At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead labour planning and drive continuous improvement across UK stores for exceptional customer experience.
- Company: Join Marks & Spencer, a trusted and inclusive retail leader.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, and 24/7 wellbeing support.
- Other info: Collaborative office culture with excellent career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the future of retail operations while making a real impact on customer satisfaction.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership in retail operations and expertise in labour planning required.
The predicted salary is between 59576 - 70089 £ per year.
We're looking for a strategic and commercially driven Head of Resourcing & Continuous Improvement to lead how we plan, deploy, and optimise labour across all UK stores. This role is critical in ensuring the right resource is in place to deliver exceptional customer experience, while driving efficiency and strengthening the store operating model through continuous improvement. You'll combine deep expertise in labour planning with transformation leadership, shaping future capability, influencing senior stakeholders, and embedding a culture of data‑led decision making and continuous improvement.
To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.
What You'll Do
- Lead labour planning and forecasting, ensuring the right resources are in place to deliver service, sales, and operational efficiency across stores.
- Define and embed best‑in‑class labour management frameworks, including budgeting, deployment, and long‑term capacity planning.
- Build and influence cross‑functional relationships to ensure labour plans reflect business priorities and changes across the organisation.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across the store estate, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency and strengthen the operating model.
- Partner with Technology and stakeholders to shape the future labour management roadmap and embed a sustainable CI culture.
Who You Will Be
- A strong leader with experience managing complex retail operations and labour planning at scale.
- Commercially and analytically strong, with expertise in financial modelling, workforce planning, and performance measurement.
- Highly effective in stakeholder management, able to influence across senior leaders and cross‑functional teams.
- Deep understanding of retail operations, with the ability to translate insight into practical, scalable solutions.
- Organised, strategic, and forward‑thinking, with a passion for driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.
What you will bring
- Proven expertise in labour planning, workforce modelling, and operational performance within a retail environment.
- Strong analytical capability, including financial modelling, work measurement, and data‑driven decision making.
- Experience leading continuous improvement or transformation initiatives at scale.
- Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across multiple business functions.
- A strategic, commercially focused mindset with a drive to improve efficiency and customer outcomes.
Benefits
- 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third‑party brands for you and a household member, available after completion of 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.
Equal Opportunity
Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. 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.
Support and Adjustments
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 Workforce Management and Productivity in London employer: Marks and Spencer
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where collaboration and creativity thrive. With a strong focus on employee development, competitive benefits including a generous colleague discount, flexible holiday options, and comprehensive wellbeing support, we empower our team to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. Join us in shaping the future of retail while enjoying a culture that values diversity and inclusivity.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Workforce Management and Productivity in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Workforce Management and Productivity in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to Marks and Spencer.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of Marks and Spencer. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!
Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with Marks and Spencer, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.
✨Brush Up on Management Theories
Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at Marks and Spencer, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.
✨Craft Your Vision for the Company
Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for Marks and Spencer could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.
✨Emphasise Team Dynamics and Culture
In corporate leadership, team dynamics and organisational culture are everything. Be ready to discuss how you've fostered a positive work environment in previous roles. Bring up examples of how you've managed diverse teams effectively—this will resonate well at Marks and Spencer as they’re likely seeking a candidate who can enhance their workplace culture.
