"}},"role":"Solutions","role_family":"Solutions","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":61000,"max_usd":133000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":29},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AI Agents","optional":false},{"name":"Algolia","optional":false},{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"Braze","optional":false},{"name":"GCP","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-05T07:54:19Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-05","last_verified_at":"2026-10-08T00:49:42Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"Who We Are\nVML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore. \nVML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel. \nFor more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.\nOur Commerce & Technology division helps leading global brands design, build and run the commerce platforms behind their growth. We are seeking a Principal Solutions Architect to lead solution in business pursuits and account growth, across enterprise commerce. \nYou will be the person in the room who understands how the whole commerce estate fits together, from web storefront and mobile app through commerce platform, data and ERP. You will turn that understanding into a clear case for business value, win the trust of senior client stakeholders, and when it helps, build a working demonstration to show them what good looks like. \nKey Responsibilities \nArchitect Enterprise Commerce: Design end to end commerce solutions across Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Shopify, HCL and composable (MACH) solutions, spanning web, mobile apps, data and back office systems. \nLead with value: Frame every solution around commercial outcomes, cost and return, so clients can see clear cases for change rather than a technology shopping list. \nServe as an outward-facing, energetic leader who runs workshops, participates in governance, and collaborates with commercial teams to identify and shape technical growth opportunities. \nWhat you’ll be doing \nClient Engagement and Discovery: Build trusted relationships with senior business and technology stakeholders. Run discovery workshops, ask the questions that uncover what really matters, and cut through complexity to the decisions that count. \nSolution Design and Architecture: Produce clear architecture diagrams and solution designs covering storefront, mobile apps, commerce platform, search, content, order management, product information, payments, data and other integrations. Recommend the right platform and approach for each client rather than defaulting to one. \nPlatform Selection and Replatforming: Guide clients through platform choices and migrations, including the move from monolithic to composable, weighing total cost of ownership, speed to market, risk and operating model. \n Data, Integration and Back Office: Get into the detail of how commerce connects to ERP (such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics or Oracle), order management, warehouse, customer data and analytics, and design integration patterns that hold up at enterprise scale. \n Mobile and Omnichannel: Shape mobile app strategy and architecture (native, cross platform and headless) alongside web, store and marketplace channels, so the customer experience is joined up. \nBusiness Case and Value: Build business cases, value models and roadmaps that link technology decisions to revenue, conversion, margin and cost to serve. \nDemonstrations and Proofs of Concept: Stand up demo storefronts and prototypes quickly, such as a Shopify store or a composable proof of concept, to show clients what is possible and take risk out of their decisions. \nProposals and Pitches: Own the solution story, architecture, assumptions and effort estimates in proposals, and present them with confidence at pitch. \nHandover and Delivery Assurance: Make sure what is sold can be delivered, with a clean handover to delivery teams and continued involvement through mobilisation. \n Market and Partner Leadership: Stay across the commerce market, including cloud (AWS, GCP), AI in commerce and agentic commerce. Share that knowledge to strengthen our propositions and our partner relationships. \nWhat we want from you \nEnterprise Commerce Experience: Extensive senior experience in enterprise commerce across retail, consumer brands or B2B, gained in digital agencies, consultancies or large brands. \n Breadth Across Platforms: Strong working knowledge of Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Shopify, plus composable and MACH (microservices, API first, cloud native, headless) components such as Commerce tools, Contentful, Algolia, Akeneo or similar. \nPresales and New Business: A track record of shaping and winning significant commerce deals, running workshops, writing proposals and presenting to senior audiences. \nCommercial Acumen: Understands how clients make money. Speaks confidently about value, cost and return, and can hold a commercial conversation with a Chief Executive or Chief Financial Officer as easily as with a Chief Technology Officer. \nData and ERP Integration: Hands on understanding of how commerce connects with ERP, order management, product information, customer data and analytics, and the integration patterns that make it work. \nMobile Apps: Solid understanding of mobile commerce app architecture and delivery, including native and cross platform approaches and how apps connect to headless commerce services. \nArchitecture and Communication: Excellent diagramming, written and verbal skills. Able to turn complex estates into simple pictures and clear stories for senior audiences. \nHands On Credibility: Comfortable building a demo store, configuring a platform or proving a concept yourself, rather than relying on slides alone. \nPresence: Energetic, confident and credible with clients. Able to cut through noise and lead the room. \nIf you know some of this, even better \nCertifications across Adobe Commerce, Salesforce B2C Commerce or Shopify, MACH \nAWS certifications (Solutions Architect Associate or Professional) and experience running commerce on Cloud solutions. \nOrder management, product information management and marketplace platforms \nB2B commerce, including complex pricing, catalogue and account structures \nAgentic commerce concepts and emerging standards (ACP, AP2, A2A) and practical use of AI in commerce \nTotal cost of ownership and business case modelling \nThe C4 model and diagrams as code \nWhat we can offer you\nAlongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.\nPermanent only\nWe offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.\nOur culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.\nWe lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.\nWe empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.\nAnd we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.\nHow we use AI in the recruitment process: \n\nTo ensure more focused and engaging conversations, we leverage AI in our recruitment process exclusively for secure, objective note-taking, never for evaluative judgments. This allows our team to be fully present with you. You are always welcome to request a transcript of these notes or opt out of this feature at any time. Opting out will not impact the outcome of the interview process\" \nAt WPPEnterprise Solutions\nWPP Enterprise Solutions designs, builds, and operates the growth systems that competitive businesses rely on. In a world where Al is reshaping how companies drive growth, we lead clients in business transformation and marketing modernisation, connecting strategy directly to execution. \nOur 12,000 experts in engineering and platforms, commerce, consulting, content transformation, CRM, and CX, work within a unified global operating unit across 40+ markets. WPP Enterprise Solutions works alongside best-in-class partners including Adobe, AWS, Braze, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Shopify, as well as innovators in AI, to deliver growth solutions tailored to the needs of our clients’ businesses. We have received distinction as a leader in Commerce Services and CX Strategy Consulting by the Forrester Wave™ \nTo find out more, visit enterprisesolutions.wpp.com and follow us on LinkedIn. \nWPP Enterprise Solutions is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.\n #LI-HYBRID\nWe believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.\nWPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. \nWhen you click \"Submit Application\", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. 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