Lead Solution Specialist - Power Platform & Automation

Lead Solution Specialist - Power Platform & Automation
£55,000 - £65,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5) 
Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and our Manchester office as required for team days, meetings, and events (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 Lead Solution Specialist – Power Platform & Automation to join our Digital Workplace team and help us shape the future of Power Platform services across our Co-op. In this role, you'll provide technical leadership across the Power Platform ecosystem, ensuring the solutions we build are secure, scalable and aligned to business needs. Working closely with colleagues across technology and the wider business, you'll combine hands-on expertise, solution design and strategic thinking to drive the successful delivery of digital solutions that create value across the organisation.

Why this role matters

This is an exciting opportunity to influence how Co-op uses Power Platform and automation technologies to transform the way we work. You'll play a leading role in defining the technical direction of the platform, guiding best practice and helping teams solve complex business challenges through simple, sustainable solutions. As a recognised subject matter expert, you'll have the opportunity to shape strategy, mentor engineers and work on high-impact initiatives that support colleagues, improve services and accelerate digital innovation across Co-op.

What you’ll do

•    Provide technical leadership across Power Platform services, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable and aligned with business goals
•    Design solution architectures using Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio and related Microsoft technologies
•    Work with business and technical stakeholders to understand requirements and shape effective platform solutions
•    Define and promote standards, governance, best practices and guardrails to support sustainable platform adoption
•    Lead the design of integrations and APIs, ensuring solutions work effectively across cloud and hybrid environments
•    Provide hands-on support for complex development activities, architecture decisions and technical problem solving
•    Coach and mentor engineers, helping to develop technical capability across the team
•    Contribute to the strategic direction of Power Platform services, identifying opportunities to improve capabilities and deliver greater business value

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:

•    Proven hands-on experience across Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Apps, Power Automate, and Copilot Studio.
•    Strong solution architecture and technical design skills, with experience delivering solutions in cloud and hybrid environments.
•    Knowledge of API management, integration patterns and modern application design principles.
•    Proven ability to translate complex business challenges into practical, supportable technical solutions.
•    Experience working with both business and technical stakeholders to define requirements and influence outcomes.
•    Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly to a range of audiences.
•    Experience mentoring and coaching engineers, supporting technical decision-making and capability development

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 
•    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