Technology Strategy Manager

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world.

 

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

 

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

 

Title	Technology Strategy Manager	Working Hours:	40 Hours
Reporting to:	CTO	Location:	Bury
Department:	Group Technology

 

Role overview:Establishedin 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion and Outdoor brands. The Group now has over 3,000 stores across 38 territories with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. In addition, we operate over 200 JD Gyms nationwide. With a strong presence in multiple markets and channels, we are committed to providing exceptional customer experiences across all. The Technology Strategy Manager will play a critical role in executing the Group’s ambitious strategy. 

Role objectives and KPIs: This role will play a pivotal part in developing and executing the Group’s strategy alongside the rest of the Technology leadership team. Key responsibilities include working closely with senior stakeholders to develop, refine, and track the tech strategy, ensuring clarity and alignment with JD Sports’ broader business goals. You will be a key member of the Group Technology Strategy team working together to support the Group Chief Technology Officer in the running of the function and partnering with the business. 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop, refine, and communicate the tech strategy in collaboration with senior leaders across the Group, aligning with JD’s omnichannel objectives. 

• Act as a liaison between technical teams and business units, ensuring alignment and clarity in objectives. 

• Lead workshops to gather input, build consensus, and ensure stakeholder buy-in. 

• Analyse financial and operational data to develop high-quality business cases and other strategic materials. 

• Support the development of KPIs and initiative-tracking frameworks to showcase progress effectively. 

• Craft compelling storylines and messaging to convey complex technical concepts to business stakeholders. 

• Support management of the annual budget for the Technology function. 

• Support the development of the Technology Roadmap to sequence and track transformative projects. 

 

 

Competencies: 

• Strategy expertise: Demonstratedacumen for strategic business and technology planning and execution, including policy development and maintenance. 

• Strong financial and quantitative skills: Demonstrated ability to interpret and communicate complex data sets. 

• Familiarity with financial tools and concepts: Understanding of balance sheet analysis and budgeting. 

• Tooling proficiency: Advanced knowledge of Excel, Tableau, or other analytical tools. 

• Good knowledge of software, businessand IT principles: Understanding of software development methodologies and best practices, relevant toolsand platforms (e.g. cloud platforms, web technologies) with an eagerness to learn about new and unfamiliar concepts. Ability to translate among the languages / ways of working used by executive business, IT, and quant stakeholders. 

• Stakeholder management: Collaborate effectively with other senior leaders (e.g., CDO, CISO, Director of Architecture, etc.) to define and execute Tech Strategy. 

• Influence and emotional intelligence: Ability to assert ideas and persuade others to gain support across the organization. Explain technology concepts to business leaders and business concepts to technology teams. 

• Change management: Adapt and respond positively to organisational change and ambiguity, making positive use of the opportunity change management creates. Composed in the face of opposition to strategic principles, governance, and standards. 

 

Education and Experience: 

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, managementor a related field; or equivalent work experience. Academic qualifications or professional training in legal and regulatory areas are also desirable. 

• 3+ years of management consultancy or accountancy experience, ideally in Technology, Digital, or IT — recently at or near Senior Consultant level. 

• 1+ years of business experience in the Retail or Technology sectors. 

 

We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.

 

Thank you for your time