Lead Format Development Manager

Why join us

Joining Sainsbury's as the Lead Format Development Manager means being at the forefront of shaping the future of our in-store customer proposition, influencing how customers experience our physical store formats for the next five years and beyond. As a strategic business partner and thought leader, you will have the opportunity to drive innovative projects and initiatives that have a direct impact on our Win in Food and Brands that Deliver strategy. With a focus on customer satisfaction, financial performance, and operational efficiency, you will collaborate with cross‑functional teams and external partners to deliver best‑in‑class store formats that delight our customers, offering a challenging yet rewarding environment where your drive and resilience will be instrumental in driving successful multi‑million pound capital change plans.

What you’ll do

As the Lead Format Development Manager at Sainsbury's, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering projects that impact the in‑store customer proposition, driving the physical commercial change programme to enhance customers’ shopping experience for the next five years and beyond. You will leverage data and insights to engage with stakeholders, develop proposition briefs, and manage projects through the key delivery teams, ensuring ideas are successfully trialled and documented. You will lead, develop and grow direct reports in this role. Your strategic leadership and analytical skills will be key in conducting post‑investment reviews, driving the analytical agenda, and providing actionable business insights to support a successful multi‑million pound capital change plan.

Who you are

You are a strategic and forward‑thinking project and people manager professional with a deep understanding of end‑to‑end retail operations and a strong focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences through innovative store formats. With a data‑driven approach, you excel in engaging stakeholders, shaping strategic direction, and driving projects from inception to post‑investment review, ensuring alignment with business objectives and financial goals. Your ability to distil insights from complex data sources, lead major change initiatives, and optimise processes sets you apart as a visionary leader in shaping the future of in‑store customer propositions and driving business success through multi‑million pound capital change plans.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in Project Management within a large retail organisation or in a client setting. You will have worked in dynamic and fast‑paced environments such as Retail or Consultancy firms where you have managed multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrable ability/experience to engage stakeholders and shape strategic direction using data and insights, including the capacity to influence senior leadership and drive cross‑functional collaboration.
• Experience in managing projects from inception to post‑investment review, ensuring alignment with business objectives and financial goals.
• Strong analytical skills to distil insights from complex data sources and drive the analytical agenda.
• Proven line management and leadership experience, including the ability to lead and develop teams to achieve business objectives.

Benefits

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whatever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working.

Starting off with colleague discount, you will be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We have also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You will also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance‑related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You will receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest‑free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well as access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. If you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme, and you will also be eligible for private healthcare.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).