Store Development Manager

As the Store Development Manager, you will be a driving force behind the evolution of our physical retail environment. Working within the Brand & Store Experience team, you will define the strategic vision for projects and turn this into tangible reality by leading the development of ambitious, commercially-sound briefs for everything from major store refurbishments to innovative new commercial concepts. You will navigate complex projects through the initial discovery phases to successful approval, ensuring our stores remain at the heart of the customer experience.

• Expected salary up to - £68,000 depending on experience

• Contract type - This position is a 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term 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. Within the Brand and Store Experience team, we believe in the power of connection, which is why our core office days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  We typically aim for around three days a week in the office or visiting shops to allow for collaboration and attendance of key meetings.  

• Location -  This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico.  Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate.  There is also a responsibility to visit our John Lewis branches/competitors when necessary and travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy. 

• FYI - Interviews are scheduled to take place during the week commencing March 23rd. While in-person attendance is the preferred option, a virtual attendance option will also be available.

Key responsibilities

Core Activities:

• Brief Development & Leadership: Lead the development of shop elements through discovery, ideation, and definition phases to create robust, data-driven Development Briefs that align with business aspirations. Work with stakeholders across the business to identify total scope opportunity and ensure it delivers the Store Experience aspiration

• Proposition Development: Act as the business lead for store refurbishments, ensuring every project meets its intended brief and delivers a high-quality store experience. Support the development of commercial propositions and concepts.

• Governance & Approvals: Successfully navigate projects through the Stage Gate (SG) process, securing necessary approvals and managing any scope changes required while a project is in flight.

• Business Case Creation: Own the development of the scope and business case for each project, working with matrix teams to ensure all inputs are commercially robust and insight-led.

• Stakeholder Orchestration: Manage clear communications across the business regarding project aspirations, timelines, and budgets.

• Evaluation & Success Tracking: Define clear measures of success for every idea and project and lead reviews to ensure lessons are learned and outcomes are evaluated against the original brief.

Key Skills & Experience:

• Proposition Development: Extensive experience in developing and shaping retail store propositions and physical estate projects.

• Strategic Planning: Proven ability to create and develop detailed project briefs that align with overarching business strategies.

• Commercial Acumen: Strong financial and commercial understanding, with the ability to build robust business cases and interpret complex data.

• Stakeholder Influencing: Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and lead matrix teams through complex governance processes.

• Analytical Presentation: The ability to translate complex data and insights into simple, clear, and concise presentations for senior decision-makers.

• Retail Innovation (Desirable): A creative and innovative thinker with an interest in shop operations and the future of retail environments.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Developing Store propositions

• Program/project planning

• Commercial acumen

• Organisation skills

• Stakeholder Management

• Ability to translate complex data into simple, clear and concise presentations

• Communicating & Influencing

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

• Shop operations

• Innovation

• Creative, innovative thinker

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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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