We are recruiting for a Commercial Manager, to join the Commercial Optimisation team.
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At a Glance
Salary - £65,000 - £105,200.
Contract type - This is a permanent position.
Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team aim for around 2-3 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings.
Location - This role is based at our Bracknell Head Office, with occasional UK based travel to suppliers.
Interviews will be held w/c 2nd June.
What will you be doing?
As a Commercial Manager, you will be a key member of the Commercial Optimisation team, you will define and deliver the supplier strategy framework and tools for Category Proposition Groups (CPGs). You will support the Waitrose strategy on supplier tenders and product category negotiations with linkage to range reviews and provide expert support on managing commodity and other inflationary pressures.
You will business partner the CPG Leadership team and provide senior negotiation support for the key strategic suppliers where relationships are complex due to size and exposure and importance of the supplier. You will continually upskill the capability of Waitrose Commercial through developing new and enhanced negotiation approaches and processes, tools and techniques.
Internally this is known as a Commercial Manager, however externally it may be better understood as focussed on supplier strategy and cost optimisation.
Some of your key responsibilities will include:
Develop complex and cross category negotiations (e.g. LTA suppliers, dedicated suppliers, cross category suppliers) in your area of business partnering
Business partner the CPG Leadership teams
Work closely Trading Managers, VCA team, and Category Managers in order to leverage significant efficiency opportunities
Working with Heads of CPG to develop of long term supplier strategies and optimise ways of working with key suppliers
Essential skills you’ll need
Extensive commercial experience in FMCG manufacturing / supply or food and associated non-food retail
Extensive commercial negotiation experience
Stakeholder management and influencing
Experience of influencing situations which require a high degree of emotional intelligence
Advanced analytical and financial understanding
Comprehensive understanding of GSCOP and Commercial Law
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To learn more about this role, please copy and paste this link into a new browser window: https://embed.wirewax.com/8114190Closing Date:
May 26, 2025
Pay:
Contract Type:
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Where You'll Be Working:
Bracknell Campus, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YAABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPWe’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.
We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.
As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.
We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.
As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.
Important points to note:
It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
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What We Do
Working in Partnership for a happier world.
Our Partnership is an ongoing experiment to find happier, more trusted ways of doing business, for the benefit of us all. We work together to create a successful business and a fairer, more sustainable future for Partners, customers, suppliers and communities.
Our Partnership is owned entirely in trust by Partners which means we are more than employees; we share knowledge, power and profit.
Our Purpose inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide.
Visit www.jlpjobs.com directly to view our current opportunities.
