Transformation & Operational Development Manager (Fixed Term Contract

Transformation & Operational Development Manager (Fixed Term Contract) Salary:
Competitive Plus Benefits

Location:

London Store Support Centre and Home, London, EC1M 6HA

Contract type:
Fixed-Term Assignment
Business area:
Retail
Closing date: 21 August 2026

Requisition :

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. As the link between sellers and buyers, retail and head office, our Retail Operations team is the cog that keeps things running. With teams focused on store-facing activity, labour, transformation, online, delivery and contact centres, we touch almost every part of the business. It’s an incredibly fast-paced environment, where you need to pivot not just daily, but often hourly.

So while we plan as much as we can, it’s vital that we all think beyond our job descriptions and look for ways to optimise and improve everything we do. There’s also a real team ethos here. After all, it’s people like you who will truly transform this part of the business.

Join our dynamic Transformation & Operational Development team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Sainsbury’s Retail and Digital operating models. You’ll be responsible for identifying, planning and successfully delivering complex, cross‑functional programmes that translate our Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy into real, measurable change across the business. Working closely with teams across Retail and Digital, this role calls for a challenger mindset, strong commercial insight and the ability to build brilliant relationships to drive impactful, end‑to‑end transformation.

As part of an agile pool of Transformation and Operational Development Managers, you’ll help design and implement solutions that genuinely move our business forward.

What You Will Do:

• Own the end-to-end design and successful implementation of detailed and complex programmes that support the delivery of the Sainsbury's Strategy and Goals
• Ensure programmes are implemented successfully ‘Right first time’ within Retail and Digital, delivered on time, within scope, and to budget
• Think creatively and challenge the status quo to drive strategic and operational improvements
• Stay close to relevant business developments, market insights, and retail industry best practices
• Coordinate qualitative and quantitative analyses to draw insights, develop business cases, and measure results
• Model various options for new business and operating model designs, highlighting strengths and limitations with clear recommendations
• Work cross‑functionally, building strong relationships with key stakeholders to deliver meaningful change
• Participate in post‑implementation reviews to continually develop and promote business change best practices

What You Need to Know and Show:

• Essential:Strategic thinking (must be from a retail background)
• Essential:Strong experience in complex E2E transformation, programme, project, and relationship management
• Essential:Analytical thinking / commercial acumen - ability to quickly analyse processes and data to find insights, identify opportunities, and measure improvements
• Essential:Great communication and influencing skills
• Essential:Prior knowledge of ecommerce / retail operating models within a store environment
• Understand how businesses work both operationally and financially
• Proactive in strategic orientation and hypothesis‑led problem solving
• Comfortable working at pace in an ambiguous environment

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…