At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to modernise and simplify complex systems in the food sector.
- Company: Join M&S, a forward-thinking company transforming the retail landscape.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and tailored training from day one.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team committed to innovation and positive change.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the future of food technology at M&S.
- Qualifications: Experience in scalable systems, API design, and leading technical teams is essential.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
We are modernising the platforms that power how M&S Foods designs products, collaborates with suppliers and manages commercial decisions. These systems sit at the centre of the M&S Foods ecosystem and support thousands of internal users and suppliers across product development, supply chain and commercial operations. Our focus is evolving a complex landscape of legacy systems and point-to-point integrations into modern API-led and event-driven distributed systems that are easier to scale, operate and extend.
We are looking for a Software Engineering Manager – Food & International Food, to help shape the architecture and technical direction of these platforms. This role works across multiple product teams to solve complex engineering problems, improve system reliability and establish shared technical patterns that enable teams to build safely and efficiently.
What You’ll Work On
- Simplifying complex legacy integrations across enterprise systems
- Defining clear domain boundaries and service ownership across platforms
- Moving from batch and point-to-point integrations to API-led and event-driven architectures
- Designing reliable APIs and event contracts used across multiple teams
- Improving platform observability, resilience and operational visibility
- Enabling teams to build on shared platform capabilities instead of duplicating solutions
What You’ll Do
- Own and shape platform architecture
- Lead and enable engineering teams
- Define and evolve architecture for critical systems across the Foods domain, including service boundaries, integration patterns and data models.
- Solve complex engineering problems
- Lead the design of solutions that span multiple teams and distributed systems.
- Modernise legacy platforms
- Help transition existing workflows and integrations towards scalable distributed services and event-driven platforms.
- Provide technical guidance through architecture discussions, design reviews and collaborative problem solving.
- Raise engineering standards
- Champion strong practices in testing, observability, reliability and system design.
We have a few openings available for the role, depending on team alignment; the role may focus on one of the following domains:
- Product Data & New Product Development
- Supplier & Commercial Platforms
What We’re Looking For
This role is suited to Managers who enjoy solving complex technical problems and influencing engineering direction across multiple teams. Experience in the following areas is helpful:
- Designing scalable distributed systems and APIs
- Leading technical design across multiple services or teams
- Simplifying complex legacy systems and integrations
- Working with event-driven architectures and messaging systems
- Improving reliability, testing and observability of production systems
- Leading and mentoring engineers and supporting strong engineering practices
- Collaborating closely with product teams and domain experts
If your experience aligns with most of these areas, we encourage you to apply.
Tech Stack
M&S uses a variety of technologies including; Java, Spring, SpringBOOT, Micronaut, React, Next.js, Typescript, Angular, Azure Cloud, Kubernetes, Dynatrace (observability), Event Streaming Platform with Kafka, Supply chain SaaS tools – Blue Yonder, PIM systems, Ignite, Redis.
What’s In It For You
Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing. Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:
- 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
Everyone’s Welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Software Engineering Manager - Food & International Food employer: Marks & Spencer
At M&S, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation and collaboration thrive. As a Software Engineering Manager in the Food & International Food sector, you'll be at the forefront of modernising our platforms, with access to tailored training and development opportunities that foster your growth. Enjoy a range of benefits including a generous colleague discount, competitive holiday allowance, and a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring you can bring your whole self to work while making a meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineering Manager - Food & International Food
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Marks & Spencer or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Marks & Spencer.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Marks & Spencer.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Marks & Spencer that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Engineering Manager - Food & International Food
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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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.
