At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to enhance HR technology and support the full colleague lifecycle.
- Company: Join M&S, a forward-thinking company with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and 24/7 wellbeing support.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values clarity, simplicity, and high standards.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in HR tech while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in leading engineering teams and managing complex integrations.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
As Head of Software Engineering – Corporate HR, you will lead the engineering teams responsible for a broad and integration-heavy HR technology estate that supports the full colleague lifecycle at M&S, from recruitment through to payroll, reward, learning and workforce management.
Responsibilities
- Set the engineering strategy and technical direction for Corporate HR, aligned to Central Tech and the wider engineering organisation.
- Lead and develop 4–5 Engineering Managers and support strong software engineering and Software Development Engineer in Test teams.
- Oversee the engineering health of the core HR technology estate, including:
- Oracle PeopleSoft for workforce record administration, compensation, learning and core HR processes
- SD Worx for payroll
- JDA for workforce management
- Totara for learning management
- Oleeo for applicant tracking and recruitment workflows
- Provide engineering leadership across a wide set of integrated specialist platforms, including systems such as:
- Avature, Criterion, TalentBrew, Invenias, HireVue, SAP Fieldglass, 10x and Rare in recruitment
- Oracle HelpDesk / CRM and Anana in colleague interaction
- PAM Group, Gallagher, Capita, Legal & General, Reward Gateway, Salary Finance, Equiniti, Zenith and Terryberry in reward and wellbeing
- SAP WPB, GoodPractice and Guider in learning and development
- OASIS, OrgVue, Oracle Business Intelligence, ETS and Hallmark PAMS across document management, organisation modelling, analytics and colleague services
- Be accountable for the large number of integrations, interfaces and data exchanges across this estate, including flows between HR, payroll, workforce management, identity and access management, finance, reporting and third-party providers.
- Ensure systems and integrations are secure, reliable, observable and supportable, with clear ownership, support models, runbooks and service measures.
- Drive strong engineering practices across architecture, documentation, testing, continuous integration and continuous delivery, production operations, incident management and service ownership.
- Simplify legacy technology, reduce unnecessary complexity and manage technical debt across a multi-vendor environment.
- Shape pragmatic target architectures, including improved application programming interface and event-driven integration patterns where they are the right fit.
- Work closely with stakeholders across HR and Technology to shape roadmaps, prioritise risk, and make technical trade-offs visible.
Qualifications
- Experience leading multiple engineering teams through managers in a complex software environment.
- A strong track record of improving engineering quality, service reliability and delivery performance across business-critical systems.
- Significant experience managing integration-heavy estates with many third‑party platforms, suppliers, interfaces and operational dependencies.
- Strong knowledge of application programming interfaces, middleware, event‑driven architecture, third‑party SaaS platforms, vendor management and production support models.
- Experience working in HR, payroll, workforce management, finance or other corporate platform domains is valuable.
- A leadership style that values clarity, simplicity, ownership and high engineering standards.
Benefits
- 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third‑party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation.
- Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more.
- Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours.
- Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future.
- Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one.
- Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal.
- Market‑leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave.
- 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services.
- One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you.
We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best.
Head of Software Engineering - HR in Salford employer: Marks and Spencer
At M&S, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration within our Corporate HR technology teams. With a strong focus on employee development, competitive benefits including a generous colleague discount, flexible holiday options, and comprehensive wellbeing support, we empower our staff to thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in a role where your leadership will shape the future of HR technology, all while enjoying the unique advantages of working in a supportive and inclusive environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Software Engineering - HR in Salford
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Software Engineering - HR in Salford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Marks and Spencer.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Marks and Spencer and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Marks and Spencer uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
