Head of FM Ops

Location: London, Coventry or Manchester Store Support Centre & Home.

Joining Sainsbury's as the Head of FM - Central Operations offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape the strategic direction of our Facilities Management division, ensuring the operational excellence and safety of our stores nationwide. As a key leader in our organisation, you will drive innovation, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance our service delivery and operational efficiency.

With a focus on data-driven decision-making, supplier performance, and long-term asset management, this role provides a platform for impactful leadership and the opportunity to make a significant difference in the operational heartbeat of our business.

As the Head of FM - Central Operations, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Facilities Management (FM) operations, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient, and customer-ready stores across the estate. Your role will involve defining the central operations model, leading long-term planning for asset management and capital investment, and championing innovation in FM through the implementation of digital tools and automation.

You will oversee data-driven decision-making processes, manage FM budgets and supplier performance, and present performance insights to senior leadership and the Board. Building strong cross‑functional relationships and fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement will be key aspects of your role, as you lead the FM helpdesk, implement service‑level frameworks, and drive operational excellence across the estate.

You are an experienced senior leader with a proven track record in managing large and complex estates within high-volume operational environments. Your strategic mindset, strong communication skills, and ability to balance long-term planning with day-to-day operational demands enable you to drive operational resilience, efficiency, and continuous improvement across the FM function. With a focus on safety, compliance, and service excellence, you foster a culture of accountability and innovation while building strong cross‑functional relationships to deliver value and operational efficiency.

• Demonstrable senior leadership accountability for facilities management within high‑volume operational environments, such as logistics, retail, manufacturing, or similarly complex settings
• Proven responsibility for managing large, multi‑site estates with critical infrastructure, including oversight of asset performance, lifecycle planning, and use of CAFM and asset data systems
• Evidence of leading a management information (MI) function, including development and use of dashboards, performance metrics, and data analytics to inform operational and strategic decision‑making
• Working knowledge of UK regulatory and compliance requirements, including health and safety, building compliance, and environmental standards, with accountability for maintaining compliance in live operations
• Demonstrated capability to lead and deliver operational and strategic change, including project delivery, stakeholder engagement at senior leadership or board level, and building accountable, high‑performing teams in fast‑paced environments

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…