People Technology Manager

Superdrug Stores Plc; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health and beauty retailer in London is seeking a People Technology Manager to enhance employee experience and drive AI integration within HR systems. The role involves collaborating with various teams to ensure effective systems delivery while managing project lifecycles. Ideal candidates should have retail experience and expertise in HR systems, along with a passion for technology and innovation. The position offers competitive benefits and hybrid working options.

Benefits

33 days holiday increasing with service

30% discount on products

Company pension matching

Wagestream access to earned pay

Qualifications

• Passion for retail health and beauty is essential.
• Hands-on knowledge of AI tools and trends is required.
• Experience with project management principles is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted adviser on efficient use of people systems.
• Support AI and automation integration into core processes.
• Manage full people systems project lifecycles, ensuring accountability.

Skills

HR systems expertise

AI tools knowledge

Organizational skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Education

Experience in retail

Knowledge of HR practices

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft software suite

Oracle

UKG

Cornerstone

Job description

The role of the People Technology Manager will champion employee experience and play a part in supporting the delivery of our people strategy as well as business goals, across both Superdrug and Savers, with a particular focus on ensuring our people systems continue to develop to meet and exceed employee expectation. This role will work for the Senior People Manager as well as collaboratively with the wider People Team, IT team and third party SAAS providers to put proactive plans in place which ensure our systems support the delivery of our goals. Here's the exciting bit…a day includes:

Responsibilities

• Being a trusted adviser on the efficient use and configuration of people systems.
• Alongside the Senior People Manager, support and lead the People Team as we continue our drive to embed AI and automation into core people processes.
• Influence stakeholders and the wider business on the potential of AI and automation.
• Management of reporting of people system faults, errors and deficiencies and liaising with IT for a resolution. Able to understand the root causes of issues and able to influence getting agreement on permanent solutions.
• Develop, test, and implement smaller functionality enhancements. Work with the IT team to project plan these to provide clear timescales of delivery to stakeholders.
• Managing the upkeep of a risk register and understanding when to elevate appropriately.
• Managing full people systems project lifecycles; agreeing success measures up front, ensuring key milestones are identified and communicated, and completing an evaluation after the project has ended.
• Ensure all users are trained to get the best from our systems.
• Being the custodian of our People System security set up by being responsible for the management of user requests and reporting requests.
• Supporting on governance and audit initiatives when required to by Senior Manager. This involves supporting on data collation, analysis, auditing business practice or legislative requirements and implementing action plans with stakeholders to address issues.
• Working with good governance and structure to ensure everyone who needs to be involved and consulted is aware of people systems work, changes and understands the impact on the employees.
• Take responsibility for regular internal update meetings and hold stakeholders accountable for actions.
• Line management of Cornerstone Functional Administrator.
• You enjoy problem solving and can take the complex or ambiguous and keep things simple.
• You are passionate about AI and automation, being able to use this passion to drive change within the team and wider business.
• You are passionate about technology and can champion how it can help our teams and our business.
• You can use a blend of data, organisational context and storytelling to influence decision making, especially with senior people with conflicting needs.
• You can understand the complexities of a business with different T&Cs at different levels, with different legal jurisdictions.
• You enjoy researching new initiatives and can present your findings back in an insightful and engaging way.
• You know you add value through your ability to see from different viewpoints and can build strong relationships.
• You understand that effective change management is key to landing any project well and can anticipate potential risk, putting plans in place to mitigate impact.
• You are good at multitasking and can deliver on projects, keeping to agreed deadlines.
• You see projects through your customer lens and have the confidence to challenge when something doesn't feel right.
• You have developed the ability to break it down to the vital basics, which ensures easy and effective understanding of changes or initiatives at all levels.
• You can see the bigger picture and can easily adapt to changing priorities and situations.
• You have a flexible approach to business partnering and can pitch in to support wider team activities.

Qualifications

• A passion for the world of retail health and beauty, experience in retail is a must.
• Deep expertise in HR systems and technology. Oracle, UKG and Cornerstone is an advantage, but not a requirement.
• Hands‑on knowledge of AI tools and trends, and how they apply to People Teams operations and employee lifecycle experiences.
• Experience with Power BI, Power Automate, the Microsoft software suite and Copilot is highly desirable.
• A good knowledge of project management principles with a track record of implementing HR change projects within a business.
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail and stakeholder management experience.
• Line management experience is an advantage, but not a requirement.
• Knowledge of core HR practices, onboarding, contracts and GDPR requirements are key.
• A keen interest in staying up to date with what's going on in the market and how that may impact us.
• An interest in learning new systems to drive efficiency.

Benefits

• Being part of more! We are part of a group who work closely with Savers, The Perfume Shop and Three UK.
• We are part of A.S. Watson Group, the world's largest international health and beauty retailer with over 15,700 stores in 25 markets.
• Unrivalled Learning and Development programmes.
• 33 days holiday rising to 38 days with length of service (inclusive of bank holidays).
• 2 staff discount codes for yourself and a family member or friend.
• 30% discount on Superdrug Own Brand Products both in store and online.
• Hybrid working patterns available depending on role responsibilities with 2 days working from home and 3 days in our stylish, modern and collaborative office close to East Croydon Station.
• Company pension matching and bonus.
• Wagestream - a money management app that gives you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it.

Passionate about Beauty and Health? Want to be part of an innovative, trend setting retailer? Our vibrant Head Office, based by East Croydon station is a fantastic environment filled with hundreds of brilliant personalities. We're a team that puts our customers and our teams at the heart of everything we do. At Superdrug, we aim to be the best in accessible health & beauty, loved by our customers for value, choice, friendly advice, service, and fun. Our success comes from our people - they make the difference. We're all about personality, we have fun, and we work hard to deliver That Superdrug feeling.