Value Chain Analysis (VCA) Strategy Manager

As a Value Chain Analysis (VCA) Strategy Manager, you will be the focal point for setting the strategy of how we source products in the categories you support. It will be your research, analysis and presentation of the facts that will lead to strategic change. A VCA project is a “deep dive” into how food production really works, understanding the economics of the industry, to make our sourcing as cost-effective as possible. A project will typically culminate in a tender or contractual negotiations.
You will be part of a small team pursuing VCA projects in different categories. Within your own projects, you will be working closely with Trading, Product, Technical, Agriculture, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Commercial Management and our Suppliers. You will be a model for end-to-end thinking, and support building tools, templates and training to embed a “cost management mindset” across the commercial team.

• Expected salary - Salary up to £75k depending on experience

• Contract type - This is a Permanent position 

• Working pattern/flexible working - 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. Alongside this we have also signalled a clear intent for Central teams to work ‘more in person than not.’ There are no hard and fast rules about time in the office, supplier visits, time in our shops and time in the office all contribute to this requirement. 

• Location - Bracknell Head Office 

Key responsibilities

• You will guide the development of Waitrose’s sourcing strategy in key own brand categories. Working alongside cross-functional teams, you will have the primary ownership across all elements of a VCA project including scoping, planning, analysis, supplier engagement, internal engagement and presentation of findings and recommendations on sourcing strategy to senior managers and the commercial leadership team.

• Working in partnership with Trading, you will coordinate tenders, and negotiate and develop complex buying models / long term agreements with Waitrose’s biggest suppliers. 

• You will be responsible for offering guidance and constructive feedback to the entire VCA team, while also facilitating strategic sourcing transformations throughout the VCA project portfolio. 

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 

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Commercial experience in food retail or food manufacturing / supply - particularly in fresh value chains 

• Commercial negotiation experience 

• Project management experience 

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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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