Head of Digital Technology

Head of Digital | Manchester (3 days on site) | Up to £140k + up to 30% bonus

A renowned consumer business is seeking a Head of Digital to take full ownership of their digital and integration landscape.

About the Role

This position focuses on the engineering aspects of digital, rather than marketing or customer experience. You will be responsible for the platforms that underpin the customer journey, including commerce, loyalty, subscriptions, payments, and a range of internal systems and SaaS products. These are cloud-based, service-oriented, and heavily integrated.

The key challenge is not a new product build but unifying a collection of solid platforms acquired or developed at different times into a seamless operation. If you enjoy streamlining complex estates and take pride in making integrations invisible to the customer, this role will suit you. However, if you are seeking a greenfield rebuild, this is not the right opportunity.

You will manage a team of approximately 15, including contractors, with two current vacancies and two direct reports. The team operates on two-week sprint cycles. You will have real budget ownership and will spend a significant portion of your time managing delivery partners and third-party vendors, not just internal engineers. There is also a clear expectation to champion AI adoption in the team’s daily operations, integrating it as a core element rather than a side project.

The role reports to a Director, with a genuine pathway to progress into a Director-level position over time.

Key Requirements

• Proven Strategic Leadership. You have personally developed and been accountable for delivering a digital or engineering strategy—not merely contributed to or inherited one.
• Comprehensive Expertise in Security, DevOps, and Architecture. This is crucial. The ideal candidate will have direct responsibility for all three areas, rather than overseeing them through separate specialist teams. If your recent roles have been in large organisations where Security and Architecture operated independently, this may be a stretch and is likely to be a focus at the second interview stage.
• Strong Technical Acumen. While you won’t be coding daily, you will review statements of work, technical designs, and delivery approaches, challenging both your team and vendors effectively. You should be comfortable at a high level and willing to delve into details when necessary.
• Vendor and Commercial Negotiation Skills. You must be adept at holding partners accountable, negotiating contracts, and identifying inflated quotes with confidence.
• Experience in Migration and Transformation Programmes. You have successfully delivered significant programmes end to end, with hands-on experience and lessons learned.
• Background in Consumer-Facing Digital or eCommerce. B2C experience is essential. While B2B exposure is beneficial, it is not the primary focus.

About You

The team is close-knit, and the outgoing lead is well respected. We are seeking someone who leads with openness, builds strong relationships effortlessly, and is approachable.

Practical Details

• Permanent position based in Manchester city centre
• Three days per week on site, with occasional travel to London
• No sponsorship available; candidates must have existing right to work in the UK
• Up to £140,000 base salary plus a bonus of up to 30%
• Fast progression possible for the right candidate