Software Engineering Manager - Talent & Core HR

Summary

Join M&S at a pivotal moment as we continue the transformation of our People & Labour engineering organisation. Our Talent & Core HR domain delivers enterprise SaaS platforms and services that support key activities across the candidate and colleague lifecycle, enabling our People Hub teams to deliver outstanding experiences from recruitment and onboarding through to learning, development and core HR operations.

We're looking for an Engineering Manager to lead engineering teams responsible for these critical platforms. Combining strong people leadership, product expertise and technical knowledge, you'll drive engineering excellence, shape platform strategy and deliver high-quality, scalable solutions that underpin colleague experiences across M&S. You'll work closely with architects, product managers, principal engineers, SaaS vendors and fellow engineering leaders to modernise our HR technology landscape, maximise value from our SaaS products and explore new innovation opportunities, including AI-enabled capabilities.

This role is ideal for a proven engineering leader with deep Oracle HCM expertise who is passionate about developing people, improving digital experiences and delivering business impact through enterprise technology.

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, mentor and develop high-performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and engineering excellence.
• Own the technical roadmap across Recruitment, Talent, Learn, Helpdesk and Core HR platforms, ensuring solutions remain scalable, secure, supportable and aligned to business objectives.
• Partner with Product, Architecture and Engineering leadership to prioritise work, manage dependencies and deliver strategic business outcomes through agile delivery practices.
• Drive SaaS innovation and adoption, including quarterly release management, platform enhancements, AI opportunities and continuous improvement initiatives that improve colleague experiences.
• Ensure operational excellence through proactive maintenance, robust support processes, platform reliability, service ownership and a strong DevOps culture.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• Proven experience leading engineering teams delivering complex enterprise SaaS solutions and business-critical technology platforms.
• Strong hands-on experience designing, configuring, implementing and supporting Oracle HCM Cloud solutions within large organisations.
• Deep functional expertise across Recruitment, Talent Management, Learn, Core HR and Helpdesk processes and technologies.
• Experience simplifying complex systems, reducing technical debt, modernising platforms and driving end-to-end service ownership.
• Strong stakeholder management and leadership skills, with the ability to balance strategic initiatives, project delivery and operational support.

Technology stack and platform expertise

Oracle HCM

• Oracle HCM Functional Configuration
• Security Console
• Oracle Recruiting Cloud (Candidate Experience, Candidate Management & Workflows)
• Learn & Grow
• Talent Management
• Core HR & Work Structures
• Helpdesk (Request Routing, Knowledge Management & Case Handling)

Technical & Integration

• HCM Data Loader (HDL)
• HCM Extracts
• OTBI / BI Publisher
• REST APIs
• Passport Partners
• Enterprise SaaS integrations and data management
• API-led integration patterns and service connectivity

SaaS & UI Extensibility

• Visual Builder Studio
• Page Composer
• Fast Formula
• Configuration-led development approaches
• User experience optimisation across SaaS platforms

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.

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