Deputy Store Manager in Grays

Salary: From £42,950

Location: Chafford Hundred Store, Thurrock, RM16 6YJ

Contract type: Permanent

Business area: Retail

Closing date: 03 February 2026

Leading in our stores:

Our management teams don’t just run stores - they’re the driving force behind our business. With bold leadership, a passion for service and an eye for opportunity, they empower teams to raise the bar every single day for our customers. Whether it’s product availability, safety standards, or delivering seamless daily operations, they’re hands-on, sleeves-rolled-up changemakers. And the impact? Work becomes more rewarding for our colleagues, and shopping becomes a next-level experience for every customer who walks through our doors. This is how we bring our purpose to life, one powerful action at a time.

What you’ll be doing:

Deputy Store Managers are pivotal leaders in our largest stores. Working side by side with our Store Managers, they play a key role in shaping the day-to-day success of the operation. They lead from the front—driving performance, inspiring teams, and ensuring we deliver brilliant service and shopping experiences for our customers. They are accountable for the store’s performance, bringing energy and focus to every shift. They lead large teams of colleagues and managers, creating a culture where everyone can do their best work and where our purpose—to make good food joyful, accessible, and affordable for everyone, every day—comes to life.

What makes a brilliant Deputy Store Manager:

• Focussed on our customers and our operations.
• Significant experience leading an operation with accountabilities for delivering customer, financial and organisational outcomes.
• A leader who role models excellent service and business values through teams of managers and colleagues.
• Uses data and insight to inform longer term planning, improve performance or customer experience and/or KPI’s.
• Experience managing ER cases including dismissals, confident in understanding and interpreting HR policies.
• Can lead change, delivering engagement on purpose whilst managing team wellbeing.
• Demonstrates a focus on customer experiences and improving them.
• Managed a fast-paced operation, delivering results across service, sales, and team performance.
• Comfortable using data to plan ahead and make improvements that matter.
• Handled employee relations cases, including dismissals, with a solid understanding of HR policies.
• Helped build leadership capability — supporting managers and colleagues to grow and succeed.
• Helped lead change, keeping your team engaged and focused.
• Consistently role-models what great looks like — living values and inspiring others to do the same.

Working for us has great rewards:

• Salary will be dependent upon your experience as well as the store size, complexity and location.
• Private Healthcare – Eligible for single cover and to upgrade annually to family cover.
• Interest free car loan of up to £10,000.
• An annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance.
• Discount card – 10% discount off on your shopping at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat after four weeks. This increases to 15% discount off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day.
• Free food and hot drinks provided for Colleagues in all our stores.
• Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave.
• Pension – we’ll match 4-7.5% of your pension contributions.
• Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted prices.
• Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice.
• Colleague networks – link with like-minded people to help fulfil your potential.
• Cycle to Work scheme – hire a new bike and cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI.
• Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.

An inclusive place to work and shop:

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us. To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.