At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead new store launches and competitive strategies across Fashion, Home & Beauty.
- Company: Join M&S, a forward-thinking retail leader with a strong sense of purpose.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and tailored training from day one.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team committed to diversity and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in retail while driving innovation and change.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in large-scale store programmes and strong stakeholder management skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
We're looking for a strategic and commercially driven Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy to lead the delivery of our UK & ROI store pipeline across Fashion, Home & Beauty. This role is accountable for end-to-end execution of new stores, renewals, closures, and store environment initiatives, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum commercial return. You will also lead the development and implementation of a robust competition defence strategy, protecting market share and driving performance across the estate.
What You'll Do:
- Lead the end-to-end delivery of all new store launches, renewals, closures, and store environment schemes, ensuring strong performance from pre-opening through post-launch reviews.
- Drive operational excellence by developing and embedding best-in-class processes, minimising disruption, and maximising recapture across trading stores.
- Lead, coach, and prioritise a field-based team, ensuring clear phasing plans, high standards, and alignment with commercial and operational goals.
- Partner extensively across Retail, Property, Trading, and Finance to influence delivery, shape propositions, and ensure all initiatives are fit for purpose in-store.
- Define and implement the Competition Defence Strategy, embedding governance, reporting, and a targeted, insight-led approach to protect customer value and sales.
Who You Will Be:
- A proven senior leader with experience delivering large-scale store programmes, transformation, or multi-site operations.
- Highly effective at stakeholder management, with the ability to influence across Retail, Property, and cross-functional leadership teams.
- Commercially astute, with a strong understanding of store operations and the ability to balance customer experience with financial performance.
- A resilient and adaptable leader, able to manage remote teams and navigate complexity, ambiguity, and change.
- An impactful communicator who can create clarity, drive accountability, and lead teams to deliver at pace.
What's in it for you?
Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We're inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing. Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:
- 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you've completed your probation.
- Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more.
- Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours.
- Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future.
- Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one.
- Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal.
- Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave.
- 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services.
- One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you.
Everyone's welcome. We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.
If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy in Burnley employer: Marks and Spencer
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation and collaboration thrive. As the Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy, you will benefit from a competitive salary, generous colleague discounts, and comprehensive training tailored to your development. With a strong focus on employee wellbeing and a commitment to diversity, M&S empowers its team members to make meaningful contributions while enjoying a fulfilling career in the retail sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy in Burnley
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its competitors. Understand their market position and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. This shows you're not just interested in any job, but specifically in making an impact at M&S.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be clear about what you bring to the table and how you can help drive performance and operational excellence. A confident, concise introduction can set the tone for a great conversation.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and contributing to our mission of delivering quality and value.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy in Burnley
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in store launches and competitive strategy. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a senior leader, it’s crucial to demonstrate your ability to manage teams and influence stakeholders. Share specific examples of how you've led projects or initiatives in the past, especially in multi-site operations.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to convey your ideas and experiences, as we appreciate impactful communication that gets straight to the heart of the matter.
Apply Early!:Given the high interest in this role, we recommend applying as soon as possible through our website. Don’t wait until the last minute; get your application in early to stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Head of Store Launch & Competitive Strategy, you'll need to demonstrate your commercial acumen. Brush up on key metrics related to store performance, market share, and financial returns. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role requires strong leadership skills, especially in managing remote teams. Prepare examples that highlight your coaching and mentoring abilities. Think about times when you successfully led a team through change or complexity, and be ready to share those stories.
✨Understand the Competition
Since you'll be defining the Competition Defence Strategy, it's crucial to have a solid understanding of the competitive landscape. Research the company's main competitors and be prepared to discuss how you would protect market share and enhance customer value.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Stakeholder management is key in this role. Think about how you've influenced cross-functional teams in the past. Prepare to discuss specific strategies you've used to align different departments towards common goals, ensuring everyone is on the same page for successful store launches.
