Transformation & Operational Development Manager (Fixed Term Contract)

Description

Join our dynamic Transformation & Operational Development team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Sainsbury’s Retail and Digital operating models. You’ll be responsible for identifying, planning and successfully delivering complex, cross‑functional programmes that translate our Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy into real, measurable change across the business. Working closely with teams across Retail and Digital, this role calls for a challenger mindset, strong commercial insight and the ability to build brilliant relationships to drive impactful, end‑to‑end transformation. As part of an agile pool of Transformation and Operational Development Managers, you’ll help design and implement solutions that genuinely move our business forward.

 

What You Will Do:

• Own the end-to-end design and successful implementation of detailed and complex programmes that support the delivery of the Sainsbury's Strategy and Goals
• Ensure programmes are implemented successfully ‘Right first time’ within Retail and Digital, delivered on time, within scope, and to budget
• Think creatively and challenge the status quo to drive strategic and operational improvements
• Stay close to relevant business developments, market insights, and retail industry best practices
• Coordinate qualitative and quantitative analyses to draw insights, develop business cases, and measure results
• Model various options for new business and operating model designs, highlighting strengths and limitations with clear recommendations
• Work cross-functionally, building strong relationships with key stakeholders to deliver meaningful change
• Participate in post-implementation reviews to continually develop and promote business change best practices

 

What You Need to Know and Show:

• Essential: Strategic thinking (must be from a retail background)
• Essential: Strong experience in complex E2E transformation, programme, project, and relationship management
• Essential: Analytical thinking / commercial acumen - ability to quickly analyse processes and data to find insights, identify opportunities, and measure improvements
• Essential: Great communication and influencing skills
• Essential: Prior knowledge of ecommerce / retail operating models within a store environment
• Understand how businesses work both operationally and financially
• Proactive in strategic orientation and hypothesis-led problem solving
• Comfortable working at pace in an ambiguous environment

Responsibilities
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. As the link between sellers and buyers, retail and head office, our Retail Operations team is the cog that keeps things running. With teams focused on store-facing activity, labour, transformation, online, delivery and contact centres, we touch almost every part of the business. It’s an incredibly fast-paced environment, where you need to pivot not just daily, but often hourly. So while we plan as much as we can, it’s vital that we all think beyond our job descriptions and look for ways to optimise and improve everything we do. There’s also a real team ethos here. After all, it’s people like you who will truly transform this part of the business.

Qualifications