Principal Application Engineer - Finance & Payments

Principal Application Engineer – Finance and Payments
£85,000 - £95,000 plus private healthcare, company car or car allowance and more great benefits (Work Level 4) 
Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office when required for team meetings and events, workshops, or stakeholder meetings (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 Application Engineer to join our Digital, Technology and Data (DT&D) team and help us shape the future of our Finance and Payments technology landscape. You'll take accountable ownership for critical applications and services that support key financial processes across Co-op, leading a team of engineers while driving the next phase of improvement, innovation and operational excellence.

Why this role matters

Following a significant transformation programme, our Finance and Payments technology landscape has reached an important point in its journey. The foundations are now in place, with SAP now supporting many of our core Finance capabilities, and we're looking for someone who can help take the area forward. This role offers the opportunity to shape what comes next, identifying opportunities to improve services, simplify processes, enhance resilience and deliver greater value for the business. You'll have the chance to combine technical leadership, people leadership and strategic thinking while influencing the future direction of a critical business domain.

What you’ll do

•    Take end-to-end ownership of critical Finance and Payments applications, ensuring they remain reliable, secure, resilient and fit for future business needs
•    Lead, coach and develop a team of application engineers, creating an environment focused on quality, learning and continuous improvement
•    Lead the future roadmap for Finance and Payments applications and services, identifying opportunities to improve performance, resilience, automation and business value.
•    Make informed technical decisions within your area of responsibility, balancing business value, risk and operational needs
•    Partner with stakeholders across Finance, Payments and Technology to shape priorities, influence investment decisions and drive continuous improvement
•    Oversee operational governance, including incident, problem and change management, disaster recovery readiness and service performance
•    Ensure vulnerabilities, access controls, compliance requirements and audit obligations are effectively managed
•    Lead major incidents, identify root causes and drive preventative actions to improve service reliability over time

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:

•    Experience working closely with Finance, Payments or commercial business teams, with a good understanding of the systems and processes that support financial operations
•    Significant experience owning, supporting and evolving complex business-critical applications or services within a Finance or Payments domain
•    Deep technical expertise within an enterprise application environment, with the ability to make sound decisions and clearly explain technical trade-offs
•    Proven people leadership experience, including coaching, developing and supporting high-performing engineering teams
•    Strong knowledge of service management, operational governance and continuous improvement practices
•    Experience managing suppliers and third-party partners to deliver reliable and effective service outcomes
•    Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships across technical and non-technical teams
•    A proactive approach to risk, security and compliance, with a focus on delivering reliable, secure and resilient services

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