Space Planner

Space Planner

Temporary 49000 - 72000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
John Lewis

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Create innovative space strategies to enhance customer experience and drive profitability.
  • Company: Join the UK's largest employee-owned business, home to John Lewis and Waitrose.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and a supportive team culture.
  • Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on retail spaces while developing your analytical and commercial skills.
  • Qualifications: Strong analytical skills and experience in data analysis; retail experience is a plus.

The predicted salary is between 49000 - 72000 £ per year.

As the Space Planner, in the Brand and Store Experience Directorate, you will play a role in delivering the commercial and physical estate strategy; building optimised space blueprints and developing space strategies through in-depth assortment and shop expertise. You will deliver sales and profit improvements through the planning and delivery of change to shop floor space to deliver the propositional strategy. You will realise the assortment and customer strategy onto the shop floor delivering customer centric adjacencies whilst supporting the business’ design and omni-channel aspirations. You will take every opportunity to drive commercial return, deliver an outstanding customer journey and reduce working capital in the development of the space strategy and all projects. You will use your analytical and commercial skills to plan and optimise the best use of space to deliver profitability and a great customer experience.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £5.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Expected salary up to - £56,000 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 Monday and Tuesday. 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 when necessary and travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy.

Key responsibilities:

  • Creating efficient and profitable use of space
  • Deliver the proposition strategy on to the shop floor
  • Use data and story telling to reveal and socialise accurate profit opportunities.

What will you be doing?

  • Through in-depth assortment and shop knowledge and commercial & customer analysis, develop robust and insightful recommendations to optimise space performance (including services and experiences) within shops.
  • Provide detailed bottom-up build to support the evolution of the Space Blueprint; determining optimum footprint and target range width.
  • Influence propositional strategies with recommendations for value additive opportunities and optimal physical estate locations.
  • Support Buyers and Merchandisers and Heads of Categories in feasibility scoping and business case building.
  • Work with these teams to translate the propositional strategy into viable execution in shops.
  • Provide planning expertise to the Heads of and their teams to influence proposition proposals from inception through to delivery to enhance their viability and profitability.
  • Work cross functionally across all physical estate and trading teams to deliver the right balance of commercial return and optimal customer journey.
  • Analyse data identifying opportunities to optimise space performance.
  • Collaborate with Commercial Teams to ensure space is planned to support a profitable and compelling range plan.
  • Provide project briefs to store design defining the appropriate space, stock and option densities for proposed space changes.
  • Confirm the financial and customer implications of any variation to brief.
  • Conduct feasibility assessments for proposed space change projects outlining opportunities and risks of a range of options where appropriate.
  • Effectively communicates the use of space to shops in a format that is efficient to execute.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need:

  • Demonstrates strong analytical skills
  • Excellent planning, organisation and orchestration skills
  • Strong Commercial awareness
  • Excellent cross functional working skills and Stakeholder management
  • Verbal / written communication
  • Experience using Data including Excel and Google Suite.

Desirable skills/experience you may have:

  • Experience in a Retail and/or Shop role is an advantage

Closing Date: June 14, 2026

Pay: £49,000.00 - £72,000.00 Annual

Contract Type: Temporary

Hours of Work: 35

Job Level: Partnership Level 7

Where You'll Be Working: London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, SW1V 2QQ

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.

Space Planner employer: John Lewis

As a Space Planner at our London Head Office, you will join the largest employee-owned business in the UK, where your contributions directly impact our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We foster a collaborative work culture that values innovation and diversity, offering flexible working arrangements and opportunities for personal and professional growth. With a commitment to creating a supportive environment, we empower our Partners to thrive and make a meaningful difference in the retail landscape.

John Lewis

Contact Details:

John Lewis Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Space Planner

Tip Number 1

Get to know the company inside out! Research their values, recent projects, and how they approach space planning. This will help you tailor your conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.

Tip Number 2

Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. Building relationships can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral, which is always a bonus!

Tip Number 3

Prepare for those interviews by practising common questions related to space planning and commercial strategies. Use real-life examples from your experience to demonstrate your analytical skills and how you've optimised space in the past.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and ready to contribute to their success.

We think you need these skills to ace Space Planner

Analytical Skills
Commercial Awareness
Planning Skills
Organisational Skills
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Management
Data Analysis

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your analytical skills and commercial awareness. We want to see how your experience aligns with the Space Planner role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!

Showcase Your Data Skills:Since this role involves a lot of data analysis, be sure to mention any experience you have with tools like Excel or Google Suite. We love seeing how you’ve used data to drive decisions in previous roles, so share those stories!

Communicate Clearly:Your written communication skills are key for this position. Keep your application clear and concise, and make sure to express your ideas in a way that’s easy to understand. We appreciate straightforward communication!

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!

How to prepare for a job interview at John Lewis

Know Your Space

Before the interview, dive deep into understanding the company's space planning strategies. Familiarise yourself with their store layouts and how they optimise space for customer experience. This will show your genuine interest and help you discuss how you can contribute to their goals.

Data is Your Best Friend

Brush up on your analytical skills and be ready to discuss how you've used data in past roles. Prepare examples of how you've identified profit opportunities through data analysis. Being able to tell a compelling story with numbers will impress your interviewers.

Collaboration is Key

Since this role involves working cross-functionally, think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with different teams. Be ready to share how you influenced decisions or contributed to projects that required input from various stakeholders.

Ask Insightful Questions

Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's current space strategies and future plans. This not only shows your enthusiasm but also gives you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge about the industry and how you can add value to their team.