Home improvement projects can be a daunting prospect to take on for many homeowners. Whatever the size and scope of project, from garden landscaping to kitchen and bathroom renovations or even building a full extension, it can be challenging for customers to find the right tradespeople.
John Lewis Home Improvement looks to provide the answer by turning home improvements into an expertly streamlined process for our customers, offering the outstanding service that John Lewis & Partners is renowned for.
In July 2019 Home Improvement was created when the Partnership brought together its two home improvement brands – Home Solutions & Opun – as part of its expansion strategy. Combining the two businesses removes uncertainty for customers, giving them the option to find everything they need for their home improvements within one proposition. This is provided with all of the quality and service our customers can expect from the John Lewis Partnership.
Home Solutions connects customers with trusted tradespeople for a range of home improvement services, including landscaping, painting and decorating, and boilers and heating. Founded in August 2017, Home Solutions is steadily rolling out across the country with an eventual aim of bringing quality, local tradespeople to customers nationwide. The service is currently available in London, Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Kent, and areas of the midlands and South-West.
Visit the Home Solutions website to find out more.
Opun manages large scale home improvement projects and was acquired by the John Lewis Partnership in June 2018. It now runs as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Since the acquisition, Opun has been focusing on strengthening its team and service, to deliver hassle-free quality bathroom and kitchen renovations, loft conversions and house extensions tailored to their customer’s wants and needs.
Visit the Opun website to find out more.
Taking up a career in Opun means opening the door to a host of new opportunities. We’re regularly recruiting for our Head Office & field based roles in these key areas:
First impressions count, and that is at the forefront of all activities for our Customer Consultants. They are responsible for managing our customers from their initial enquiry through to accepting their quote. This Stoke based role is pivotal in selling everything John Lewis Home Improvement has to potential customers, and starting their journey off smoothly.
What Will I Do As A Customer Consultant?
As part of the role you will:
Will I Suit This Role?
We look for individuals who are comfortable working in a soft sales contact centre environment. You will be confident and competent in providing “guesstimates” for a variety of home improvements, as well as promoting the John Lewis Home Improvement brand. You’ll need to meet the needs of the customer, so you’ll be a strong communicator across multiple channels, and be great at managing your time & workload.
Whilst our Design and Surveying roles are separate, they both have the same fundamental understanding that bringing a customer’s vision to life is the turning point in any refurbishment project. Whether it’s as our Designer who we look to to bring a fresh approach to bathrooms & kitchens, or as our Surveyor who needs to be able to combine functionality with style across extensions and loft conversions, personalising the service is paramount.
What Will I Do As A Designer Or Surveyor?
Whether you’re a Designer for Bathrooms & Kitchens, or a Surveyor for Lofts and Extensions, as part of the role you’ll:
Will I Suit The Role?
We look for individuals with a natural passion for home design. You will have experience in designing Bathrooms / Kitchens, or in Loft / Extension surveying, and be able to capture a customer’s vision before translating it to paper, or a variety of software platforms. Whilst having a natural creativity, you will also be able to balance this with a sense of functionality and commerciality to create the perfect space for your customer.
A hassle free building journey is the aim for our Home Improvement Personal Assistants (HiPAs). They use excellent project coordination & customer service skills to ensure our customers are up to date at all parts of the project execution.
What Will I Do As A HiPA?
We look for individuals who are able to manage multiple projects at one time and are able to swiftly change directions and priorities where necessary. You’ll have worked in some sort of Project Management role previously, and will use that experience to deliver outstanding customer service for the Partnership. You’ll be comfortable working with multiple touchpoints including Suppliers, Trade Partners & Regional Managers to ensure your customers are informed at each stage.
The skill to get on a site, understand the plan and help a project come to fruition is what makes our Regional Managers so important. They work alongside our Home Improvement Personal Assistants (HiPAs) to ensure both quality work & timely delivery of projects across a designated region. A key focus for the Regional Managers are our Trade Partners, and supporting them to deliver a high quality project. Whether that’s installing a new kitchen or building an extension, our Regional Managers use their expert knowledge to keep the project moving.
What Will I Do As A Regional Manager?
We look for individuals who have proven experience, and are comfortable working with Trade projects across Bathrooms, Kitchens, Loft Conversions and Extensions to support our Trade Partners. You will be flexible in your approach to priorities, and will use your experience of working across multiple simultaneous projects to know what actions to take. You will have a strong understanding of technical plans and drawings so you can best support our Trade Partners, and will know how to intervene when appropriate. As this is a regional role, a driving licence is essential, and you will be provided with a company vehicle to complete your work.
Quality work is delivered by quality people. This is how we view our Trade Partners. Whether as a Trade Partner focusing on converting Lofts & building extensions, or as an Installer working on quality Bathrooms & Kitchens, you will be working on projects that will change customers lives for the better.
What Will I Do As A Trade Partner or Kitchen/Bathroom Installer?
For our Bathroom / Kitchen Installer roles, we look for individuals who have experience working in both these spaces, and have a portfolio of work examples they are proud to show us. You will be a highly proficient & qualified plumber, who also has some experience with carpentry, looking to work in a company that will support your training and that will give you the opportunity to learn more.
Our Trade Partners are businesses who specialise in installing high quality Bathrooms and Kitchens, as well as those that are experts in exercuting full Loft Conversions and Extensions. Part of our through due diligence and onboarding process is to ensure that our Trade Partners are able to provide us with examples of work we can view, customers we can speak with, as well as all the relevant insurances and accreditation to ensure they meet our standards.
Home Solutions is an easy way to book tradespeople you can trust. It combines quality independent trade specialists, with a market-leading John Lewis guarantee, to offer the highest standard of work possible.
Ensuring that a locality of third party mixed profession tradespeople maintain the quality of service that is expected from our Home Solutions customers is what underlines everything our Regional Managers do. They ensure all work carried out is to a high standard, including recruitment, training and day to day management.
We look for individuals who can apply their experience in a building / maintenance world to John Lewis – and can match our s service standards and enthusiasm for growing a strong network. You will be confident and capable in managing a large network of third Party tradespeople, both when celebrating successes, and also addressing any training requirements. You will be flexible in your approach, understanding each day comes with new priorities to address to maintain service standards.
We are always keen to hear from independent Contract Tradespeople to support our Home Solutions offering. From heating specialists and locksmiths to electricians and general handymen, we are always on the lookout for skilled individuals that match the level of service John Lewis is renowned for. You’ll get access to John Lewis & Waitrose customers, and won’t have to bid for jobs or pay any subscriptions – all work is fair and transparent, and paid for within 7 days of completion!
For more information on our current operational areas, benefits, and how to sign up head to our trade sign-up page.
Our teams are located at two Head Offices, one in Oxford Circus, and one satellite office in Stoke, which acts primarily as an Operations Hub. Both locations have a vibrant energy, with an entrepreneurial spirit running through each and every Partner. You could need to travel between the two as we collaborate on initiatives and projects, and you can also expect to visit our John Lewis & Partners Head Office in London Victoria. We also have a high level of regional based roles, and the geographical locations of these will be highlighted in specific adverts, so keep an eye out.
Our extensive benefits package rewards our Partners for their time and energy. We offer a huge range of perks when you join us, including Partnership Discounts at John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners, holiday and leisure facilities, and the Partnership Annual Bonus.
But more than the material benefits, you will have the unique opportunity to work for an entrepreneurial part of one of Britain’s best known retailers. You’ll work in an environment where your ideas are welcomed and encouraged – and you will have the opportunity to shape the future of John Lewis Home Improvement and work as part of something exciting.
At the John Lewis Partnership, we’ll never expect you to go it alone. That’s why we offer first-class training and development opportunities, in order to help you prosper in your career. You will be working in a hub of innovation where all ideas are welcomed, and an entrepreneurial spirit is encouraged. Your peers and management will be there to help grow and develop you, and your ideas. But we also recognise that support may come in the sense of working flexibly, which is something that the John Lewis Partnership holds at its core to ensure all its Partners have a valued worklifeife balance. We welcome all conversations relating to flexibility at interview, to ensure your happiness as a Partner, and your long term wellbeing. Some examples of flexibility include:
Latest John Lewis opportunities
