Market TECH Team Lead - Central & Eastern Europe

The future looks like you

The Market TECH TL is responsible for overseeing the IT operations within the market, ensuring the smooth delivery of IT services in line with the global standards set by Central IT. This role involves managing both first and second-level IT support teams, maintaining operational efficiency, and driving IT initiatives that support the business objectives of C&A.

The Market TECH TL is a key player in ensuring that the retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices across the market are fully supported with reliable and secure IT systems, contributing to the company's customer service and operational excellence. They will act as the primary liaison between the market’s IT function and Central IT, ensuring alignment on strategy, compliance, and technology implementations.

Your responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Management:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of first and second-level IT support staff, ensuring effective operations, high morale, and professional growth.
• Ensure proper resource allocation and workload management across the support teams, balancing immediate troubleshooting with ongoing IT projects.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the TECH team.

1. IT Operations & Support:

• Oversee day-to-day IT support for retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices, ensuring quick resolution of technical issues to minimize downtime.
• Ensure adherence to global IT service management standards (e.g., ITIL), including incident, problem, and change management processes.
• Maintain and optimize network infrastructure, hardware, software, and telecommunications systems across all locations.

1. Central IT Standards Compliance:

• Implement and enforce IT policies, security protocols, and compliance guidelines as established by Central IT.
• Ensure that IT systems and processes within the market are aligned with global IT standards and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Central IT to roll out new global systems, applications, or upgrades, ensuring a smooth local implementation.

1. Technology Implementation & Projects:

• Lead market-level IT projects, including system implementations, infrastructure upgrades, and software rollouts, ensuring delivery within scope, time, and budget.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all IT-related projects in the market, coordinating with Central IT and local business units.
• Continuously assess emerging technologies and provide recommendations on how they can be leveraged to improve business operations.

1. Retail Systems & Support:

• Support the POS-Team to ensure the availability and performance of point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory management tools, and other retail-specific applications across all stores.
• Coordinate with the retail operations team to provide technical support during store openings, closures, or relocations.
• Monitor and enhance the stability and performance of all retail IT systems to support efficient customer service and sales operations.

1. Vendor & Budget Management:

• Manage relationships with local IT vendors and service providers, ensuring service-level agreements (SLAs) are met.
• Oversee the market’s IT budget, optimizing costs while maintaining high service quality and reliability.
• Negotiate contracts with hardware, software, and service vendors in alignment with company procurement policies.

1. Security & Compliance:

• Ensure the security of IT systems, including retail networks, by implementing and maintaining appropriate cybersecurity measures aligned with central TECH Team.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) and other relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Support the internal audit team in carrying out regular audits of IT processes and systems to detect and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

1. Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary IT contact for market leadership, providing regular updates on IT performance, challenges, and opportunities.
• Collaborate with various business units (e.g., Finance, Operations, HR) to understand their IT needs and deliver effective solutions.
• Build strong relationships with regional and global IT teams to ensure collaboration and knowledge sharing.

What you bring

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field. A Master’s degree or relevant certifications (e.g., ITIL, PMP) are a plus.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in an TECH Leadership role, preferably within the retail industry.
• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, retail systems (e.g., POS), and enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a diverse IT support team.
• Experience in managing IT projects, from conception to completion, within time and budget constraints.
• Strong vendor management, negotiation, and budget oversight skills.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.

Key Competencies:

• Leadership & People Management
• Strategic Thinking & Alignment with Global Standards
• Operational Excellence in IT Support
• Project Management & Implementation
• Retail Technology Expertise
• Security and Compliance Awareness
• Strong Communication & Stakeholder Engagement Skills

This role is crucial for ensuring seamless IT operations across the market’s retail network, maintaining business continuity, and driving innovation through technology. The ideal candidate will have a passion for technology, a customer-first mindset, and a proven ability to balance strategic initiatives with day-to-day IT support.

What we offer

• Countless learning and development opportunities via our C&A academy
• A flexible hybrid work environment
• An employee discount of 20% in C&A stores
• An exciting job in an international and inspirational working environment
• A positive working atmosphere and a talented team with an open feedback culture