Senior Technical Programme Manager (Enabling Functions)

About the Enabling Functions (EF) Programme Team

Enabling Functions are responsible for bringing out the best in our colleagues by giving them the support they need to perform at the highest level.  By helping our core business across diverse parts of the organisation such as Global Operations, Finance, HR, Property, Legal and Procurement make the most of the latest technological innovations, we have real far-reaching impact across Tesco.  

We provide services on a large scale; as the second largest employer in the UK, our teams are responsible for deploying and managing Payroll systems which support over 300,000 people.  Our finance systems execute billions of pounds worth of payment transactions each year and in the future, we expect the size of our services to continue to grow.

We are about to start the next chapter for Tesco with ambitious plans to transform the technology landscape. Central to that plan will be building strong relationships both within Technology and the wider business to ensure that, as we scale out our platforms, our core systems continue to support and align with our growing business needs.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Programme Manager to lead a team who together will be ambassadors for Enabling functions within Technology and the business.  You will engage across a broad part of the organisation understanding how Tesco products and services function. The successful candidate will have strong stakeholder management skills, able to influence at all levels and be skilled at shaping programmes from early inception and then taking them through to delivery.

The position will be based in the UK with occasional travel to other Tesco sites i.e., India and Central offices.

Senior Technical Programme Managers (STPMs) lead teams that deliver complex, cross-functional technology programmes that support colleagues and help serve our customers better. They work collaboratively, influence Product, Engineering, and business colleagues to deliver value quickly and often.

Whilst specific responsibilities will be dependent upon the changing needs of the Tesco business, the following provides an overview of the role’s key responsibilities and measures:

• Deliver complex programmes with multiple business and technical risks that will impact the success of key Tesco business priorities
• Establish new or improve existing delivery methodology to deliver the programme goals
• Initiate and shape programmes with ambiguous scope and uncertain delivery approach
• Create and track a plan to deliver the programme goals, including the technical implementation plan
• Provide expert advice and guidance on programme delivery (mentoring other TPMs and supporting Engineering/Product teams)
• Understand trade-offs in software delivery, using experience and influencing skills to drive consensus with the Engineering and Product teams to obtain the best value and solution
• Able to foresee potential risks and issues, establish a process, facilitate discussions, and manage escalations
• Act on opportunities to adopt trends and new concepts in programme and product delivery
• Able to understand a technical architecture to be able to foresee the impact on dependencies, delivery timelines and implementation plans
• Have good knowledge of engineering best practices and practical infrastructure implementations to appreciate delivery challenges
• Ask probing questions of Engineering and Product teams to ensure solutions meet programme objectives
• Understand technology concepts, grasp new ones quickly and appreciate their implications on delivery
• Effectively manage major incidents, ensuring stakeholders are updated with the right information to drive the correct decisions
• Collaborate with the Product and Engineering teams to define annual budgetary requirements
• Build positive relationships with suppliers & external stakeholders to deliver software or professional services
• Add value to vendor selection processes (tendering, agreeing SLAs, warranty periods, outsourcing)
• Proactively research trends and development in technology, and programme and product delivery
• Coach peers and other roles, teaching where required, on methodologies and programme management tools and coach/mentor on leadership
• Take a leading role in the recruitment process and make final recruitment decisions
• Play an active leadership role in the TPM guild and community – proactively influencing capability and capacity planning for TPMs

An ideal candidate must have demonstrated below key skills in their current and past roles:

• Have a proven record of accomplishment in delivering technology and/or infrastructure; having done so across multiple teams in multiple geographies
• Have experience of building credible relationships and influencing senior management & leadership teams
• Strong Project, Stakeholder & Programme management skills
• Strong vendor management and negotiating skills.
• Exceptional reporting skills for programs and financial forecasting
• Excellent communication & influencing skills and adoptability to changes
• Proven track record of development and management of teams.

We offer excellent benefits that help make Tesco a great place to work!  These include but are not limited to:

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 45% of base salary
• Car allowance of £7320 per annum
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (and bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance offered through Bupa
• Retirement savings plan – save between 4% and 7.5% and Tesco will match your contribution
• Life Assurance at 5x contractual pay
• Buy as you earn and Save as you earn share schemes

Our vision at Tesco is to become every customer’s favourite way to shop, whether they are at home or out on the move.  Our core purpose is “Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day”.  Serving means more than a transactional relationship with our customers.  It means acting as a responsible and sustainable business for all stakeholders, for the communities we are part of, and for the planet.

We are proud to have an inclusive culture at Tesco where everyone truly feels able to be themselves.  At Tesco, we not only celebrate diversity, but recognise the value and opportunity it brings.  We’re committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued, and make sure that all colleagues are given the same opportunities.  We’re a big business with diverse working patterns and many business areas which means that we can find something that works for you.  Everyone is welcome at Tesco.

We have recently announced that we are moving to a more blended working week – combining office and remote working.  Our offices continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate.  Talk to us about how this can work for you.

Note: Should you be successful in your application, your employment will be subject to and conditional upon you providing your bank account details on your agreed start date.