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 doYour 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 Dev Ops culture.

Who you areYour 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 HCMOracle 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 & IntegrationHCM Data Loader (HDL)
HCM ExtractsOTBI / BI PublisherREST APIsPassport Partners Enterprise SaaS integrations and data managementAPI-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…