Senior Solutions Architect, Merchandising Technology

About the Role

Foot Locker is seeking a strategic, innovative, and technically proficient Senior Solutions Architect to drive the architecture, modernization, and evolution of our global Merchandising Technology footprint. In this highly influential role, you will shape platform strategy, lead modernization from legacy mainframe systems to modern cloud and ERP solutions, and guide architecture across Product Master Data (PIM/MDM), Core Merchandising, and Price & Promotion capabilities. This role provides architectural leadership across both the Product Master Data engineering team and the Mainframe/Merch Core engineering team, ensuring consistent patterns, data alignment, and integrated, domain‑aligned solutions across foundational Merch areas including Product, Inventory, Costing, Purchasing, and Pricing & Promotion.

Responsibilities

Architecture Leadership & Modernization Strategy

• Partner with Enterprise Architecture and domain SMEs to define multi‑year modernization roadmaps for Mainframe Merch Core and related platforms.
• Lead modernization initiatives including re‑platforming, application rationalization, and integration redesign.
• Evaluate emerging technologies across Planning, Execution, Price/Promo/Markdown, PIM/PLM, Assortment, and Space Planning to guide long‑term solution strategy.

Domain Architecture (Core Merch + Product Data)

• Architect capabilities supporting Core Merch workflows including item enrichment, hierarchy and vendor data, costing, purchasing, inventory management, and stock ledger alignment.
• Stay abreast of industry advancements in SaaS and ERP platforms, including buy‑vs‑build trends.
• Lead architecture for PIM and product content platforms, including enrichment, taxonomy, attribution, and syndication.

Platform & Solution Architecture

• Develop cloud‑native, API‑driven, and event‑driven architectures that support scale, high availability, and security.
• Establish reference architectures, design patterns, development standards, and non‑functional requirements used across Merch and Product engineering teams.

Legacy Mainframe Stewardship

• Ensure stability, operability, and incremental improvement of Mainframe Merch Core systems.
• Provide architectural guidance for item, purchasing, inventory, and pricing components throughout coexistence and modernization programs.

Integration, Data & Messaging

• Architect integrations using industry‑standard technologies such as REST APIs, Kafka, Boomi, Apigee, Databricks, and Snowflake.
• Ensure data consistency and integrity across Merchandising, Product, Finance, Supply Chain, eCommerce, and Data & Analytics systems.
• Modernize Mainframe data movement from GoAnywhere/SFTP toward event‑driven, API‑led, and streaming patterns aligned with Enterprise Data Platform (EDP) objectives.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Governance

• Serve as the architectural authority for Merchandising platform decisions.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Operations teams to define SLAs, operational standards, and deployment best practices.
• Mentor engineers in modern design principles, platform thinking, and domain‑aligned architecture.

Security & Quality

• Identify architecture and system vulnerabilities and ensure appropriate controls and mitigations.
• Produce architectural documentation including proposals, diagrams, standards, and technical assessments.

Qualifications

Must-Have Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of architecture experience in Merchandising, PIM/MDM, or Retail Product Data domains.
• Experience architecting distributed enterprise systems across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid environments.
• Broad experience across Core Merch functions including Item, Inventory, Purchasing, Costing, and Price & Promotion.
• Experience leading modernization of mainframe or legacy retail systems into cloud, microservices, or ERP platforms.
• Strong grounding in API design, integration patterns, and event‑driven architectures.
• Experience with Kafka.
• Experience with integration platforms such as Boomi, Apigee, or similar API gateway/iPaaS tools.

Strong Nice-to-Haves (Not Required)

• Data/analytics: Snowflake, Databricks, Synapse, BigQuery, or equivalent.
• Experience with ERP/PIM ecosystems (Oracle Retail, MFCS, Blue Yonder, Salsify, Stibo, Informatica MDM, etc.).
• Familiarity with container orchestration (Docker/Kubernetes) and DevOps/CI‑CD tooling.

Important Information Regarding AI Tools

At Foot Locker, We Value Innovation, Authenticity, And Integrity In All That We Do. To Uphold The Security And Fairness Of Our Hiring Process, We Ask That Candidates Refrain From Using AI Tools, Including ChatGPT, During Interviews And Assessments. To Ensure a Smooth And Secure Experience, Please Review The Following Guidelines:

• Cameras must be on for all virtual interviews.
• AI tools are strictly prohibited during interviews or assessments.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to create a transparent and equitable hiring experience.

Benefits

The annual base salary range is $100,000 - $175,000. This range represents the anticipated low and high end of the salary for this position. This role is also eligible to receive short term incentives that align with individual and company performance. Salary will be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Salary is one component of the Foot Locker, Inc. total compensation package, which includes the below.

• Employee Discount
• Paid Time Off
• Medical | Dental | Vision Coverage
• 401(k) | Roth 401(k)
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Opportunities for Advancement
• Tuition Reimbursement for Qualified Courses
• Strong Company Culture
• Employee Resource Groups

Key skills/competency

• Solutions Architecture
• Merchandising Technology
• Cloud Architecture
• API Design
• Event-Driven Architecture
• Legacy System Modernization
• PIM/MDM
• Kafka
• Integration Platforms
• Retail Technology