Principal Delivery Manager

Principal Delivery Manager
£80,000 - £90,000 plus private healthcare, company car or car allowance and more great benefits (Work Level 4)
9 to 12 month fixed-term contract
Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office for workshops, team meetings and events as required (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We’re open to applications from people who may require flexible working arrangements. There’ll be an opportunity to discuss your flexible working requirements during the interview process, and at offer stage.

We’re reshaping our Digital, Technology and Data function for the future, creating new opportunities, strengthening our capability, and building clearer, more resilient ways of working so we can deliver even better services for our Co-op, our colleagues, members and customers.

We're looking for a Principal Delivery Manager to join our Technology team and help us evolve how product delivery happens across some of the most important and complex areas of our business. As part of our Delivery Management Practice and Principal Delivery Leadership team, you'll work across a broad value stream spanning logistics, wholesale, commercial and platform capabilities. Partnering with product, technology and business leaders, you'll help bring greater clarity, consistency and effectiveness to product delivery, supporting teams to navigate complexity and improve outcomes for our colleagues, members and customers.

Why this role matters

This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact in an area of strategic importance to Co-op. You'll work across a diverse portfolio, helping teams and leaders strengthen delivery practices, improve ways of working and overcome complex challenges. You'll use your experience, influence and judgement to drive meaningful improvements, build alignment across stakeholders and help shape the future of product delivery in a constantly evolving environment.

What you’ll do

• Partner with product, technology and business leaders to improve the flow of value across multiple domains and teams
• Coach, support and develop Delivery Managers and senior stakeholders, embedding modern product delivery practices and durable team principles
• Drive continuous improvement through practical, incremental change, improving consistency, clarity and effectiveness across delivery practices
• Help leaders navigate competing priorities, dependencies and delivery challenges across a complex portfolio
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and influencing decision-making across a complex portfolio
• Support the evolution of product-led ways of working, helping teams balance immediate delivery needs with longer-term strategic objectives
• Assess delivery maturity across teams, identifying opportunities to improve ways of working, team effectiveness and product delivery outcomes
• Guide teams in adopting effective delivery practices, tools and governance, helping them improve planning, capacity management and visibility of work

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• Significant experience leading delivery across complex product and technology environments
• Strong coaching and leadership skills, with the ability to influence teams, stakeholders and senior leaders
• Experience assessing delivery maturity and improving delivery practices within organisations at different stages of product and agile maturity
• Confidence building credibility with senior stakeholders and constructively challenging senior leaders to drive better delivery outcomes
• A strong understanding of technology and how it enables business and customer outcomes
• Experience working in large-scale operational, platform or B2B environments
• Resilience, optimism and a pragmatic approach to overcoming complex delivery challenges

We know some people may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. At Co-op, we’re committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• A company car or £6,000 car allowance
• Private healthcare
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion