Job Purpose

As an expert Senior Technical Programme Manager (TPM) you will drive the execution of product solutions across multiple domains within M&S! You will successfully be responsible for the various stages of the product development life-cycle using Agile delivery methods. We are equal partners within our Engineering and Product teams and leaders to deliver solutions that contribute. It is crucial that you help balance, coordinate and supervise cross-functional dependencies while ensuring the overall delivery remains smooth and efficient.

This will require a hands-on approach, combined with strong technical competence and excellent partner management, to drive engagement and measures such as OKRs, building strong, trust-based partnerships with colleagues and suppliers. We drive collaborations between product functions to deliver shared goals providing inspiration, support and mentoring when required operating as a servant leader! A key attribute will be to empower others to foster a demeanour of continuous improvement across people, process and technology to enhance the delivery and flow of value.

Specifically, the Senior TPM has an opportunity to influence how we scale and automate the technology capabilities that underpin the Omni-channel customer experience of the future. Specifically, within the Digital Capabilities portfolio you’ll be responsible for the delivery of a new web stack, the development of new composable capabilities, and define long-term technology strategies to help us support growth in digital channels. The role holder will also partner with some of the best product and engineering in the industry and will be the embodiment of one of M&S core values of ‘own it and get it done’.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

The Senior Technical Programme Manager (TPM) is the glue of engineering, product and business strategies working across the domains performing various functions whether that be within the product organisation or leading cross-functional programmes of work. You will utilise your technical expertise in handling constraints, improving quality or removing blockers within the development lifecycle.

Our mission is to harness agile ways of working and embed our strategic ambitions to optimally deliver change at scale. The key to the success of this role is building positive, trusting relationships through consistent, on-time delivery of solutions and effective communication in-line with the M&S Way.

More specifically, the Senior TPM role is the embodiment of ‘own it and get it done’ with key responsibilities as follows:

Lead sophisticated and multi-disciplinary initiatives/Programmes of work within an agile Product led organisation to deliver innovative product solutions

Closely supervise and lead Product/Programme execution progress to deliver planned outcomes, through sync up events providing visibility and transparency on progress through appropriate cadence and tools

Create roadmaps and OKRs with Product Manager(s) and engineering teams to ensure alignment to strategic ambitions for M&S and driving a customer first mind-set in Tech

Supervise and assure the technical development and release strategy, ensuring senior partners are advised and act as point of escalation for key risks and issues

Drive proactive dependency management between Product functions or domains to confidently plan and deliver integrated solutions

Implement strong quality assurance and continuous improvement processes to improve delivery health and minimise risks to programme delivery

Able to foresee potential risks and issues, facilitate discussion and lead customer concerns

Responsible for the technology budget and driving value for money in the most efficient way

Drive the successful adoption of DevOps supporting in the triage and resolution of major incidents and collaborating with Engineering and Product to ensure operational success

Work collaboratively with partners across business area(s) using deep and relevant technology experience to simplify sophisticated technology issues

Build trusted relationships with and effectively lead contractual obligations with vendors and other external partners to ensure successful delivery of outcomes

Proactively evaluate industry, technology and delivery trends to demonstrate external findings and drive improvements internally

Interact with and actively contribute to the rest of the TPM Community to share lessons learnt and drive consistency across the organisation

Support Technical Programme Managers across the portfolio with their ongoing personal development to ensure that the functions of these positions are properly and effectively being implemented, encouraging collaborative feedback interactions from the community, partners & team

Key Experience

Job knowledge – specialist skills, experiences, qualifications, specific systems or practices relevant to the role, the latest function specific knowledge

Business knowledge – level of commercial awareness, economic, commercial, political experience, industry specific knowledge to differentiate M&S from competitors

Problem solving – analytical skills, ability to advise, lead and deliver solutions that go beyond existing ways of doing things

People & Leadership skills – communications, leadership and talent development skills.

Essential

Extensive experience in outcome led Product/Programme delivery

Extensive experience of Software development or Technical Product/Programme Management/Agile delivery

Excellent interpersonal skills, proactive can do demeanour and ability to communicate optimally with both technical and non‐technical individuals

Experience delivering large-scale initiatives across multiple teams and functions

Strong working knowledge/experience of Agile/Scaled Agile practices including Scrum, Kanban and DevOps

Highly diligent professional with excellent leadership and coaching skills in lean agile practices

Strong financial and commercial competence including experience of managing budgets and being responsible for contractual discussions

Strong facilitation skills to articulate clear outputs, drive teams or individuals towards specific desirable outcomes

Desirable

Experience in multiple Agile Project/Portfolio Management tools e.g. Jira/JiraAlign

Experience using facilitation techniques, Design Thinking techniques, coaching and learning frameworks

Experience of engineering practices like BDD, XP and Agile Testing, Continuous Integration and Continuous delivery

Prior experience working in the Retail Industry

Bachelor’s degree

Project Management, Agile or Scaled Agile certification

M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact. We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk inquisitive/flexible working.  We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty which means you are unable to complete the application process online, please get in touch either by phone on 0345 300 3725 or by email recruitment.online@marksandspencer.com so we can make alternative arrangements for you.

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