Data Strategist in London

We all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That's waiting for you at Sainsbury's. Everything our Nectar team does is powered and fuelled by data and by great relationships with some of the UK's favourite brands. The Nectar 360 team focuses on developing loyalty programmes, turning amazing data into something that makes a difference, traditional media and digital. It's like an agency-within-a-retailer, and retail media is crucial. The culture might not be what you expect either, because there's no set-up quite like this one. The team is a real priority because it's connected to everything the business does and drives profitability. It's where you can take risks, learn from them and be recognised.

About the team: Nectar360 is Sainsbury's loyalty, data and marketing services business, built around the power of Nectar first-party data to unlock a deeper understanding of customers across Sainsbury's brands and our FMCG and GM supplier partners. Within Nectar360, the Commercial team brings data and media together to create relevant, digital-first solutions that help clients and the business grow in a fast-moving market where customer understanding is a true differentiator.

More about the role: As a Data Strategist, you'll sit within one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic areas of the business, helping to drive profit growth through Nectar360's data-driven media and digital offering in and around store, onsite (Sainsbury's), and offsite, including our Digital Trading Platform (DTP). You'll be responsible for how we combine and leverage data to create compelling strategies that resonate with customers and deliver commercial impact. The role is hybrid, based between the JJ Mack store support centre and home, and reports to a Client Planning Director.

Day to day, you'll lead client account brand planning aligned to Sainsbury's corporate, marketing and category objectives, and translate insight into clear recommendations. You'll partner closely with analytics to deliver evaluations that tell an effective story of performance and the value of first-party data. You'll also act as a category expert for selected categories and key FMCG client accounts, and play a leading role in major cross-business events involving Nectar360, Marketing and Trading - managing stakeholders across varying seniority and agendas to deliver campaigns that drive trade and meet broader objectives.

More about you: You're a strategic thinker with strong data literacy and a genuine passion for data-driven marketing and understanding customer behaviour. You bring a blend of shopper marketing knowledge, digital channel understanding, and the ability to build trusted relationships - using evidence and insight to influence decisions with clients and senior stakeholders. You're comfortable shaping complex information into simple, persuasive narratives, whether that's in a proposal, a presentation, or an evaluation readout.

You'll be organised and effective at planning and prioritising multiple workstreams in a fast-moving environment. You'll take ownership as a custodian of data within planning, strategy and targeted communications, and you'll proactively spot opportunities - using client context, Nectar insights and market trends to create new value. You'll also contribute to team capability by mentoring colleagues, sharing best practice, and helping to strengthen data planning techniques, client partnership skills and commercial thinking across Nectar360.

Essential criteria: Demonstrable experience leading insight-led brand or campaign planning that aligns to wider business, marketing and category objectives, with clear outcomes and measures of success. Evidence of creating data-driven proposals including data selection, segmentation/profiling approach, and compliant processes in line with customer data guidelines. Proven ability to partner with analytics to deliver evaluation and effectiveness storytelling, communicating the impact of first-party data in a clear narrative for stakeholders. Track record of presenting to and influencing clients and senior stakeholders using structured materials (e.g., PowerPoint) and sound numerical reasoning (e.g., Excel-based analysis). Experience working with loyalty or CRM data to plan and optimise targeted communications, using segmentation and profiling techniques for direct marketing/loyalty campaigns.

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 get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury's every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. 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 target bonus of up to 10% of salary (which may vary for Nectar360), depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance and you can buy additional 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, pay 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.