Lead Application Engineer - Trading & Supply Chain

Lead Application Engineer - Trading & Supply Chain
£55,000 - £65,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5) 
Scunthorpe DN15 9GE - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the 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 Application Engineer to join our Digital, Technology & Data team and help us deliver reliable, secure and high-performing technology services across Co-op. In this role, you'll be accountable for the stability, performance, support, enhancement and strategic direction of our Wholesale Oracle Retail (Retek) platform and associated application estate. You'll also provide day-to-day technical leadership, helping engineers develop their skills and deliver great outcomes for our colleagues and customers.

Why this role matters

You'll play a key role in supporting a business-critical Co-op Wholesale platform while helping to shape the long-term roadmap for the future replacement of our Oracle Retail application estate. Working alongside product, architecture and business stakeholders, you'll help balance operational excellence today with transformation planning for tomorrow.

What you’ll do

•    Lead the support, maintenance and continuous improvement of Co-op's Wholesale Oracle Retail (Retek) application and supporting technologies (including Database and Integration)
•    Own the end-to-end application lifecycle, ensuring systems remain stable, secure, resilient and high performing
•    Lead complex incident investigations, using data, trend and root cause analysis to identify and prevent recurring issues and guide service improvement activities
•    Plan and deliver upgrades, patches and enhancements, managing risk and change effectively
•    Provide technical leadership across Oracle Retail modules, integrations and associated technologies
•    Work closely with architecture, infrastructure, security, business teams and third-party suppliers, ensuring high-quality support and delivery
•    Lead, coach and develop a small team of application specialists, creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
•    Work closely with product, architecture and business stakeholders to shape the roadmap for the future replacement of the Oracle Retail platform

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 experience leading the support and development of enterprise applications within a retail, wholesale or ERP environment
•    Strong database knowledge and expertise, including advanced SQL development, querying, performance optimization, and data management
•    Knowledge of Oracle Retail (Retek) or similar retail ERP platforms, with an understanding of application architecture, integrations and operational support
•    Experience managing application lifecycles, including upgrades, releases, incident management and service improvement
•    Proven ability to lead technical investigations, solve complex problems and make sound decisions in a live operational environment
•    Experience managing third-party suppliers and building effective relationships with technical and business stakeholders
•    Leadership skills, with experience coaching and developing engineering or application support teams
•    Strategic thinking and roadmap planning capabilities, with the ability to balance operational priorities alongside platform transformation initiatives

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