Retail Planning Manager in Watford

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View more categories View less categories Sector Retail and Wholesale Role Assistant Contract Type Permanent Hours Full Time

At the heart of everything we do is our vision to change lives every day, and our mission to grow The National Lottery responsibly and champion its impact.

We are Allwyn UK, part of the Allwyn Entertainment Group - a multi-national lottery operator with a market-leading presence across the USA (Michigan and Illinois) and Europe, including Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.

While the main contribution of The National Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do. Join us as we embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, largescale transformation journey by creating a National Lottery that delivers more money to good causes.

We'll talk a bit more about us further down the page, but for now - let's talk about the role and who we're looking for...

A bit about the role

This role will report to the Senior Planning and is to business partner with the National Account and Retail Sales teams to support the delivery of agreed objectives, OPMs and initiatives, leading Go-To-Market execution and providing Ready to Pan and Ready to Sell across both teams, including account facing engagement where required.

To support Senior Retail Planning Manager with the implementation and delivery of annual business and contact plans.

To be the internal voice of Retail with key stakeholder functions regarding the Retail execution of the consumer plan, ABP and key Retail initiatives.

The role will involve high levels of collaboration across internal and external stakeholders as you will support leading retail initiatives and supporting in delivering our retail transformation plan, as well as leading two Retail Planning Executives.

What you'll be doing

National Account Responsibilities

• Partner with Channel Managers and the National Accounts team to shape channel strategies that deliver agreed commercial objectives, KPIs and transformation priorities.
• Set clear retail priorities and lead retailer engagement and sell-in strategies for head offices and stores across game changes, campaigns and national events.
• Lead the end-to-end delivery of the Consumer Plan through National Accounts, ensuring activity is operationally viable and fully Ready-to-Plan, Ready-to-Sell and Go-to-Market ready.
• Own the quarterly consumer and campaign planning process for National Accounts, ensuring customer insight, risks and opportunities inform decisions and future plans.
• Oversee retailer-led communication requirements and the effective deployment of store assets and retailer-owned channels.

Sales Team Responsibilities

• Create best-in-class Ready-to-Sell and ABP materials that are compelling, insight-led, actionable and aligned to the wider Go-to-Market cycle.
• Own the GEMi roadmap in partnership with the Retail Systems team, prioritising new features and enhancements that improve sales effectiveness and user experience.
• Develop and deliver content for quarterly briefings and national sales conferences, translating business priorities into clear actions for field teams.
• Coordinate operational inputs, including game closures, literature reviews, boot stock and operational updates, so Sales teams are fully prepared to deliver.
• Act as the escalation and issue-resolution lead for Retail Sales Managers and Divisional Sales Managers, enabling timely decisions and protecting delivery milestones.
• Work cross-functionally with Retail Activation, MarComms, Games, DS&I, Brand and other teams to align requirements and enable seamless field execution.
• Lead strategically important sales projects, managing internal, external and third-party stakeholders to agreed scope, budget, timescales and outcomes.

Category Story

• Lead the development and maintenance of a compelling Category Story that clearly communicates the value of The National Lottery to retailers and trade bodies.
• Translate category insight into timely, retailer-facing messages and practical sales tools, incorporating feedback from National Accounts and field teams.
• Maintain a rolling six-month plan so Category Story content remains aligned to retailer challenges, commercial priorities and upcoming Go-to-Market activity.

Retail Initiatives and Team Leadership

• Provide leadership across campaign and initiative planning, ensuring the voice of Retail, operational feasibility and Go-to-Market readiness are embedded from the outset.

• Coordinate inputs from DS&I, Games, Brand, Product, MarComms, Retail Activation and other teams, securing timely decisions and senior approval where required.
• Act as Retail lead for priority initiatives, managing scope, dependencies, budgets, risks and milestones through to successful implementation.
• Drive the design and execution of retail incentives across National Accounts and Retail Sales, ensuring activity is commercially robust, compliant and measurable.
• Support ABP reporting and portfolio governance, providing clear insight on progress, risks, opportunities and recommended actions.
• Use data, retailer feedback and post-implementation reviews to evaluate performance and continuously improve future plans.
• Lead, coach and develop two Retail Planning Executives, setting clear objectives, prioritising workload and building capability and accountability.
• Champion effective ways of working across the Retail function, constructively challenging where plans are unclear, impractical or not sufficiently customer focused.

What experience we're looking for

• Experience working in or with a high performing National Account team.
• Experience working with 1 or more Top 4 UK Grocers (or equivalent)
• Delivery of high-profile retail-based initiatives to high standards, on time & in budget
• A passion for problem solving and the ability to work on your own initiative in a high paced environment
• Experience of finding complex solutions quickly & efficiently
• Demonstrated capability in data handling and producing clear, effective written communications
• Confident operating within digital systems and technology driven environments
• Skilled in managing stakeholder relationships and delivering clear, professional communication
• Proven ability to organise and deliver successful events
• Strong data analysis and written communication skills
• Line management experience

About us

At Allwyn, we are dedicated to changing lives and growing the National Lottery responsibly, championing its positive impact on people, places, and the planet.

Innovation - We pride ourselves on it! We're constantly looking for new ways to excite our customers, bringing new products to market to enjoy which is all supported by our responsible play values and making them accessible to all.

Giving back - Did you know that playing the lottery generates around £30m a week for charities and good causes in the UK? Our aim is to have doubled this number by the end of the first 10-year license.

Sustainability - Our aim is to become a net zero national lottery. We have 2030 targets to decarbonise our operations and energy. We've already transitioned to renewable energy providers, made our London and Watford offices zero gas, and ensured our fleet consists of low-emission vehicles. In addition, we’re working with our value chain partners to develop a net zero target date.

Empowering every voice - We believe in creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, has access to opportunities and can thrive for the benefit of good causes. Our diverse teams are working hard to make all parts of The National Lottery inclusive - whether people play a game in a store or online, because when everyone can play, everyone wins..

An inclusive reward offering with wellbeing at the centre

At Allwyn, inclusion is built into how we care for our people. Our benefits and policies support colleagues and their families at every stage of life and career. By prioritising wellbeing and belonging, we create a workplace where everyone feels valued, rewarded, and empowered to succeed. Our people are more than colleagues - they're winners, driving positive change and making a real difference in communities.

Benefits

• Company Bonus Scheme
• Matched pension contributions up to 8.5%
• 26 days annual leave + 2 Life Days (and bank holidays)
• Single Private Health Cover
• Complimentary Private Medical
• Income Protection
• Flexible Benefits - EV Scheme, Money Coach, Will Writing, Mortgage Advice, Dental and Eye Care Schemes.
• Enhanced Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption)
• Wellness Allowance £500
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounted Health Assessments
• Volunteering Days
• Matched Funding

We are a Disability Confident Leader which means we've taken proactive steps to ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues and candidates. As part of this we offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of the job.

If you need any assistance or adjustments to this job description or in the application process, please contact a member of the talent team at careers@allwyn.co.uk and we'll be happy to help.

Company

Our vision is to grow the National Lottery responsibly, making it bigger,betterandsafer for all, with more to good causes.

Bigger because we will significantly increase Good Causes contributions by the end of the Fourth Licence through responsible growth of people playing.

Better because we will modernise technology and operations, refresh games and support shops while improving the use of data and digital.

Safer because participant protection underpins everything we do.

What is unique about us?

Our preparations to transform the National Lottery will be a once-in-a-lifetime type of project in the lottery industry, anywhere in the world. Join our journey to create a new experience for the National Lottery and help us to power change for the greater good.

Our approach

In Allwyn, the National Lottery will have an operator that has social value at its heart. We will raise more funding for Good Causes, while running our own business in an environmentally and socially responsible way. That’s why we have committed to an ambitious Social Value framework, which is woven into the way we do business. We believe that lotteries must serve everyone across society, not just those who play. So whether as an employee, a supplier, a retailer or any of the stakeholders that we interact with, we will be powering good across the UK.

Our goal is to create one of the UK’s most inclusive organisations – where people can bring the best of themselves, to do their best work, every day, for the benefit of good causes.

We are working to make the National Lottery truly accessible in a safe way, whether as a player, a retailer or an employee. We are proud to have been a partner with Purple since 2021 to support our work to embed accessibility into everything we do. Purple has carried out an accessibility audit on our office in Watford, is working with us to have truly inclusive workplace policies, and we have exciting plans to do so much more to make our games, both in-store and online, safely accessible.

Come and help us shape what the future of the National Lottery could look like.

Media Clips

“I became an amputee in 2021 and I struggled to find my place back in the working world until Allwyn welcomed me with open arms. They have always focused on what I bring to the table and it is apparent that my disability is not what defines me within the company, but my skill. Allwyn has a noticeable strong focus on accessibility and inclusion, which makes me feel seen and like I have found a permanent home for my career.” Lorna Jeanes, Transition Co-ordinator.

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