Store Development Manager

About the role

As the Store Development Manager, you will be a driving force behind the evolution of our physical retail environment. Working within the Brand & Store Experience team, you will define the strategic vision for projects and turn this into tangible reality by leading the development of ambitious, commercially-sound briefs for everything from major store refurbishments to innovative new commercial concepts. You will navigate complex projects through the initial discovery phases to successful approval, ensuring our stores remain at the heart of the customer experience.

• Expected salary up to - £68,000 depending on experience
• Contract type This position is a 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term contract
• Working pattern/flexible working The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you can work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs, whilst balancing the needs of the business. Core office days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Around three days a week in the office or visiting shops is typical to enable collaboration and attendance of key meetings.
• Location This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico. Travel to the office may incur costs for the successful candidate. There is also a responsibility to visit John Lewis branches/competitors when necessary; travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy.
• FYI Interviews are scheduled to take place during the week commencing March 23rd. In-person attendance is the preferred option, with a virtual option also available.

Key responsibilities

Core

Activities:

• Brief Development & Leadership: Lead the development of shop elements through discovery, ideation, and definition phases to create robust, data-driven Development Briefs that align with business aspirations. Work with stakeholders across the business to identify total scope opportunity and ensure it delivers the Store Experience aspiration
• Proposition Development: Act as the business lead for store refurbishments, ensuring every project meets its intended brief and delivers a high-quality store experience. Support the development of commercial propositions and concepts.
• Governance & Approvals: Successfully navigate projects through the Stage Gate process, securing necessary approvals and managing any scope changes required while a project is in flight.
• Business Case Creation: Own the development of the scope and business case for each project, working with matrix teams to ensure all inputs are commercially robust and insight-led.
• Stakeholder Orchestration: Manage clear communications across the business regarding project aspirations, timelines, and budgets.
• Evaluation & Success Tracking: Define clear measures of success for every idea and project and lead reviews to ensure lessons are learned and outcomes are evaluated against the original brief.

Key

Skills & Experience:

• Proposition Development: Extensive experience in developing and shaping retail store propositions and physical estate projects.
• Strategic Planning: Proven ability to create and develop detailed project briefs that align with overarching business strategies.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong financial and commercial understanding, with the ability to build robust business cases and interpret complex data.
• Stakeholder Influencing: Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and lead matrix teams through complex governance processes.
• Analytical Presentation: The ability to translate complex data and insights into simple, clear, and concise presentations for senior decision-makers.
• Retail Innovation (Desirable): A creative and innovative thinker with an interest in shop operations and the future of retail environments.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Developing Store propositions
• Program/project planning
• Commercial acumen
• Organisation skills
• Stakeholder Management
• Ability to translate complex data into simple, clear and concise presentations
• Communicating & Influencing

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Shop operations
• Innovation
• Creative, innovative thinker

Important points to note:
Some roles are subject to pre-employment vetting, including DBS…