Applications Lead

itsu is the healthy eating, Asian inspired quick service retail & grocery brand with over 80 stores in the UK and a leading grocery business across Europe and beyond. Renowned for its best-in-class food made fresh in every shop every day, itsu has huge global ambitions with a commitment to continue to open many more stores and intensify the growth of its already thriving grocery arm.

itsu [grocery], which this role falls under, takes the itsu brand into supermarkets, health food stores, online, wholesale and internationally with products such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza & bao, brilliant’broth, rice’noodles & miso’easy to name a few.

D&I Statement

itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for all of our opportunities.

When applying for a role with us, please remove your: full name, name of University/School, address, email address and any photos of you on your CV and covering letter. Non-anonymised CVs may not be reviewed.

Role Responsibility

• Manage the daily operation and ongoing improvement of ERP, Anaplan, and other core business systems from an IT perspective.
• Maintain application integrity by ensuring consistent and accurate masterdata across platforms.
• Assume the role of IT expert for [grocery] business systems to ensure that all Enterprise Application decisions consider the needs and implications on the Grocery business users.
• Own system configuration and integration touchpoints (EDI, FTP, APIs) and troubleshoot where required.
• Coordinate and define user access rights and security roles across Grocery systems in accordance with IT policy and support the administration of access where required.
• Act as Anaplan system administrator, managing user provisioning, data loads, and minor UX updates (escalating more complex changes to partners or the group team).
• Liaise with software vendors and integration partners for issue resolution and system changes.
• Provide internal support and guidance to [grocery] users on the appropriate use of business applications.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation and configuration records, with the adoption of DevOps standards and tools.
• Support testing and change control processes for system upgrades or new functionality.
• Participate in and influence future platform decisions, ensuring fitness for purpose and alignment with group standards, of [grocery] architecture and application ecosystem.
• Ensure compliance with IT policies around access, data security, and software lifecycle management.
• Ensure that all changes, enhancements, or new implementations are aligned with the application lifecycle and roadmap owned by the Enterprise Applications Manager.
• Work as part of the wider Enterprise Applications Team to share knowledge and promote a consistent approach to masterdata, user access, and integrations.
• Contribute to system planning and decision-making, offering visibility into grocery-specific requirements while upholding group-wide governance and platform design.
• Focus on ensuring data quality, system readiness, and robust integration of applications to enable self-service reporting and analytics by the business.

Scope of the Role

The role of the Applications Lead is to own and manage the core business applications used across itsu [grocery] – with a focus on stability, integration, governance, and scalability. It will have two key stakeholders within a matrix structure: the Enterprise Applications Manager, in Group IT, who the role will report in to, and itsu [grocery] Financial Director. The successful candidate will ensure that the design, implementation, and management of applications such as ERP, Anaplan, and related systems are consistent with itsu’s cloud-first, security-led, and data-driven approach.

Business Applications Ownership

• Take responsibility for the applications used within the Grocery business with consideration of the stability, integrations, and technical upkeep of key business platforms including ERP, Anaplan, and related tools.

Application Governance

• Ensure masterdata, configuration, and usage standards are maintained across systems, aligning with best practice and group-wide guidelines.

Integration and Lifecycle Management

• Manage application integrations (e.g. EDI, FTP), user access controls, and coordinate enhancements or changes with external vendors.

Strategic Alignment

• Work closely with the Enterprise Applications Manager to ensure that new systems, updates, or configurations for [grocery] applications align with the broader Group technology roadmap.

User Support and Documentation

• Act as second-line support for [grocery] application-related issues, own internal documentation, and lead on systems onboarding and guidance.

The Ideal Candidate

• Some hands-on experience or a strong interest in working with Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and associated administrative tools.
• Awareness or working knowledge of access management, device management tools (such as Intune), and cloud governance principles.
• Interest in or exposure to cloud-based file sharing and collaboration tools such as SharePoint and Azure Blob Storage.
• A logical thinker with strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn through hands-on experience.
• Basic knowledge of bespoke business systems or databases hosted in the cloud is an advantage.
• A team player who communicates clearly and works well with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience or interest in the retail or FMCG industry would be beneficial.
• A proactive, self-motivated individual with a passion for technology and customer service.
• Eager to grow and develop a career in cloud infrastructure and IT operation.
• Customer focussed/obsessed.

Perks and Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Competitive bonus scheme.
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays).
• Hybrid working (2 days wfh).
• Health insurance.
• Company pension scheme.
• The chance to work directly with the co-founder of itsu & Pret.
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops.
• Free itsu lunch.
• Discounts at major retailers.
• A sizeable training budget to support your ongoing development.