Head of FM Central Ops
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: Coventry Store Support Centre - Ansty Park and Home, Coventry, CV7 9RD
Contract type: Permanent
Business area: Finance & Business Development
Closing date: 19 March 2026
Requisition ID: 400051988
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we’re not handling projects, we’re helping all corners of the wider group with what they’re trying to achieve. And around here, you can see the results of your work as soon as you walk into a store, which gives you a real sense of purpose and responsibility. Better still, the team around you will listen to your ideas and opinions, and you’ll have every chance to try something new. The sheer scale and complexity of our set-up means there’s always something else around the corner, and we’ll help and support you every step of the way. We’re trusted to get on with it. So get ready to make things happen here.
Location: London, Coventry or Manchester Store Support Centre & Home.
Why join us
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.
What you'll do
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.
Who you are
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.
Essential Criteria
- 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
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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).
