Clustering, Range & Microspace, Strategy & Performance Manager

As the Clustering, Range & Microspace, Strategy & Performance Manager, you will be the primary architect of our clustering, micro space, and ranging strategy. This is a high-visibility leadership role where you will define our biggest commercial and customer opportunities that involve Range and Micro Space and draw the map of how we reach them.
You won't just be managing data; you will be transforming our activity calendar into a high-ROI strategic tool. By owning the tech roadmap for Space, Range, and Formats (SRF) software and leading our central analytics function, you will ensure our decisions are backed by world-class insight and a future-proofed digital infrastructure.
This role is known internally as Manager, Strategic Range & Micro Space Performance

• Expected salary - Salary up to £100,000 depending on experience.

• Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.

• 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. The team aim for around 2 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings. 

• Location - This role is based at our Bracknell Head Office. 

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the creation, execution, and continuous refinement of our Range and Micro Space Strategy across all channels.

• Commercial Impact: Pivot the activity calendar to land major commercial and customer opportunities, ensuring every move maximises ROI and aligns with the broader business strategy.

• Tech & Analytics Roadmap: Drive the evolution of our SRF software and central reporting suite—from executive KPIs and management scorecards to granular layout-group analytics.

• Stakeholder Influence: Act as a strategic consultant to Heads of CPG, Category Management, and Ranging Managers, using data to challenge the status quo and support high-stakes decision-making.

• Team Development: Lead and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a culture of "finding the 'so what'" within complex datasets.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

We need a strategically minded leader with deep expertise across diverse retail formats. To be successful, you will bring:

• Deep Subject Matter Expertise: A minimum of 10 years of experience in Clustering, Ranging/Assortment, and Micro Space across multiple retail formats.

• Strategic Vision: A proven track record of developing short, medium, and long-term strategies that deliver tangible bottom-line results.

• Analytical Rigor: The ability to interpret complex data and translate it into succinct, actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

• Change Leadership: Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at a senior level and lead cross-functional teams through complex projects.

• People Management: Experience in building and developing high-performance analytical teams.

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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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