Deliver the right technology solutions to achieve business goals.

Playing a key role within Technology we are looking for someone to lead delivery across a number of Product and Project based teams. You will be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of the technology stack within M&S Clothing & Home. You will be underpinning key initiatives across the business. This will require a hands-on approach, combined with strong technical acuity and good partner management, to drive engagement and OKRs. You will be interacting cross functionally with product management, business partners, software engineering, architecture and other fields meaning you will be comfortable conversing with specialists in a variety of areas in often technical conversations, making complexity clear.

Description

At M&S the Technology Solutions Lead (TSL) is the glue of engineering, product and business strategies - and we are looking for someone to work across the teams responsible for the key platforms that M&S Clothing & Home builds its applications on.

We’re looking for someone who not only has a passion for delivering innovative Technology but also the aim to operate in a fast moving and sophisticated Retailing environment as M&S goes through significant ground-breaking change as a business.

Within M&S the change is particularly pronounced as we fundamentally transform the way we operate energising innovation, driving improved efficiencies and data driven decision making in the Planning, Making and Buying our products. Allayed to this is a redefining of our technical strategy to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of our customers both now and into the future. For the right person this will be a fantastic opportunity to be at the forefront of that change.

This role requires someone who can lead and empower diverse teams, build relationships with key partners across a variety of subject areas and who isn’t afraid to get stuck in. The portfolio is also leading the way in our Technology transformation, so we’re looking for someone who is comfortable being uncomfortable, who can bring people along with them on the journey and who can empower a team to be their best.

The mission is to harness M&S agile ways of working across the teams and our strategic ambitions to enable major deliveries at scale. The key to the success of this role is building positive, trusting relationships through consistent, timely delivery of commitments and effective communication in-line with the M&S Way. More specifically, the TSL role is the embodiment of ‘own it, and get it done’ and centres around the following 6 themes:

Detailed technical planning and risk management, issue resolution.

Proactive impediment removal

Efficiency - as defined by a set of OKRs.

Dependency management

Co-ordination and comms

Successful implementation of continuous improvement processes

Key accountabilities and measures

Enabling the business to exploit technology solutions to achieve business goals through the best use of technology.

Working collaboratively with partners across a business area or areas, using their deep and relevant technology experience, to identify how business challenges can be expressed in a way that enables a greater use of agile, incremental and more efficient delivery.

Building the right networks across the business functional areas teams can be a trusted partner and advisor to define the solutions needed by the business.

Challenging the technology partners or internal technology to identify clear root cause for operational issues, sign-off proposed continuous improvement plans, agree variations to assignment of critical SLAs and important metrics assigned for the business areas.

Supporting the technology partners in delivering technology change by establishing business partner consensus for crafting, moving and leading operational change windows

Craft and establish business cases to support roadmap plans, showing an understanding of the complete lifecycle and impact of costs across the whole technology cost model, ensuring M&S invests in the right solutions at the right long-term cost.

Work with the partner technology delivery teams, to unblock major issues preventing delivery outside the scope of the provider, support the Business in critical decision making on behalf of the business where required.

Challenging the partner to demonstrate they have control of delivery across the portfolio, through review of performance, validation and demonstrating executive critical issues.

Work with Portfolio Support to ensure business benefits are quantified in relation to requirements and impacts to process, organisation, acceptance testing, training and culture are identified, planned for and led.

Support the Head of Technology Solutions in developing roadmaps, leading the M&S Technology planning and forecasting, ensuring alignment to strategic imperatives for M&S. Provide holistic project management as required, including planning, controlling and managing projects.

Support the business area in its transition to working with a Technology function that is increasingly using agile over waterfall delivery approaches.

Champion strong working relationships with relevant Business Stakeholders and Product teams

Find opportunities to improve or adapt existing business processes where more appropriate than a technical solution.

Work with the Partner development/engineering teams to ensure that the business requirement/capability is collected and documented are clearly handed over and correctly understood to the required level.

Feedback any partner failure/blockage to the Delivery Manager and relevant HOTs to support shift resolution and service improvement.

Ensure any supplier failures/blockages are clearly understood and appropriate resolutions recommended.

Key skills

5 years + proven experience in either Technical Product Management or Project / Programme Management.

Accreditations in the use of Agile, PRINCE2 and/or MSP

Consistent track record of efficiently launching technology products and services with geographically distributed teams.

Ability to work on and supervise multiple projects simultaneously within a Product structure.

Proven ability to think creatively and strategically when implementing products and solving problems.

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-‐technical individuals.

Some Retail experience desirable.

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 smart/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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