At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the planning and delivery of major trading events at Argos.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Argos, a leading UK retailer.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, bonuses, flexible working, and comprehensive health benefits.
- Other info: Opportunities for growth and development in a collaborative environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on exciting events that shape customer experiences.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in commercial leadership and project management.
The biggest moments in the Argos calendar don't just happen, they require strategic thinking, exceptional planning and brilliant cross-functional delivery to bring them to life. We're looking for an Event Planning Manager to join our Trade Planning team on a 12-month FTC. Sitting at the heart of the Argos business within the Trade Planning Team, you'll take ownership of some of our most important trading events, shaping the strategy behind them and leading their delivery from concept through to execution. From major seasonal campaigns and category events, to Black Friday and our biggest Sale moments, you'll play a critical role in ensuring we show up brilliantly for our customers while delivering commercial results.
This is a high-profile role with exposure across the entire business, working with senior stakeholders from Ops Board level through to operational teams. It's an exciting opportunity for an established leader looking to make a genuine impact on how Argos plans, responds and trades.
What you'll do
- Lead the end-to-end planning and delivery of some of Argos biggest trading events, owning everything from strategic planning and critical paths through to execution, performance reviews and lessons learned.
- Shape the future of our events programme, thinking creatively about how we continue to raise the bar, create standout customer moments and drive commercial growth.
- Bring together stakeholders from across Commercial, Digital, Marketing, Retail, Supply Chain, and Finance, creating alignment behind a single event narrative and ensuring plans land seamlessly across every channel.
- Take ownership of Trade Response and the Business Priority List, ensuring the business remains focused on the right priorities and can respond quickly to opportunities, competitor activity and changing customer behaviours.
- Lead our competitor analysis activity, reviewing the market, identifying key themes, risks and opportunities, and translating insight into meaningful actions that influence both short-term trade response and long-term planning.
- Use performance, customer, market and competitor insight to continually evolve our plans, ensuring every event delivers strong outcomes for customers and the business.
Who you are
- An experienced commercial leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys bringing complex plans together through collaboration, influence and strategic thinking.
- You're able to think broadly and strategically about the role events can play in accelerating business performance, while remaining equally comfortable driving operational excellence and managing delivery through to completion.
- Highly organised and agile, you're able to manage multiple priorities, make decisions at pace and navigate ambiguity with confidence.
- You understand how to balance customer outcomes, commercial performance and operational considerations to achieve the best result.
- A naturally curious problem-solver, you're comfortable using data, insight and financial performance to identify risks, spot opportunities and influence decision-making.
- Most importantly, you're an exceptional stakeholder manager who can quickly build credibility with a wide range of audiences, bringing people together behind a common goal and driving action across the business.
Essential Criteria
- Strong experience operating at a senior commercial, digital, planning or business level.
- Proven experience leading complex cross-functional programmes, projects or events.
- Strong strategic thinking capability with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans.
- Excellent commercial and financial acumen.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn insight into action.
- Ability to work at pace, manage ambiguity and respond quickly to changing priorities.
- Experience influencing and engaging senior stakeholders across large organisations.
- Strong project management and organisational skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills.
- Ability to identify risks, solve problems and drive action through others.
- A proactive mindset and passion for continuous improvement.
- Experience working across multiple functions, bringing teams together to deliver shared business outcomes.
Responsibilities
At Argos, we’re a digital-led UK retailer that keeps pushing boundaries to meet every generation with what they want, how and when they want it. As a market leader in general merchandise, serving millions of customers through our website, app, same-day delivery and Click & Collect services, we offer real opportunities to learn, grow and shape your career. With roles spanning Commercial, Buying, Merchandising, Design and Supply Chain, through to Digital, Operations, Customer Experience, Marketing, and People and Transformation, you will work with brilliant colleagues and directly shape how we serve our customers every day.
From enabling inspiring choice across our owned brands, including Habitat, Chad Valley and Bush, alongside the world’s biggest brands like Apple, Lego, Xbox and Samsung, to making shopping effortlessly convenient, championing trusted value and accelerating our strategy - Argos is an exciting place to build your future.
Qualifications
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, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits.
Here are some of them: Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore 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 20% 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, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, 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.
Trade Planning Manager - Events in Coventry employer: Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's is an excellent employer that values its employees by offering flexible shifts and a dynamic work environment where teamwork and customer service are paramount. With opportunities for personal growth and development, you will gain valuable product knowledge while contributing to a seamless online shopping experience for our customers. Join us in a role that not only supports your career aspirations but also allows you to make a meaningful impact in the community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Trade Planning Manager - Events in Coventry
✨Tap into Consulting Networks
Get active in local management consulting networks and organisations. Attend meetups, workshops, or webinars specific to consulting where you can connect with professionals who may know of temporary roles opening up at places like Sainsbury's. Don’t underestimate word-of-mouth – it’s massive in our field!
✨Show Off Your Skills in Real-Time
As a temporary hire, you need to demonstrate your value quickly. Consider creating a mini-case study or analysis relevant to the industry and share it on platforms like LinkedIn or even during networking events. This can be an impressive way to showcase your analytical skills and problem-solving prowess – just what consulting firms are looking for!
✨Check for Temporary Roles on Niche Job Boards
Look for temporary roles on specialised job boards for consulting gigs rather than just generic platforms. Websites like Consultancy.uk or even the Careers pages of major firms could have short-term projects or roles that are perfect for you to jump in at Sainsbury's.
✨Leverage University and Alumni Resources
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We think you need these skills to ace Trade Planning Manager - Events in Coventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:In management consulting, employers love to see your problem-solving abilities right from the get-go. Be sure to highlight any relevant analytical projects you've worked on, particularly those that show how you tackled complex problems. If you’ve done any case studies or analysis during your studies, throw those in your CV!
Tailor Your Experience for the Role:Since this is a temporary position, your application should reflect your adaptability and relevant experience quite clearly. Focus on showcasing experiences that demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running, like previous projects, internships, or freelance gigs in consulting or project management.
Craft a Targeted Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to sparkle! Use it to explain why you're interested in this temporary role at Sainsbury's and how your skills suit the specific project needs. Remember to mention how you can provide immediate value based on your past experiences.
Include Certifications or Relevant Training:If you've got any certifications like PMP, Six Sigma, or even coursework that’s super relevant, make sure to list those in your application. Management consulting can be competitive, and these extra qualifications can help you stand out in the recruitment process.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In management consulting, case study interviews are a big deal. Expect to tackle real-world business problems on the spot. We should practise structuring our thoughts, developing hypotheses, and presenting our solutions clearly, as this is what firms like Sainsbury's will want to see.
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
You’ll need to demonstrate strong analytical skills and logical reasoning. Brush up on frameworks like SWOT or Porter's Five Forces, as these can come in handy. Think of instances from your experience where you tackled a complex issue—this could set you apart when speaking to Sainsbury's.
✨Highlight Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, it's crucial we showcase our ability to hit the ground running. Have examples ready that illustrate how we've adapted quickly in past positions or projects. This shows that we can contribute effectively from day one at Sainsbury's.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Cultural Fit
Temporary roles often come with a focus on team dynamics. Prepare to discuss how we align with the values and culture at Sainsbury's. We want to highlight our teamwork experiences and how we can mesh with their consulting teams, making it clear that we're not just looking to fill a spot but to add value.
