Role Summary

The Head of Systems Engineering – Collaboration & Communication is accountable for defining the strategic roadmap and leading the engineering, design, and architecture of collaboration and communication technologies across the organisation. This includes platforms such as Microsoft 365, Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, File Services, meeting room solutions, voice infrastructure (including PSTN and contact centre), and digital event technologies.

The role leads a team of systems engineers responsible for delivering secure, modern, and scalable solutions to support collaboration across head office, stores, depots, CFCs, and global operations. While operational support sits with a separate team, the Head of Systems Engineering acts as an escalation point for major incidents. They must demonstrate deep domain expertise, strong strategic planning and financial acumen, and experience delivering in a complex, multinational environment—ideally retail.

As a HoSE – Collaboration & Communication, I can:

• Lead an engineering team to define and deliver the strategy and roadmap for collaboration and communication technologies.
• Drive adoption of modern workplace tools that enhance productivity, inclusivity, and digital experience across all colleague groups.
• Translate business and user needs into technical designs, engineering patterns, and platform investments.
• Supervise the engineering of collaboration platforms to ensure performance, reliability, and usability at scale.
• Monitor delivery KPIs and budgets to ensure value, control, and alignment with technology goals.
• Use stakeholder feedback and digital workplace trends to continuously improve technology direction.
• Represent workplace technology across Tesco Technology, influencing internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee the end-to-end engineering lifecycle from technical discovery and design through to implementation and handover.
• Collaborate closely with product, security, operations, architecture, and digital workplace teams to ensure cohesive outcomes.

Prerequisites for Role

Demonstrated leadership of enterprise collaboration and communication technologies in a global-scale organisation. Proven ability to lead engineering strategy and delivery, with accountability for team leadership, financial planning, and large-scale workplace transformation.

Systems Engineering Skills

A capable engineering leader with experience across a broad collaboration and communication technology landscape.

• Define a clear, business-aligned strategy and roadmap for workplace technologies including M365, email, voice, and conferencing platforms.
• Ensure security, privacy, and compliance are embedded into engineering patterns and technology decisions.
• Translate evolving user and business needs into scalable, sustainable, and intuitive collaboration solutions.
• Drive innovation in digital workplace and hybrid working enablement, including AI, automation, and integrated communication tools.
• Oversee the architecture and design of platforms such as Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, File Services, meeting room systems, and mobile telephony.
• Ensure engineering rigour across all delivery activities, including change control, test plans, resilience design, and performance validation.
• Define engineering standards and patterns for meeting room and voice technologies across offices, stores, depots, and remote workers.
• Provide technical leadership across a broad technology base including M365 licensing, digital events, Pexip interop, and third-party integrations.
• Act as the senior engineering escalation point for major collaboration service failures or incidents.
• Coach, develop, and grow engineering talent to build a resilient and expert team.
• Maintain a strong external network to stay ahead of workplace technology trends and vendor developments.
• Collaborate on global standards while adapting to local market needs across UK, CE, and India.

Leadership & Potential

Complementary Skills

• Partner with product, operations, and architecture teams to deliver integrated digital workplace experiences.
• Maintain strong relationships with business and regional stakeholders to inform roadmap priorities.
• Lead with empathy and clarity, creating an inclusive and collaborative team environment.
• Provide direction and confidence in complex delivery landscapes with competing priorities.
• Embed career development and structured performance management across the team.
• Champion strong engineering culture and celebrate success.

Drive

• Consistently look for ways to improve collaboration experiences across devices, locations, and colleague types.
• Challenge the status quo, foster experimentation, and seek out value-adding technologies.
• Maintain resilience in fast-paced, high-demand environments.

Judgment

• Prioritise platform investments based on user experience, business value, and risk.
• Understand the long-term implications of technology direction across a large, distributed workforce.
• Make and support complex technical and commercial decisions with confidence and pragmatism.

Influence

• Build credibility and influence across engineering, product, operations, and business stakeholders.
• Use clear communication and evidence to build consensus and momentum for change.
• Adjust engagement style to influence across organisational levels and geographies.

Technology Understanding

• Core Collaboration Tools: Microsoft 365 suite (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, Outlook), generative AI for productivity.
• Voice & Telephony: Microsoft Teams Voice, PSTN, mobile telephony, meeting room phones, Pexip interop, and contact centre platforms.
• Meeting & Event Technologies: Microsoft Teams Rooms, room booking systems (e.g. Condeco), digital broadcast and event platforms.
• File Services: Home drives, cloud storage, file server transition strategies.
• Licensing & Platform Management: M365 licensing models, compliance configuration, platform health monitoring and change control.
• Global & Regional Delivery: Proven experience delivering and supporting collaboration platforms in head office, stores, depots, and regional centres across UK, CE, and India.

Finance & Commercials

• Manage team and platform budgets, including vendor spend and licensing costs.
• Forecast future investment requirements aligned to platform growth and user trends.
• Support procurement processes and vendor negotiations for software, hardware, and services.
• Build strong business cases for investment in AI, platform uplift, or lifecycle remediation.
• Understand total cost of ownership and seek continuous opportunities to optimise value and efficiency.
• Oversee contracts and service agreements related to telephony, events, and meeting room services.