Java Principal Architect (Retail Background)

Java Principal Architect (Retail Background)

Position Description

Company Profile:

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 94,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2024 reported revenue is CA$14.68 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

Job Title: Principal Architect – Full Stack (Java, React) | Retail Platforms

Position: Manager Consulting Expert / Associate Consultant

Experience: 16+ Years

Category: Software Development/ Engineering / Architecture Solutions

Shift: 10 AM to 7 PM

Main location: India, Karnataka, Bangalore, Hyderabad

Position ID: J0826-0014

Employment Type: Full Time

Education Qualification: Master’s Degree in Engineering

Position Description: We are looking for a Principal Architect to lead the architecture and delivery of large-scale, global retail technology platforms. This role requires deep full-stack expertise (Java, React), strong cloud-native architecture experience, and proven leadership across multi-region, multi-market retail programs.

As a senior technical leader, you will shape enterprise architecture strategy, oversee multiple development streams, mentor senior engineers, and ensure predictable, high-quality delivery across global markets including Europe, US, EMEA, and South-East Asia.

This role is based in Bangalore and requires flexibility to collaborate across global time zones to support regional releases and critical go-lives.

Responsibilities:

Architecture & Technical Strategy

Own and define end-to-end architecture for complex, distributed retail systems

Lead architectural design across:

o Backend services (Java, Spring Boot, Microservices)

o Frontend platforms (React, modern SPA frameworks)

o APIs, integrations, and event-driven architecture

Design cloud-native, scalable, and resilient solutions aligned with enterprise standards

Establish and enforce architecture governance, design reviews, and engineering best practices

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Retail Domain Leadership

Act as domain architect across core retail capabilities:

Fiscal and taxation systems

o Supply chain and inventory management

o Store operations, POS, and omnichannel platforms

o Payments, promotions, and loyalty ecosystems

Drive solutions compliant with regional fiscal regulations and market-specific requirements

Support global rollouts with an understanding of localization, compliance, and scalability

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Delivery Excellence & Estimation

Provide high-confidence architecture-based estimates for complex programs

Oversee multiple delivery tracks and ensure alignment to roadmap and milestones

Identify architectural, delivery, and dependency risks early and drive mitigation

Support cutovers, hyper-care, and post–go-live stabilization

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Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Lead and mentor senior engineers, tech leads, and architects

Partner with Product, Engineering, DevOps, QA, and Program Management

Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior leadership and clients

Contribute to solutioning, RFPs, and technical strategy for new initiatives

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Global Collaboration

Work closely with global teams across Europe, US, EMEA, and APAC

Provide flexibility to support regional release windows and critical go-lives

Must-Have Skills:

Technical Expertise

15+ years of experience in enterprise software engineering and architecture

Strong hands-on experience with:

o Java, Spring Boot, Microservices

o React and modern frontend engineering practices

Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) at enterprise scale

Solid understanding of:

o Event-driven systems (Kafka or similar)

o CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices

o Containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)

o Security, performance, and scalability best practices

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Retail Domain Experience

Proven experience delivering global retail solutions

Hands-on exposure to:

o Fiscal systems and taxation compliance

o Supply chain and inventory

o Store systems and omnichannel retail

o Payments and loyalty platforms

Experience working across multiple international markets

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Leadership & Soft Skills

Demonstrated experience leading large, distributed engineering teams

Strong communication skills with both technical and executive stakeholders

Ability to operate at strategic, architectural, and hands-on levels

High ownership mindset with a strong bias for delivery and outcomes

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience in FAANG, Big-4, or Tier-1 consulting environments

Background in large-scale retail modernization or transformation programs

Client-facing or consulting experience

Exposure to composable commerce or headless retail architecture

Your future duties and responsibilities

Required qualifications to be successful in this role

Together, as owners, let’s turn meaningful insights into action.

Life at CGI is rooted in ownership, teamwork, respect and belonging. Here, you’ll reach your full potential because…

You are invited to be an owner from day 1 as we work together to bring our Dream to life. That’s why we call ourselves CGI Partners rather than employees. We benefit from our collective success and actively shape our company’s strategy and direction.

Your work creates value. You’ll develop innovative solutions and build relationships with teammates and clients while accessing global capabilities to scale your ideas, embrace new opportunities, and benefit from expansive industry and technology expertise.

You’ll shape your career by joining a company built to grow and last. You’ll be supported by leaders who care about your health and well-being and provide you with opportunities to deepen your skills and broaden your horizons.

That same commitment to fairness extends to how we use technology. To support our recruitment team, AI tools may be used to help assess applications though they never replace human judgement. All hiring decisions remain entirely in the hands of our recruitment professionals.

Come join our team - one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world.