Head of Technology – Commercial and Supply Data Full Time NEW

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Think about the scale it takes to feed the nation. The level of data, transactions and variety involved. Then you’ll realise this is a modern software engineering environment, because it has to be. We’ve made significant investment in the standards and principles that shape how we work. We iterate, learn, experiment and champion ways of working such as Agile, Scrum and XP. So you can look forward to exciting opportunities across everything from AI to reusable tech.The Head of Technology role is critical in defining Sainsbury’s technology strategy with strategic partners, ensuring technical, service, and delivery excellence across a large and diverse portfolio that touches every Sainsbury’s site and colleague. This highly credible leader collaborates brilliantly across Sainsbury’s Tech, the wider business, and maintains executive-level relationships with our Partners, epitomising our valued behaviours while driving innovation, financial rigour, and operational excellence at scale. Accountable for a large budget and indirect management of 50+ offshore partner colleagues, this role bridges internal stakeholders, vendors, and partner engineering to deliver value-oriented data transformation and high-quality service.What I Am Accountable ForTechnology StrategyDefine and lead the technology strategy within Sainsbury’s Tech in collaboration with Partners, Product Management, and stakeholders at all levels, ensuring alignment with business outcomes and corporate priorities. Act as the pivotal bridge between internal stakeholders, vendors and partner engineering teams, ensuring constant alignment with technology strategy and seamless translation of business needs into technical delivery. Drive scope changes to partner contracts working closely with Supplier Relationship Management teams and stakeholders, ensuring contractual modifications deliver business value and maintain commercial rigour. Champion innovation across the data portfolio, identifying opportunities to leverage emerging technologies and inspiring stakeholders at all levels through thought leadership and strategic vision. LeadershipProvide inspiring, motivational leadership to direct team whilst enabling an environment where 50+ offshore partner colleagues can be their brilliant best. Lead the evolution of direct and indirect teams toward agile ways of working, driving cultural change, removing wasteful activity, and continuously improving outcomes and value delivery. Foster a culture of innovation, high technical standards, and operational excellence across distributed teams spanning Sainsbury’s colleagues and strategic partner organizations. Hire to high standards that continuously improve organizational capabilities, while rewarding, empowering, and developing top talent across the technology function. Financial AccountabilityMaintain rigorous financial control of a large budget, ensuring spend aligns with business priorities, contract commitments, and value delivery targets. Identify and deliver cost optimisation opportunities in collaboration with Procurement, Product Management, and Supplier Relationship Management teams at all levels across the organization. Drive commercial discipline in partner engagement, ensuring contractual compliance, value realization, and accountability for budget performance. Technical AssuranceProvide technical assurance across the scope of strategic partner services, working with Architecture and Engineering leaders to ensure adherence to enterprise principles and standards. Review and approve architectural designs at enterprise level, ensuring solutions meet technical standards, security policies, and long-term strategic requirements. Ensure security standards and policies are adhered to through design review processes and governance frameworks, maintaining accountability for continuous improvement. Delivery AssuranceDefine and deliver partner outcomes, maintaining rigour around operational processes, KPI performance, and accountability to senior stakeholders at all levels across the business. Lead capacity management for change in partnership with strategic partners and Product Management, ensuring focus on highest-return priorities aligned with budget and corporate objectives. Ensure successful delivery of supplier services into Sainsbury’s, tracking external dependencies and impacts at enterprise level and cross-domain where required. Drive value-oriented change and high-quality service delivery through leadership of technical, delivery, and service management across partner relationships. Service ManagementLead vendor management including relationships with Partners across Sainsbury’s Tech, ensuring service quality, contractual compliance, and strategic alignment. Manage the quality and integrity of all services provided by engineering teams, ensuring performance meets agreed SLAs and user expectations. Track problems, audit items, and risks through to closure, liaising with senior internal audit teams and partners to maintain compliance and operational excellence. Champion quality and performant service provision, contributing to broader initiatives outside functional areas of responsibility and driving service improvement at scale. EssentialWhat I need to knowSignificant and in-depth experience working with large-scale third-party technology suppliers and managing complex partner relationshipsBroad industry knowledge of infrastructure technologies, service management, and delivery management at enterprise scaleGood grounding in technology and software delivery including system design, software development, infrastructure management, or delivery managementExtensive experience in technology leadership roles managing large budgets and complex portfoliosProven track record demonstrating strong commercial acumen and delivering financial valueSubstantial experience managing offshore and nearshore delivery teams at scale (50+ colleagues)Proven experience identifying and delivering continuous improvement through innovation, commercial optimization, or service enhancementStrong track record building and maintaining executive-level relationships with strategic technology partnersExperience operating at senior stakeholder level including engagement with executive leadershipDemonstrable success leading cultural change, agile transformation, and operational improvement initiativesStrong leadership skills with ability to apply these at scale to colleagues in matrix structures both inside and outside the organizationAbility to coach others to make customer-oriented decisions and share stories of exceptional customer serviceBalanced leadership style with ability to ‘say it in the room,’ celebrate success, and call out opportunities for improvementTrack record hiring to high standards and developing high-performing teamsKnowledge of data engineering, AI/ML platforms, and emerging technology trendsDesirableExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud transformation initiativesUnderstanding of retail technology landscape and e-commerce platformsExperience with global technology partnerships and multi-vendor governanceBackground in technology transformation or large-scale change programsWhat I Need To ShowOwn itTake full accountability for the budget, partner performance, and delivery outcomes, ensuring commitments are met and maintaining transparent communication with Director and executive stakeholders when challenges ariseDrive contractual compliance and commercial rigour across partner relationships, holding vendors accountable for performance while ensuring Sainsbury’s obligations are met with integrityHold yourself and teams to high standards, ensuring technical quality, operational excellence, and service delivery meet enterprise expectations even under pressure or competing prioritiesDon’t walk past underperformance or inefficiency, addressing partner, team, or process issues promptly and decisively, escalating appropriately while driving resolution at paceMake it betterContinuously optimise your portfolio for cost, performance, quality, and business value, using data-driven insights to identify and deliver improvements that strengthen Sainsbury’s capabilitiesImprove the experience for internal stakeholders and partner teams by simplifying processes, removing blockers, and creating clarity that enables teams to deliver value efficientlySpot opportunities to innovate across the portfolio and partner relationships, championing adoption of emerging technologies and practices that deliver competitive advantage for Sainsbury’sChallenge wasteful activity and complexity, driving cultural change toward more agile ways of working and eliminating processes that don’t add value while maintaining necessary governanceBe humanCollaborate brilliantly up, down, and across Sainsbury’s Tech and the wider business, building trusted relationships with senior leaders, partners, and teams through empathy, transparency, and reliabilityInspire and motivate direct teams and 50+ partner colleagues, creating an environment where people can be their brilliant best and feel valued regardless of employment structureCommunicate with impact to diverse audiences from executive stakeholders to engineering teams, adapting your style to build understanding, alignment, and trust at all levelsEpitomize Sainsbury’s valued behaviours in all interactions with strategic partners, representing the brand with professionalism, respect, and integrity while maintaining executive-level relationships and partnership quality” We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business – and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:Starting off with colleague discount, you’ll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury’s, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We’ve also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You’ll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 65% of salary, depending on how we perform (in cash and shares).Your wellbeing is important to us too. You’ll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week’s holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. You’ll also receive a company car cash allowance unless you are going to travel 10,000 business miles in your role, then you’ll be able to choose a car. And if you ever need it there is also an employee assistance programme.Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).”