At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technology strategy and inspire teams to drive innovation and operational excellence.
- Company: Join Sainsbury's Tech, a leader in retail technology with a focus on collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, bonuses, healthcare, and flexible leave options.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values inclusivity and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in tech transformation while leading diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing large tech suppliers and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
As the Head of Technology for Sainsbury's Tech, you will define and drive the technology strategy in partnership with senior leaders and external suppliers. The role reports to the Senior Head of Engineering and entails accountability for technical, service, and delivery standards across a diverse portfolio. You will inspire and engage teams, lead cultural and agile transformation, and maintain financial control of a significant budget.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the technology strategy in collaboration with strategic partners and internal stakeholders.
- Ensure technical, service, and delivery standards are met across all portfolios.
- Provide motivational leadership to direct reports and teams engaged through strategic partners.
- Oversee partner outcomes, vendor relationships, and service management initiatives.
- Maintain financial control of a substantial budget, delivering commercial value and financial outcomes.
- Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.
- Lead cultural change initiatives, agile transformation, and operational improvement projects.
- Engage executive leadership and foster executive‑level relationships with strategic technology partners.
- Provide technical assurance and oversee the delivery of data pipelines, analytics, and AI/ML solutions.
Qualifications
- Significant experience managing large‑scale third‑party technology suppliers and complex partner relationships.
- Track record of building and maintaining high‑quality output from third‑party teams.
- Broad industry knowledge of data technologies, service management, and delivery management at enterprise scale.
- Strong grounding in system design, data pipeline development, and technology delivery.
- Extensive experience in technology leadership roles managing large budgets and complex portfolios.
- Proven commercial acumen and ability to deliver financial value.
- Substantial experience managing offshore and nearshore delivery teams (30+ colleagues).
- Demonstrable success in leading continuous improvement and commercial optimisation.
- Expertise in building and maintaining executive‑level relationships with strategic partners.
- Experience operating at senior stakeholder level, including executive leadership engagement.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach colleagues in matrixed structures.
- Knowledge of data engineering, AI/ML platforms, and emerging technology trends.
- Desirable: experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Snowflake) and cloud transformation initiatives.
- Understanding of the retail technology landscape and e‑commerce platforms.
- Experience with global technology partnerships and multi‑vendor governance.
- Background in technology transformation or large‑scale change programs.
Benefits
- Employee discount: 10%–15% on Sainsbury's, Argos, TU, and Habitat.
- Pensions scheme and life cover.
- Performance‑related bonus of up to 65% of salary.
- Annual holiday allowance with the option to purchase an extra week.
- Private healthcare.
- Season ticket loans, cycle‑to‑work scheme, health cash plans, and salary advance.
- Company car cash allowance or company car if business mileage exceeds 10,000 miles.
- Employee assistance programme.
- Up to 26 weeks' pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks' pay for paternity leave.
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer and welcome applicants of all backgrounds.
Head of Technology - Data - 24m FTC employer: Sainsbury’s Group
Sainsbury's Tech is an exceptional employer that prioritises innovation and employee growth, offering a dynamic work culture where technology leaders can thrive. With a strong commitment to inclusivity, competitive benefits such as performance-related bonuses, private healthcare, and generous employee discounts, Sainsbury's fosters an environment that encourages continuous improvement and agile transformation. Located in a vibrant retail landscape, this role provides the opportunity to lead significant technological advancements while collaborating with strategic partners and executive leadership.
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