Head of Transformation - Future Stores
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: London Store Support Centre and Home, London, EC1M 6HA
Contract type: Fixed-Term Assignment
Business area: Food Commercial
Closing date: 23 September 2025
Requisition ID: 400017173
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Here, everything in our stores starts out in Food Commercial. Whether it’s the product, proposition, packaging or price, or the fact that something tastes great, our team is responsible for all food items available in store, digitally and on demand. You’ll discover it’s incredibly fast-paced. People here are in it together and not afraid to take risks. They’re enthusiastic too, and their amazing leadership team is right behind them. The knowledge and experience you gain here could set you up for career moves, anywhere else in the business. So, if you’re passionate about food and just as hungry to learn, you’ll fit in perfectly.
Division/Department: Commercial
Location: London store support centre & Home
Reporting to: Director of Transformation
Budget: Lead the investment of capital budget
Directly or indirectly manages:
- Line management responsibility for C5 Transformation Managers
- Matrix programme teams from across the business
- Strong links into Finance Business Partners
About the Team
Step into a pivotal transformation role within the Commercial division where innovation and strategic thinking are the driving forces behind our continued success.
The Future Stores Transformation Team is at the heart of shaping the next generation of supermarkets and convenience stores. We work side by side with experts from across the business to define, test, and scale bold new concepts — creating experiences our customers love and delivering real impact against our commercial commitments.
Joining the team means being part of the driving force behind how we transform shopping for the future.
More About the Role
You will spearhead complex programmes that deliver the future of our Sainsbury’s Estate. Reporting to the Director of Future Stores Transformation, you'll lead and inspire diverse teams—both directly and through matrix management—guiding projects from ideation through to successful implementation. You will liaise with senior stakeholders, champion a transformation mindset, and ensure that capital investments are targeted where they will have the greatest impact.
Day to day, you’ll be responsible for defining the future store blueprint, which involves planning store layouts and layering propositions, with current programmes including but not exclusive to the future role of convenience stores and the checkout strategy.
Expect the opportunity to work on major programmes that span the breadth of the business, using data and insight to drive decision-making and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
More About You
To succeed in this role, you’ll demonstrate a growth mindset and a passion for retail and innovation, supported by a proven ability to deliver strategic programmes at scale. You’ll be adept at navigating ambiguity, synthesising complex issues, and communicating recommendations with clarity and influence at senior levels. Your curiosity and collaborative spirit will inspire teams to challenge the status quo and pursue creative solutions.
You will thrive in a fast-paced environment, bringing energy, resilience, and a commitment to collaborative, outcome-centric thinking. You’ll be a role model for our valued behaviours—taking ownership, driving improvement, and showing care and respect for colleagues and customers alike.
Essential Criteria
- Ability to synthesise strategic issues and present clear recommendations, both written and verbally, to senior stakeholders
- Demonstratable background in shaping and leading cross-functional programmes across a complex organisation
- Proven experience of managing a sizable budget and being responsible for delivering successful return on investment
- Track record of employing data and external insights to inform decision making and drive outcomes
- Experience building and managing high-performing teams through direct line and matrix management structures
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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 65% of salary, depending on how we perform (in cash and shares). 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, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. You'll also receive a company car cash allowance unless you are going to travel 10,000 business miles in your role, then you'll be able to choose a car. 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).
