Regional Manager (West Country)

We are looking for inspiring leaders that can drive the Waitrose business plan from vision to reality, ensuring our unique 'home of food lovers' promise comes to life in every shop across the region while fostering a culture of ownership and democratic vitality.

This is a senior leadership role at the heart of the John Lewis Partnership. To truly deliver excellence in partner, customer, and commercial performance across your shops, you will be a highly visible leader who is on the ground, actively engaging with and supporting your branch teams.

The West Country region currently includes the following Waitrose shops:

Bridport, Christchurch, Crewkerne, Dorchester, Exeter, Gillingham, Holsworthy, Okehampton, Parkstone, Poundbury, Ringwood, Saltash, Sherborne, Sidmouth, Truro, Warminster, Wellington, Wells, Wimborne, Winton.

At a Glance:

• Job Title: Regional Manager

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Until September 2027

• Flexible Contracting Available: While this position is primarily being advertised as Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Until September 2027, we are focused on securing top talent. We are highly open to discussing alternative contract types (including permanent and secondment / fixed-term contracts)

• Hours of Work: 35 hours per week, 4 days in person in shops. (Full flexibility across the trading window including alternate Saturdays, 1 in 4 Sundays, and 1 late finish per week)

• Salary: £80,000 - £122,000

• Location: West Country Region (Covering branches across Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire borders)  

Interview Process (2 Stages)

• This advert will close on Sunday June 28th, but please note this role may close sooner based on high interest, so don’t miss out, apply today!

• Stage 1: Virtual 121 interview scheduled for middle of July.

• Stage 2: In-person interview including a floor walk scheduled for the end of July.

Key responsibilities:

• Delivering all agreed Customer, Partner, Financial, and Operational metrics across your region.

• Inspiring your team by connecting everyday tasks to our big-picture goals through open, honest feedback. 

• Leading exceptional and consistent brand standards, ensuring all shops trade safely and legally at all hours.

• Staying on top of local competition, sales metrics, and customer trends to quickly fix performance gaps.

• Ensuring the right first-time, accurate implementation of central retail initiatives.

• Aligning branch teams into a clear regional plan to execute the Waitrose business plan.

• Leveraging commercial data and customer feedback to improve shop performance, while sharing regional updates with central teams.

• Role-modeling a true culture of co-ownership and accountability across your region.
   

Essential skills /experience:

• Advanced leadership and coaching skills to ensure all teams are high performing.

• Clear ability to lead and land change effectively.

• Experience of managing financial accounts.

• Proven ability in hiring and motivating diverse teams to support a culture that reflects the values of the partnership.

• Comfortable using data to make business decisions.
   

Desirable Experience

• Retail Experience.
   

What's On Offer:

• Competitive basic salary up to £122,000.00 based on experience.

• Lucrative pay structure based on contribution.

• Being a co-owner in our business, sharing our success and having a voice in our future.

• Opportunity to join a forward-thinking, market-leading growing organisation.

• Comprehensive pension scheme and life assurance.

• Company car or car allowance.

• Equal Parenthood Leave.

• Partner discount: 25% off at John Lewis and 20% at Waitrose.

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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.