Programme Manager International

We’re looking for a dynamic Programme Manager to join us on a 18-month FTC to take the lead on an exciting international growth initiative, launching full-line food stores in the Middle East.

In this pivotal role, you’ll bring together cross-functional teams across multiple markets to deliver a high-profile programme that aligns with our global strategy and sets the foundation for future expansion. You’ll combine strategic vision with hands-on delivery, driving commercial outcomes, managing complexity, and ensuring seamless execution from concept to launch.

If you are an experienced programme leader who thrives on delivering results through collaboration and influence. With a strong background in large-scale, cross-functional delivery, ideally within retail or international expansion, you’re comfortable navigating ambiguity, solving problems, and building alignment across diverse teams.

If you’re ready to shape the next phase of our international growth story, we’d love to hear from you.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.

What’s in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…

• After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

What you’ll do

Your key accountabilities will include

• Lead the end-to-end programme to launch full-line food stores in the Middle East, ensuring ongoing alignment with International strategy and regional market goals.
• Develop and maintain the business case, ensuring commercial viability and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Define programme scope, milestones, and success metrics, integrating cross-functional inputs from commercial, operations, supply chain, and legal teams.
• Lead and integrate multiple workstreams, including Contract & Commercial, Product and Production, Store Format and Design, E2E Systems, Brand and Marketing etc. Ensuring cross-functional collaboration, resolving interdependencies, and aligning timelines across teams.
• Establish and manage governance frameworks, including reporting cadence, escalation paths, and decision-making protocols.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include

• Knowledge of M&S ways of working, ideally with knowledge of the Food Group (key stakeholders, ways of working, and processes)
• Technical project / programme management qualification is preferred (Prince 2 / AMP / MSP etc)
• Experience leading large transformation programmes
• Able to effectively manage change across different business units, functions, teams, and balance the needs of different stakeholders.
• Able to challenge, influence at all levels and solve problems to get things done

Everyone’s welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating, and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted, and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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