Lead Business Engineer — Retail

About Intellibus Intellibus Consulting is a boutique AI and engineering firm that builds Intelligent Business Platforms for enterprises undergoing large-scale digital modernization. We believe we value engineers and engineering, and use technology to make life simple. We are hands-on builders, not slide-only consultants. Our leadership works alongside clients and engineering teams to turn complex business and technology challenges into measurable outcomes. We are leading modernization initiatives for a large U.
S. brick-and-mortar retailer, spanning customer-facing platforms, store operations, merchandising, supply chain and logistics, data, AI, and automation. We are an Inc. 5000 company , creators of the AI Masterclass in collaboration with NYU , and recipients of the 2026 UK Government Innovation Award . The Opportunity We are looking for a Lead Business Engineer to help lead one of Intellibus' most important enterprise transformation initiatives with a large U.
S. retailer. This is not a traditional business analyst, solution architect, engineering manager, or technology consulting role. You will connect business strategy with engineering execution , working directly with client business and technology leaders to understand operations, identify opportunities for simplification and modernization, and engineer solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes. You will work across merchandising, stores, supply chain, customer experience, data, AI, and enterprise technology, combining business understanding, architectural thinking, and hands-on engineering leadership. The mandate: Understand the business. Challenge complexity. Engineer solutions. Deliver outcomes. What We Are Looking For We need someone who combines the commercial understanding of a business leader with the technical depth of an exceptional engineer. You may have worked as a Chief Architect, CTO, VP/Director of Engineering, Principal Engineer, senior technology transformation leader, or technology entrepreneur. You understand that great engineering is measured not by how much technology we build, but by how much business value we create and unnecessary complexity we eliminate. You Bring
* Strong understanding of enterprise business processes, operating models, financial drivers, and technology economics.
* Experience in retail, grocery, merchandising, store systems, supply chain, digital commerce, or adjacent enterprise environments.
* Deep expertise in software engineering, enterprise architecture, distributed systems, APIs, data platforms, cloud technologies, and AI.
* Ability to translate complex business challenges into simple, scalable, commercially viable engineering solutions.
* A track record of personally designing, building, or leading mission-critical enterprise platforms and applications.
* Strong knowledge of legacy modernization, integration, data architecture, automation, and AI-enabled transformation.
* Confidence engaging with CIOs, CTOs, business executives, enterprise architects, and engineering teams.
* Commercial judgment covering revenue impact, operating costs, software licensing, infrastructure, and total cost of ownership.
* Experience leading cross-functional teams from problem discovery and solution design through production implementation.
* A first-principles mindset that challenges assumptions, unnecessary processes, and technology dependencies.
* A builder's mentality — comfortable working with engineers, reviewing architecture, challenging designs, and remaining accountable for delivery. What You Will Own Business Understanding Develop a deep understanding of the client's operations, operating processes, revenue drivers, cost structures, technology dependencies, and strategic priorities. Identify unnecessary complexity, operational friction, additional costs, and constraints on business growth. Start with the business problem, not the technology solution. Business Engineering Translate business opportunities into engineered solutions. Simplify processes, eliminate redundant systems, reduce dependencies, and create new capabilities. Connect individual problems to the underlying enterprise architecture and address root causes rather than symptoms. Use first-principles thinking to determine what should be built, simplified, reused, or eliminated. Architecture & Engineering Lead the design of scalable, secure, resilient, and economically efficient enterprise platforms. Work alongside Intellibus engineers and client technology teams to establish technical direction and implementation approaches. Apply deep engineering judgment across APIs, distributed systems, data, AI, cloud infrastructure, integration, and platform modernization. Ensure technical decisions deliver business outcomes. Favor simplicity over unnecessary abstraction, prevention over remediation, and engineering fundamentals over technology proliferation. AI & Enterprise Modernization Identify where AI, automation, and modern engineering ca