Workforce & Cost Optimisation Manager

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Think about the scale it takes for us to feed the nation. The level of data, transactions and variety it involves. Then you’ll realise that ours is a modern software engineering environment because it has to be. We’ve made serious investment into a Tech Academy and into setting standards and principles. We iterate, learn, experiment and push ways of working such as Agile, Scrum and XP. So you can look forward to awesome opportunities in everything from AI to reusable tech.

The primary purpose of this role is to drive consistent and reliable insight to ensure we have the right workforce to succeed as well as underpinning operational, supplier and cost efficiency for the Technology division. A key focus is ensuring the accuracy and optimisation of workforce data, creation and delivery of efficient workforce management process and supporting strategic workforce planning. Through having an eye for data, the role requires the holder to interpret and analyse multiple dashboards and reports and provide insight that enables effective decisions to be taken. The role holder needs to influence senior stakeholders, including presenting insight in a compelling way and looking across the domains for synergies.

At Sainsbury’s Tech, we work in empowered teams that contain the skills and support needed to deliver at pace. Our culture encourages teams to innovate, collaborate, learn and take ownership.

What I Am Accountable For

• Data Accuracy: Ensuring the accuracy and completeness of workforce data.
• Reporting and Analysis: A deep understanding of the reporting provided and the ability to identify trends and propose data-driven decisions regarding workforce allocation to support strategic decision-making by senior stakeholders.
• Workforce Planning Support: Drive the implementation of workforce planning initiatives and projects.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Supporting teams to optimise workforce allocation to minimise costs and maximise return on investment.
• Collaboration: Collaborating with Technology, Product teams to understand their workforce needs and alongside the People team, support them to identify and implement strategies to increase capacity where necessary, such as upskilling existing employees or hiring new talent.
• Trends: Engage with Recruitment to understand historical data and market trends to identify potential workforce shortages or surpluses.
• Proactive Issue Resolution: Identifying and addressing potential workforce issues before they impact project timelines or budgets.
• Supplier Payment Accuracy: Ensuring all supplier payments are accurate and processed within agreed timelines by the team.
• Stakeholder Communication: Maintaining regular communication with internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth operation of payment processes and workforce data accuracy.
• Cost Optimisation: Identifying opportunities for cost savings and implementing strategies to optimise workforce-related expenses.
• Continuous Improvement: Identifying and implementing improvements to payment processes and workforce management to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Training and Support: Providing training and support to team members on payment processes, systems, and workforce management best practices.

Essential Criteria

• Experience with workforce planning and strategy development.
• Strong knowledge of payment processes and controls.
• Experience in managing supplier payments and purchase orders.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for stakeholder management.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data analysis and reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other data analysis tools.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Desirable

• Experience in a similar role within a large organisation.
• Knowledge of Sainsbury’s financial systems and processes.
• Knowledge of the Technology and Product sectors.
• Membership in professional bodies related to Human Workforces or Workforce Management.

What I Need To Show

Our Valued Behaviours are our common DNA that every colleague should live by and provide the benchmark for how we deliver our goals/individual contribution, and how we relate to other colleagues in the organisation.

• Own it: Consistently deliver on outcomes and communicate clear plans and goals to others, resolving problems independently. Clearly and respectfully speak your mind, invite others to challenge or build on ideas and actively listen. Proactively seek to understand the changing business context and work with peers to solve business challenges. Regularly review your goals to ensure you are focused on the right things.
• Make it better: Embrace new ways of doing things without fear of failure, supporting others to do the same. Open minded and proactively adapt your approach during times of change, supporting others to deal with unforeseen situations. Show curiosity about how the wider business operates. Proactively seek feedback from a broad range of colleagues to build a robust development plan. Give feedback to colleagues at all levels.
• Be human: Appreciate others’ moods and feelings and consciously adjust your approach accordingly. Proactively build relationships based on honesty and integrity. Always consider the customer’s perspective, continually looking for opportunities to build a great customer experience.

In addition to role modelling the Valued Behaviours, all People Managers should be consistently driving all four Leadership Performance Expectations, all the time.

The Leadership Performance Expectations are:

• Obsessed with the customer: Use data and insight to understand customer needs and solve customer problems. Use our Purpose to support decision making every day. Role model living our customer commitments and guide teams to do the same.
• Obsessed with performance: Know and be accountable for your part to play, delivering it brilliantly. Align team goals and ruthlessly prioritise workforces to deliver our Customer Commitments. Assign clear accountabilities, hold people accountable (in your team and out) and act on performance both good and bad.
• Lead beyond boundaries: Actively share and seek to understand the big picture, both internal and external. Story tell our Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy to drive end-to-end thinking. Build productive partnerships inside and outside our organisation.
• Lead fearless teams: Create the environment for diverse perspectives and challenge, where we are always looking to raise the bar. Grow everyone around you (up, down and across) through adult-to-adult feedback and coaching. Know yourself (strengths, weaknesses and impact on others) and continuously develop.

Support we will provide:

Full system and process training for the role. Wider Tech Ops and Portfolio team for direction and guidance. Access to personal development tools e.g. Bitesize talks, online self-development tools, internal mentoring etc. 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 payday) 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.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).