Head Of Digital Technology
Pret A Manger
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Pret A Manger is seeking a Head of Digital Technology to define and execute a strategic technology roadmap for digital products, including customer web and app experiences. The role blends big-picture thinking with hands-on engineering support, overseeing both in-house and SaaS solutions while leading offshore teams.
The role requires a strong technical background, leadership, and business acumen to drive Pret’s digital transformation and scalable platforms.
Qualifications
- Experience in hospitality/retail sector is essential.
- Led teams across frontend, backend and mobile platforms (Node/React, Kotlin/Swift).
- Experience driving Extreme Programming practices (TDD, CD, pair programming).
- Built microservice applications on cloud; knowledge of CI/CD and observability.
- Strong knowledge of software development, cybersecurity and cloud.
- Proven ability to lead and inspire diverse engineering teams, incl. offshore delivery.
- Able to align technology with business objectives and communicate technical concepts clearly.
- Excellent verbal and written communication; strong analytical skills.
Responsibilities
- In partnership with Marketing, define a digital technology strategy aligned with business goals.
- Own platform and technology strategy including SaaS and applications; oversee architecture and delivery.
- Mentor and manage a mixed team of contractors and Pret engineers; foster collaboration and excellence.
- Promote engineering best practices and hands-on technical contribution when required.
- Translate business requirements into technical plans and prioritisation.
- Drive digital product transformation to improve efficiency and customer experience.
Skills
Job description
We’re Pret: proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee, and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the employer of choice in hospitality, everywhere we operate – so this an exciting time to hop on board.
Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand-made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths. Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. And the proof is in the pudding – over 80% of our managers started on the shop floor! So did 20% of our Support Centre teams, including our CEO, Pano.
We’re looking for passionate team players to bring joy to our customers every day. As a Head of Digital Technology, you’ll closely collaborate with the Product(Marketing Function)&DigitalEngineering(Technology Function)teamsto define priorities between new functionality and enablement work, oversee the operational aspectsof the software development process to ensure effective workflows, as well as conduct code reviews to maintain quality and encourage testing best practices. The role is an exciting blend of big picture thinking and hands on engineering support. You will have the ability to bring innovation, marketinsightsand challenge our teams to drive towards a globally scalable and efficient equity and franchise business.
The Head ofDigital Technology (andDigital Software Engineering)reports toadirectorlevel roleandis responsible forproviding a strategic vision and technology roadmap for the creation of digital products, placing a focus onhigh qualitycustomer Web and App propositions.
The role will require a strategic thinker who can align digital technology with business goals, drive digital product transformation, and enable Pret’s strategic Digital Engineering and Operations provider. The ideal candidate will be deeply technical with a blend of leadership skills, and business acumen. You will play a key part in Pret’s overall technology transformation in shaping the Digital and Martech Platforms that underpin Pret’s digital future to enable the expansion and creation of new digital propositions and digital marketing capabilities.
- In partnership with the Marketing Team develop and executes a digital andMarTechtechnology strategy to drive technical innovation and achieve business goals.
- Own the digital technology platform anddigital technologystrategy which will be a blend in house developed&SaaSproducts /applications.Forclaritythe role willbe responsible forthearchitecturaloversight, product and technology selection,implementationanddigitalengineeringteams.
- Overseea blend ofoutsourcedand Pret employed (FTC and contractor)engineers, providing mentorship, guidance, and support to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
- Evangelises the adoption of engineering best practices and ways of working
- Has the ability to dive into code whenrequired,demonstratinghands-on technicalexpertise.
- Foster strong relationships with key stakeholders, effectively communicating technical concepts and strategic initiatives to non-technical audiences.
- Oversees the design, development, and implementation of scalable and reliable digital solutions, ensuring alignment with architectural principles and best practices.
- Supports the translation of business requirements into technical requirements and aiding the estimation,slicingand prioritization approach for teams
- Champions a culture of continuous learning and improvement, encouraging experimentation, knowledge sharing, and professional development within the engineering team.
- Drives digital product transformation initiatives to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and business growth.
- Assesses and drives decisions on digital andMarTechtechnology investments, including SaaS products and the build vs. buy strategy, to ensureoptimalsolutions. You will work closely with the wider Technology team through these assessments.
- Stays abreast of emerging digital technologies and industry trends, evaluating their potential impact on our business and make recommendations for adoption balancing the priority of features and technical enablers.
- Experience working in the hospitality or retail sector isa must. Experience in planning and building solutions across an equity and franchise operating model is a bonus.
- A strong background in digital software development (having previously been a Head of Technology or Staff Software Engineer), specifically leading teams across front-end, back-end and mobile (ideally Node, React and for mobile Kotlin and Swift)
- Extensive experience driving extreme programming practices within an engineering team, instilling principles such as TDD, continuous delivery and pair programming.
- Experience building microservice applications hosted on the cloud. Knowledge of CI/CD and observability.
- Strong knowledge of software development, cybersecurity, and cloud.
- Self-motivated,passionateand driven individual who thrives working as part of a team. You will have a proven ability to lead and inspire a team of engineers – particularly working with offshore delivery & support teams.
- A desire for continuous improvement with an ability to align technology with businessobjectives.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills to guide critical issue resolution.
- Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.
- Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service.
- Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.
- Competitive Salary and 20% bonus potential
- Gold Card: We love making people’s day through our food and drinks. That goes for our teams too. That’s why everyone gets a Gold Card. When you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you can use your Gold Card to get up to 5 Barista-made drinks a day, and 50% off everything else (food, snacks, bottled drinks – the lot).
- You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days the longer you’re with us.
- Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost
- 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret,rises to 5% after 5 years
- Life assurance at 3x annual salary
- Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service
- Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts
- Season ticket loans
- Healthcare cash plan
- Financial wellbeing provisions
- Free mortgage services
- Sabbatical after 3 years
- Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation
- Individual ways to grow - We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring.
- Diversity and belonging - Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.
- Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot!
- Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.
- Happy Teams Happy Customers
- Amazing Standards Every day
- Never Standing Still
- Doing The Right Thing
Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First, you’ll have a relaxed 30-minute conversation with our recruitment team so we can get to know you and your experience. Next, you’ll be invited to a one-hour, in-person interview with the hiring manager at our Head Office in London Victoria.
Depending on the role and function, there may be additional stages. These could include time spent in one of our shops, completing a task, or meeting a senior leader.
This role is based at Pret’s Support Centre in London Victoria, where we work in a hybrid way - typically three days a week in the office.
We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.
Deadline to apply for this role: 14th August 2026
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