Commercial Manager (Projects)

East of England Co-op; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail cooperative in the UK seeks a Commercial Manager (Projects) to spearhead various commercial initiatives. This pivotal role involves leading structured commercial projects from inception to implementation while ensuring effective coordination across teams. The ideal candidate will possess strong commercial awareness, excellent project delivery skills, and the ability to analyze data for informed decision-making. With a collaborative culture and numerous employee perks, this position is perfect for those driven by impactful change.

Benefits

Competitive pay

20% discount in stores

25 days holiday

5% employer pension contribution

Death in service benefit

Enhanced family leave

Employee Recognition Scheme

24/7 remote GP service

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial or FMCG retail environment.
• Proven track record in leading projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of category management principles.
• Confidence using data to inform decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of commercial projects.
• Translate strategies into actionable project plans.
• Coordinate across departments for project execution.
• Build business cases using data and insights.
• Support major trading moments and changes.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Project delivery

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Data analysis

Job description

Vacancy Introduction

Come and join our team!

We’re looking for a Commercial Manager (Projects) to join our Commercial team at Our Co-op. This role plays a key part in delivering commercial initiatives that drive sales, margin, operational efficiency, and customer experience across our stores and systems.

Working at the heart of our retail strategy, you’ll lead structured commercial projects from concept through to implementation, coordinating activity across teams and ensuring change lands smoothly and effectively. You’ll be joining a collaborative, values-led organisation where your work will have visible impact across the business.

Want to know more? Take a look at our job description attached to the bottom of this webpage.

Our working patterns are non-contractual. Any advertised working pattern represents the normal working pattern for the role at time of advertisement and may be subject to change.

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you’ll operate at the intersection of commercial strategy and delivery, owning and leading structured projects from start to finish. This will include:

• Leading end-to-end delivery of commercial and category projects, managing scope, timelines, milestones, risks, and dependencies
• Translating category strategies and trading priorities into clear, actionable project plans that land smoothly into stores and systems
• Acting as a central point of coordination across Commercial, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Technology, and suppliers
• Using data and insight to build business cases, track benefits, and deliver post-implementation reviews
• Supporting major trading moments such as seasonal launches, price changes, and promotional cycles
• Ensuring stores are fully prepared for change through clear communication, guidance, and practical planning
• Contributing to continuous improvement of commercial processes, governance, and ways of working

This is a varied and influential role where your work will have visible commercial impact across the organisation.

The person we are looking for

We’re looking for someone who combines strong commercial awareness with confident project delivery skills, and who enjoys working collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Experience in a commercial, category management, merchandising, or FMCG retail environment
• A proven track record of leading and delivering projects or programmes with multiple stakeholders
• A strong understanding of category management principles, trading levers, and retail operations
• Confidence using data and insight to inform decisions and measure performance
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across teams
• A proactive, organised, and resilient approach, with the confidence to challenge constructively

Experience with systems change, range resets, or large-scale commercial initiatives is an advantage, as is familiarity with retail systems and formal project management approaches.

Most importantly, you’ll be customer-focused, commercially curious, and motivated by delivering change that genuinely improves how the business operates.

Perks of the job

At the East of England Co-op, we strive to be the best place to work. We invest in our colleagues to help them to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential. How do we do this?

• Competitive rates of pay
• 20% discount in our food stores, along with other discounts across our family of businesses
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holiday entitlement) which increases with service
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Death in service benefit
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements*
• Opportunities to grow, with award-winning training and apprenticeship programmes
• Great discounts, deals, and cashback across over high street and online retailers
• Financial wellbeing support, including Stream®
• Access to Cycle To Work, Rental Deposit Scheme, and SmartTech (after a qualifying period)
• Employee Recognition Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Free remote GP service, available 24/7, including prescription, fitness, nutrition, and counselling services
• Employee Assistance Programme

* Enhanced on statutory terms, subject to service criteria.

East of England Co-op