VCA Strategy Manager

Value Chain Analysis (VCA) plays a critical role in delivering the Partnership Plan. As VCA/CoGS Strategy Manager you will work at pace across Waitrose Commercial in order to deliver significant and sustainable cost of goods sold (CoGS) benefits and drive long term bottom line performance.

You will support our all year round cost of goods optimisation workstreams within the Trading teams. Looking end-to-end across the value chain, leveraging and developing existing expertise, frameworks and toolkits within the business to deliver sourcing strategy recommendations aimed at reducing costs.

You will work cross-functionally with Commercial Managers and other VCA Strategy Managers to deliver insights and recommendations with our Trading teams on a continuous basis. You will work closely with Heads of Category Trading, Trading Managers, Buyers and lead wider cross-functional teams including Technical, Product, Agriculture, Supply Chain and Merchandising to deliver ambitious cost saving targets.

• Expected salary - Salary up to £70K depending on experience

• Contract type - This is a 12 month fixed term temporary position 

• Working pattern/flexible working - 35 hours per week

• The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business

• Location - Bracknell Head Office with a recommendation of working in the office 2-3 days per week. This can be discussed further at interview stage. 

• Interviews for this role are looking to be held in person at Bracknell Head Office and in early April 

 Key responsibilities

• Adopt a continuous improvement mindset to evolve the All Year Round (AYR) Cost Optimisation workstream and business priority 

• Work alongside the Cost Optimisation Lead and Finance to track the delivery of the AYR Cost Optimisation target

• Identify opportunities to meet the AYR Cost Optimisation target 

• You will work with Category Trading & cross-functional teams, leading ambitious and highly complex value chain analysis projects, reducing cost in a way that is consistent with Waitrose overall strategic, financial and ethics & sustainability objectives 

• You will help develop existing frameworks and toolkits to embed a VCA approach in the wider business.

• You will identify and assess potential opportunities for future VCA projects  

​Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Strong relationship building and influencing skills, at all levels of the business 

• Experience of situations which require a high degree of initiative and problem solving capabilities 

• Comfort with high levels of ambiguity and autonomy 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to tell compelling stories utilising a robust fact base and explain complex analysis to non-technical audiences 

• Exceptional analytical capability, with a track record of independently developing complex financial/data models that have driven strategic/commercial change 

• Exceptional financial and commercial acumen 

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills

• Advanced Excel/Powerpoint skills 

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We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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