At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to deliver exceptional service and drive sales in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Company: Join Marks & Spencer, a leading retailer transforming the future of food.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Be part of an innovative team committed to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the customer experience and driving team success.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership skills and a passion for delivering excellent customer service.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
As a Team Manager in Food, you'll be responsible for leading a team on the shop floor to deliver exceptional availability, 5-star service, and commercial results. This is not a back-office role. It's a frontline leadership position in one of the most competitive retailers in the UK.
You’ll need to be commercially sharp, operationally resilient, and relentless in your standards. Whether you’re managing stock, coaching your team, or solving problems, you’ll move with purpose and lead by example. This is your chance to step into a high-impact role and help shape the future of M&S Food as we push the boundaries in our transformation.
- Lead and coach a team to deliver consistently under pressure. You’ll set the pace, build capability, and hold the line on standards.
- From sales and standards to availability and team performance, you’ll make things happen and take accountability when things don’t go to plan.
- Work across departments to deliver a seamless customer experience. You’ll need to collaborate fast, fix problems early, leading with pace and purpose.
- Drive commercial performance. You’ll understand the numbers, translate them into action, and help your team stay laser-focused on what matters.
This is a big job – with big expectations. But for the right leader, it’s the start of something game changing. Are you ready to lead? Take Your Marks and apply today.
Purpose
- Support the growth and profitability of the store through the implementation of the retail plan and delivery of the KPI measures for their area of accountability.
- Role model great customer service and ensure the delivery of a customer focused service proposition through the team that delights our customers.
- Recruit and develop great talent and capability within the customer assistant team supporting the succession requirements of the store and region.
- Ensure colleagues understand and are motivated to deliver their part.
- Support the store to trade safely and legally, protecting Customers, Colleagues and the M&S brand.
- Support the delivery of an inspirational, improved and consistent visual customer journey instore which inspires our customers to shop and buy more often.
Key Accountabilities
- Drive profitability and sales for their area through supporting the delivery of the Retail Plan and Store KPI's.
- Support the delivery and embedding of the business transformation plan and change initiatives for their area.
- Deliver great standards and service by setting clear expectations with store colleagues.
- Create the right culture, role modelling new digital ways of working and leadership behaviours.
- Create a multiskilled team, coaching and training the team to fully utilise all the tools available to serve and sell well.
- Deliver brilliant basics through the team.
- Seek customer feedback and take action to deliver improvement.
- Use data and insight to improve customer instore experience, improve the operation and drive performance.
- Support the delivery of Plan A.
- Regularly review individual performance through quality conversations, managing underperformance where required and celebrating success.
- Recruit for the team, ensuring new starters have a brilliant onboarding experience.
- Deliver all line management activities in line with company process and policy.
- Build an active working partnership with BIG, provide feedback and support the development of BIG reps.
- Deliver operational excellence to maximise product availability, minimise stock and cash loss.
- Ensure process and task is delivered in line with business expectation and operating standards allocating resource accordingly.
- Maintain a safe and legal store environment.
- Support visual merchandising updates across all launches, events and campaigns.
Technical Skills/Experience
- Ability to lead a team to deliver excellent customer service and KPI's across the store.
- Create the right culture, role modelling new digital ways of working and leadership behaviours.
- Has a good understanding and up to date knowledge of commercial, visual, operational and people processes and systems.
- Uses all available data and MI to identify commercial, visual, cost savings & customer opportunities to increase profit.
- Good working knowledge of VM principles.
- Good level of digital capability and an understanding and use of all systems.
- Good knowledge of the legal requirements across their area of accountability and the store.
- Knowledge of our people policies and managing performance within a team.
- The ability to have difficult conversations with effective resolutions with colleagues.
- Good communicator and listener who will inspire, share their knowledge and best practices with others.
- Ability to plan and review across the week and the month.
- Ability to deliver under pressure demonstrating resilience.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the store and region.
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to change, and the ability to lead teams through change with a growth mindset.
Key Leadership Capabilities
- Successfully embeds change for lasting commercial impact and results.
- Addresses beliefs and mindsets around resistance to change and supports colleagues in adapting.
- Takes ownership and accountability for the success of their team.
- Spends time coaching colleagues to accelerate performance and personal growth.
- Recognises high performance and supports poor performers to improve.
- Shows colleagues why they matter to M&S, their part to play in delivering the plan and what the results of their work are.
- Uses customer feedback and market trends to guide teams work.
- Helps teams understand information and business messages by actively seeking out opinions and asking questions.
- Uses a combination of channels and technology to communicate, ensuring timely, clear and open communication with colleagues.
- Seeks the best solution for M&S by proactively collaborating with colleagues from across the business.
Key Relationships and Stakeholders
- Customers
- Colleagues
- Store Leadership
- Regional Leadership
- BIG
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.
Team Manager employer: M&S
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where Team Managers in Food can thrive. With a strong focus on employee development, you will have access to comprehensive training and growth opportunities while being part of a culture that values collaboration and innovation. Located in the UK, this role allows you to lead a passionate team, drive commercial success, and contribute to a transformative retail experience that prioritises customer satisfaction and operational excellence.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Team Manager
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like M&S, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like M&S!
We think you need these skills to ace Team Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at M&S, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at M&S and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show M&S that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at M&S
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!