At a Glance
- Tasks: Transform data into actionable insights to drive trading decisions and unlock growth.
- Company: Join M&S, a fast-evolving business at the forefront of digital transformation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and tailored development opportunities.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with a focus on collaboration and inclusivity.
- Why this job: Deepen your commercial and analytical skills in a dynamic online environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in retail, strong analytical skills, and confident communication are key.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
At M&S, we’re transforming our online business through data-led decisions and sharper commercial performance. As an Online Commercial Assistant Manager, you’ll play a key role in turning complex data into clear, actionable insight that drives trading decisions and unlocks growth.
This is a highly collaborative role sitting at the heart of Online Performance & Planning, where you’ll work across Trading, Finance, Planning and Inventory teams to ensure performance is understood, risks are identified early, and opportunities are maximised. This 12-month fixed-term contract is a brilliant opportunity for someone looking to deepen their commercial and analytical experience in a fast-paced digital environment.
Your key accountabilities will include:
- Translate data into meaningful commercial insight, helping teams understand performance, risks and opportunities, and where to focus next.
- Create and shape insight packs, trading updates and materials for leadership forums, ensuring outputs are accurate and influence decisions at pace.
- Work closely with Planning teams to identify discrepancies in forecasts and highlight risks and opportunities.
- Compare Online forecasts with category and financial plans, ensuring alignment across assumptions and timelines.
- Analyse stock levels, stock cover and availability to optimise performance and reduce excess stock.
Your skills and experience will include:
- Experience in a commercial, trading or online retail environment.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and generate clear insights.
- Confident communicator, able to present information clearly and credibly.
- Experience working with performance metrics such as sales, margin, stock and fulfilment (beneficial).
- Familiarity with planning tools or systems (e.g. MFP, assortment planning) is a plus.
What’s in it for you?
Working at M&S means being part of a business that’s evolving fast, with data and digital at the core of how we make decisions. Here are just a few of the benefits:
- 20% colleague discount across M&S products.
- Competitive holiday allowance with option to buy more.
- Discretionary bonus schemes.
- Pension and life assurance.
- Tailored development and progression opportunities.
- Wellbeing support and virtual GP access.
- One paid volunteering day a year.
Everyone’s welcome
We’re committed to building diverse and inclusive teams where everyone can thrive. We value different perspectives and believe they help us make better decisions for our customers and colleagues. If you need any support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.
Ways of working
Our teams work in a hybrid way, with time in the office to collaborate and connect, alongside flexibility to work from home.
Online Commercial Assistant Manager (12 Month FTC) employer: Marks & Spencer
At M&S, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As an Online Commercial Assistant Manager, you'll benefit from tailored development opportunities, a competitive benefits package including a generous colleague discount, and the chance to work in a fast-paced digital environment that values diversity and inclusion. Join us in shaping the future of online retail while enjoying the flexibility of hybrid working arrangements.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Online Commercial Assistant Manager (12 Month FTC)
✨Join Business Intelligence Meetups
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✨Show Off Your BI Projects
Whether you’re working on a personal project or a past endeavour, put your work out there! Create a public portfolio that highlights your best Business Intelligence analyses or visualisations. It’ll give you a leg up when you’re approaching companies like Marks & Spencer, showing exactly what you can bring to the table.
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If you're currently studying or recently graduated, make sure to use your university's career services. Many educational institutions have partnerships with companies looking for temporary talent in Business Intelligence, so keep an eye out for exclusive job postings or internship fairs that could lead to a quick placement.
We think you need these skills to ace Online Commercial Assistant Manager (12 Month FTC)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Data Skills:In business intelligence, it's crucial to highlight your analytical skills and experience with data tools. Make sure your CV showcases any relevant software you’ve used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Add specific examples of how you've used data to drive insights or improvements in previous roles, even if they were in academic projects or internships.
Keep it Concise and Impactful:For a temporary role like this, hiring managers often have limited time to sift through applications. Get straight to the point in your CV and cover letter. Use bullet points for your achievements, showcasing the impact you've made, like percentage increases in efficiency or specific results from your analyses.
Flexibility is Key:Since this is a temporary position, make sure to emphasise your adaptability. Mention your quick learning abilities and experiences where you adapted to new tools or processes rapidly. This will show that you can jump in and start contributing effectively from day one at Marks & Spencer.
Craft a Tailored Motivation Statement:In your cover letter, focus on why you’re excited about this temporary role at Marks & Spencer. Talk about your interest in business intelligence and how this position aligns with your career goals. Remember, it’s not just about what you can offer, but why you’re passionate about becoming part of their team, even for a short time!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks & Spencer
✨Brush Up on Your Data Skills
For a business intelligence role, you'll want to showcase your analytical skills and familiarity with data visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI. Be ready to tackle technical questions or case studies demonstrating your ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations.
✨Plan Your Portfolio of Projects
Since this is a temporary position, we should highlight any past projects you've worked on in business intelligence. Prepare a portfolio that includes a couple of key pieces where you've effectively utilised data to drive decisions—this will show that you're not just a quick fix but someone who can deliver immediate value.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Temporary roles often require us to hit the ground running, so be ready to discuss how you quickly adapt to new tools, teams, and environments. Share specific examples from previous experiences where you thrived under pressure or had to learn a new system or process in a short time frame.
✨Have Your Metrics Ready
In business intelligence, quantifying your impact is key. Come prepared to share metrics from your past work: think percentages, growth figures, or efficiency improvements. This will really help us paint a picture of how your contributions directly benefited those previous roles.
