Space Planning Manager

Job description

About the role

As the Space Planning Manager within the Store Experience Directorate, you will lead a Space Planning team to develop the Physical Estate Space strategies for all Shop Formats. You will be ultimately accountable for realising optimal proposition blueprints onto the shop floor to deliver customer centric adjacencies and commercial performance metrics. You will develop and utilise the shop blueprint to optimise the use of space, maximising profitability and ensuring an excellent customer experience.

You will be an experienced, analytical and commercial leader who will use their broad expert knowledge of shops and space to plan and optimise our Physical Estate profitability. You will lead, develop and coach a high performing team of individuals with a focus on personal development. You will be recognised as adept at leading a successful matrix team, engaging and recognising each other's professional strengths.

You will represent the Space team in major project steering groups, influencing and consulting with stakeholders across the business to ensure plans are aligned to team priorities and best outcomes. Works collaboratively to achieve the optimum and mutual agreement for a way forward for all parties. Resolves professional differences along the way through active listening and appropriate assertive communication to reach a win-win outcome. Is prepared to adapt communication style to each situation and has the best interest of the Partnership at the forefront of all interactions.

Responsibilities, Skills and Experience

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Expected salary up to - £65,000 depending on experience

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Contract type - This position is a 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term contract 

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Working pattern/flexible working -  The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs, whilst balancing the needs of the business. Within the Brand and Store Experience team, we believe in the power of connection, which is why our core office days are Monday and Tuesday.  We typically aim for around three days a week in the office or visiting shops to allow for collaboration and attendance of key meetings.  

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Location - This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico.  Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate.  There is also a responsibility to visit our John Lewis branches when necessary and travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy.

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FYI - Interviews are scheduled to take place during the week commencing March 30th 2026. While in-person attendance is the preferred option, a virtual attendance option will also be available.

Key responsibilities

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Lead and develop the Directorate space strategy proposition and blueprints for all shop formats. 

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Optimum allocation of space to assortment to deliver strategy profitability and maximise customer experience. 

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Effective leadership and development of Level 7s and Level 8s to ensure continued growth of a High Performing team

Key activities:

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Drive space performance through effective allocation of space; product, service, experience and design propositions with a view to reduce costs where possible and deliver optimal return per sq ft. 

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Develop and evolve the Shop Blueprint that balances commercial, customer, services, assortment, flow, adjacencies and stock targets,  triangulating competing ambitions. 

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Translate commercial, customer, retail and property strategy into all Physical Estate activity providing space briefs that span new concepts, projects, formats and seasonal change, balancing customer and profit needs. 

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Provide proactive and reactive insight, expertise, challenge and support to develop and define propositional space strategies. 

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Support the development of  propositional opportunities with key stakeholders, carrying out feasibility activity and scoping alongside supporting in building business cases and developing commercial opportunities.

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Work effectively across all Physical Estate teams spanning Property, Customer and Trading to optimise the use of our physical estate through new formats, downsizes and physical estate interventions. 

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Influence Merchandising teams to reduce working capital and deliver optimal allocations of assortments to space through effective ranging and planning. 

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Ensure all projects optimise space, balancing great customer experience with presentation and linear requirements. 

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Develop and generate ideas and opportunities to drive greater value from our estate particularly in Q4 and with seasonal opportunities.

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Support and upskill Partners across the business to deliver commercially sound and customer centric value additive projects and opportunities. 

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Increase business understanding and awareness of space metrics such that they become business-as-usual. Champion the use of space to deliver retail benefit and optimisation. 

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

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Demonstrates strong commercial awareness

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Demonstrates strong analytical skills

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Experience in process improvement

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Excellent planning, organisation and orchestration skills

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Ability to manage the complexities and competing priorities and strategies to make courageous decisions.

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Strong leadership skills

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Excellent cross functional working skills and Stakeholder management

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Verbal / written communication

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

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Experience in a trading and/or branch role is an advantage

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Line Management and leadership (matrix management desirable)

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Experience of continuous improvement 

For internal use only:

The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:   

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.   

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.  

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