Commercial Lead

John Lewis plc; Darwen; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Parkinson, part of the John Lewis Partnership, is seeking a Senior Leader to join the Senior Leadership Team. You will share accountability for the business unit's financial sustainability, profitability, and end-to-end customer experience, translating the Partnership plan into local, actionable strategy at Darwen.

This permanent, full-time role leads commercial operations across sales channels, drives revenue growth and margins, and shapes supplier partnerships while guiding a diverse

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading high-performing sales team to deliver sustained revenue growth and expanded profit margins.
• Proven track record of managing customer care teams that consistently deliver an industry-leading end-to-end customer experience.
• Demonstrable experience of developing & translating strategic plans into commercial business activities.
• Sound knowledge of Made to measure (M2M) and Filled Goods market.
• Proven ability to lead complex commercial negotiations securing high value agreements.

Responsibilities

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will hold a shared accountability for the business unit's financial sustainability, profitability, and operational delivery of an exceptional end-to-end customer experience.
• You will translate the JL Partnership plan into local, actionable activities.
• Taking accountability for the short, medium & long term Commercial strategy & the critical paths to delivery; engaging your teams to deliver these
• You will own the full commercial lifecycle to drive revenue growth, margin profitability, and market expansion across diverse sales channels while nurturing key customer partnerships.
• Set bold, ambitious revenue, margin & conversion targets, spearheading high-impact sales strategies to exceed performance expectations
• Shape a robust & repeatable process ensuring every opportunity moves efficiently from prospect to profitable, long-term customer.
• Own the rigorous evaluation and selection of strategic supplier partnerships-balancing uncompromising product quality with competitive pricing to maximise commercial margins and supply chain reliability
• Manage supplier terms & conditions (e.g., payment windows, service level commitments) to ensure the relationship remains sustainable for both parties
• Accountable for bringing commercially viable products to market, ensuring accurate systemic setup.
• Lead and manage a diverse team of Partners across complex commercial operations.
• Collaborating to set ambitious functional goals to achieve local business plans.

Skills

Sales leadership

Customer care leadership

Strategic planning

Negotiation

Commercial negotiations

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

At Herbert Parkinson, a proud and historic part of the John Lewis Partnership, we are embarking on an exciting transformation journey to secure our long-term success. By investing in state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, streamlining our operations, and creating broader, more fulfilling roles for our Partners, we are building a more sustainable and agile future. Join us as we continue to deliver exceptional quality and service for our customers while empowering our partners to thrive As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will hold a shared accountability for the business unit's financial sustainability, profitability, and operational delivery of an exceptional end-to-end customer experience With strategic accountability for commercial operations, you will own the full commercial lifecycle-driving revenue growth, margin profitability, and market expansion across diverse sales channels while nurturing key customer partnerships. You will translate the JL Partnership plan into local, actionable strategy, taking accountability for the critical paths to delivery and engaging your teams to deliver these.

Expected salary - £68,100- £75,000 (Depending on experience) Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract. Location - This role is based at our Herbert Parkinson office in Darwen, Lancashire.

Key responsibilities

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will hold a shared accountability for the business unit's financial sustainability, profitability, and operational delivery of an exceptional end-to-end customer experience.
• You will translate the JL Partnership plan into local, actionable activities.
• Taking accountability for the short, medium & long term Commercial strategy & the critical paths to delivery; engaging your teams to deliver these
• You will own the full commercial lifecycle to drive revenue growth, margin profitability, and market expansion across diverse sales channels while nurturing key customer partnerships.
• Set bold, ambitious revenue, margin & conversion targets, spearheading high-impact sales strategies to exceed performance expectations
• Shape a robust & repeatable process ensuring every opportunity moves efficiently from prospect to profitable, long-term customer.
• Own the rigorous evaluation and selection of strategic supplier partnerships-balancing uncompromising product quality with competitive pricing to maximise commercial margins and supply chain reliability
• Manage supplier terms & conditions (e.g., payment windows, service level commitments) to ensure the relationship remains sustainable for both parties
• Accountable for bringing commercially viable products to market, ensuring accurate systemic setup.
• Lead and manage a diverse team of Partners across complex commercial operations.
• Collaborating to set ambitious functional goals to achieve local business plans.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Proven track record of leading high-performing sales team to deliver sustained revenue growth and expanded profit margins.
• Proven track record of managing customer care teams that consistently deliver an industry-leading end-to-end customer experience.
• Demonstrable experience of developing & translating strategic plans into commercial business activities.
• Sound knowledge of Made to measure (M2M) and Filled Goods market.
• Proven ability to lead complex commercial negotiations securing high value agreements.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Exposure of working in both Retail & B2B markets (Contracts).
• Extensive knowledge of the textile industry, sourcing and sales.
• Large scale project management experience.
• #LI-EB1

Job Details

Closing Date: November 5, 2026 Pay: £68,100.00 - £102,400.00 Annual Contract Type: Permanent Hours of Work: 38.75 hours Monday to Friday Job Level: Partnership Level 6 Where You'll Be Working: Herbert Parkinson, Harvest Mill, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0HR

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We'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. At the John Lewis Partnership we're not just employees; we're co-owners, and that's why we're called Partners. Being a Partner means not only do we all collectively share the responsibilities of being the UK's largest employee-owned business, but we also share in its rewards and successes. It's this ownership model that makes the Partnership a very unique place to work.