Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead planning delivery and develop tools for transformation projects.
- Company: Join Sainsbury's, a fast-paced FTSE business with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, flexible working, and a range of employee benefits.
- Other info: Opportunities for growth and continuous improvement in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact and see your work in action across stores.
- Qualifications: Experience in project management and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we’re not handling projects, we’re helping all corners of the wider group with what they’re trying to achieve. And around here, you can see the results of your work as soon as you walk into a store, which gives you a real sense of purpose and responsibility. Better still, the team around you will listen to your ideas and opinions, and you’ll have every chance to try something new. The sheer scale and complexity of our set-up means there’s always something else around the corner, and we’ll help and support you every step of the way. We’re trusted to get on with it. So get ready to make things happen here.
About the team
The Business Planning team sits within Business Strategy & Planning and plays a central role in enabling delivery of the transformation portfolio across the organisation. Working closely with change and transformation stakeholders, the team provides the plans, tools and governance that underpin successful delivery of business outcomes. This is a high‑profile, collaborative team that operates at pace, influences across multiple functions and continuously evolves how planning and delivery are approached.
More about the role
As a Business Planning Lead, you will be responsible for planning delivery across the Business Planning team and owning the creation and ongoing maintenance of change plans. You will lead the development of planning tools, templates and processes that support delivery of a complex and varied transformation portfolio, working closely with senior stakeholders across the business. Day to day, you can expect to manage multiple workstreams, partner with change leads to shape and deliver plans, and use data and feedback to continuously improve Business Planning capability. This role requires confidence operating under pressure, providing expert advice on planning, engagement and measurement, and constructively challenging ways of working to drive better outcomes.
More about you
You will bring a demonstrable background in portfolio or project management, with experience coordinating multiple initiatives and adapting plans in response to changing priorities. Comfortable working in complex environments, you will be skilled at engaging a wide range of stakeholders and translating strategic objectives into clear, practical delivery plans. You are proactive and solutions‑focused, with the confidence to take ownership and suggest new approaches. You value continuous improvement, actively seek feedback and use insight to improve tools, processes and outcomes. Strong communication and influencing skills enable you to build trusted relationships and operate credibly with stakeholders up to senior manager level.
- Experience of portfolio management and/or project management
- Experience managing multiple projects, prioritising, and responding quickly to changing situations
- Experience of creating and delivering engagement plans – preferably in large, complex and multi-location organisations, operating in rapidly changing markets
- Experience in portfolio reporting, coordinating, and developing MI and dashboards to drive proactive decision making across different stakeholder groups
- Experience managing and developing Enterprise Portfolio tooling
- Strong Microsoft Office skills – the ability to create an engaging presentation in PowerPoint and adept at using Excel to manage data (e.g. pivot tables, lookups)
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with good interpersonal and influencing skills
Benefits
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business — and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, wherever possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and in-store at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 10% of salary, depending on how we perform. Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an employee assistance programme. Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Business Planning Lead employer: Sainsbury's
Contact Detail:
Sainsbury's Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Business Planning Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Sainsbury’s on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing the Business Planning Lead role. Personal connections can give you insights that a job description just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by practising common questions related to project management and stakeholder engagement. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. This will help you showcase your experience in a clear and compelling way.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your skills with a portfolio! If you've got examples of successful projects or planning tools you've developed, bring them along to the interview. This not only demonstrates your capabilities but also gives you something tangible to discuss.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email reiterating your interest in the role and mentioning something specific from your conversation can leave a lasting impression. Plus, it shows you're proactive and genuinely interested in the position.
We think you need these skills to ace Business Planning Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Business Planning Lead role. Highlight your experience in project management and how it aligns with the responsibilities mentioned in the job description. We want to see how you can bring your unique skills to our team!
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since strong communication is key for this role, don’t shy away from demonstrating your written and verbal skills. Use clear, concise language in your application and provide examples of how you've successfully engaged with stakeholders in the past. We love a good story!
Highlight Your Problem-Solving Abilities: We’re looking for someone proactive and solutions-focused. In your application, share specific instances where you’ve tackled challenges or improved processes. This will show us that you’re ready to take ownership and drive better outcomes in our fast-paced environment.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our official website! It’s the best way to ensure it gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details about the role and our amazing benefits there too. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Sainsbury's business model and recent transformations. Understand how the Business Planning team fits into the bigger picture and be ready to discuss how your experience in portfolio or project management can contribute to their goals.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully engaged with various stakeholders in past roles. Highlight your ability to translate strategic objectives into practical plans, as this is crucial for the Business Planning Lead role.
✨Be Solutions-Focused
During the interview, demonstrate your proactive approach by discussing times when you identified problems and suggested new solutions. This will show that you’re not just a planner but also someone who drives continuous improvement.
✨Master the Tools
Brush up on your Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel and PowerPoint. Be prepared to discuss how you've used these tools to manage data and create engaging presentations, as these skills are essential for the role.