At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic software engineering team to deliver innovative solutions for millions of customers.
- Company: Join the iconic M&S brand, transforming retail with cutting-edge technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and tailored training from day one.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a digital-first environment while driving engineering excellence.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in software engineering and strong technical skills across various technologies.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Description
As part of the M&S Software Engineering team, you’ll be joining a well-loved historic brand, working on solutions that serve millions of loyal customers and thousands of colleagues.
This is an exciting time as we continue our transformation into a digital-first, engineering-led organisation, with technology playing a key role in delivering value across the business.
As a
Software Engineering Manager , you’ll combine people leadership, technical direction and delivery excellence to build high-performing teams, drive engineering standards and deliver scalable software solutions that support business outcomes.
A key focus of this role will be supporting the Fashion, Home & Beauty programme to decouple core business capabilities from SAP.
As part of this transformation, you will lead the engineering activities required to build new backend services and evolve existing platforms, ensuring solutions are scalable, maintainable and aligned to M&S technology strategy.
Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.
What You'll Do
Your key accountabilities will include
- Lead and develop a high-performing software engineering team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Oversee the delivery of software initiatives, ensuring solutions are aligned to business goals, customer needs, timelines and quality expectations.
- Drive engineering excellence by establishing strong technical standards, challenging solution design decisions and promoting modern software engineering practices.
- Ensure software solutions are secure, reliable, resilient and operationally effective, with quality, performance and maintainability built into delivery.
- Manage relationships with vendors, partners and stakeholders, holding them accountable for high-quality delivery and successful business outcomes.
- Act as the primary Engineering contact for the wider
SAP Decoupling Programme , partnering closely with Product, Delivery and Business stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes.
- Work with Domain Architects and Solution Architects to design and deliver appropriate technical solutions that support business processes transitioning away from SAP.
- Form, scale and lead engineering teams responsible for building new services and modernising existing capabilities, leveraging both existing and new engineering resources.
- Ensure strong engineering maturity, adherence to M&S technology standards and the effective adoption of AI tooling across the software development lifecycle where appropriate.
Who You Are
Your skills and experience will include
- Proven experience leading and developing high-performing software engineering teams, delivering scalable and high-quality software solutions.
- Strong software engineering background with experience across a range of technologies, architectures and distributed systems.
- Excellent understanding of software architecture, system design, cloud technologies, Dev Ops principles and engineering best practices.
- Strong people leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical audiences.
- A collaborative, servant-leadership approach with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with a focus on continuous improvement and ownership.
- Experience leading large-scale technology transformation initiatives, modernisation programmes or platform migrations across complex enterprise environments.
- Strong technical judgement with the ability to challenge architectural decisions, balance business priorities with technical requirements and drive pragmatic outcomes.
- Tech Stack
The teams use a variety of technologies, including
- Java, Spring, Spring Boot and Micronaut
- React, Next. js, Type Script and Angular
- Azure Cloud, Kubernetes and Dynatrace
- SQL Server and Mongo DB
- Ignite and Redis
Additional technologies for this programme are expected to include
- Java and Micronaut
- Potential use of Kotlin for new backend service development
Desirable Experience
- Knowledge of the Retail domain, particularly around the Clothing Product Development and Planning lifecycle, would be highly advantageous.
- Experience delivering SAP modernisation, decomposition or decoupling programmes.
- Experience designing and delivering microservices architectures, API-first integrations and cloud-native backend services.
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.
#LI-NO1 #LI-Hybrid
Software Engineering Manager - SAP Decoupling employer: Marks & Spencer
At M&S, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Ashby de la Zouch that fosters teamwork and flexibility. Our Customer Assistants in Operations enjoy competitive pay, including an unsocial hours premium, and have access to growth opportunities within a supportive culture that values hard work and dedication. Join us to be part of a team that keeps our stores running smoothly while developing your skills in a fast-paced retail setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineering Manager - SAP Decoupling
✨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 - SAP Decoupling
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.
