Lead Food Manager

Sainsbury's; Rugby; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A large UK supermarket chain is seeking a passionate Lead Food Manager to oversee grocery operations in Rugby. You will lead a team, ensuring high standards and exceptional customer experiences. This role requires strong leadership skills, experience in retail management, and a commitment to inclusivity. You’ll be accountable for performance and safety, driving results through your team. Join us to create fantastic shopping experiences while developing future leaders.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large teams in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• A track record of delivering exceptional customer experiences through your team.
• Proven success in improving KPIs like sales, stock availability, and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of food managers and manage grocery shop operations.
• Be accountable for the store in the absence of a store manager.
• Ensure compliance with processes and maintain high standards.

Skills

Leadership

Customer focus

Data interpretation

Inclusivity advocacy

Conflict management

Job description

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead a small team of food managers to manage the grocery shop floor in one of our supermarkets
• Execute exciting trading events by working closely with the rest of the store leadership team whether it’s Christmas or Easter you’ll help ensure we win.
• Regularly taking full accountability for the store in the absence of a store manager, role modelling and coaching for high standards and efficiency across the food hall.
• Manage compliance to processes and safety whilst bringing the passion and flare for great shop keeping and creating fantastic shopping experiences.
• You’ll be responsible for a large team of colleagues, making sure they’re performing at their best, they’re there on the shop floor when we need them and that all people matters are conducted properly whether it’s celebrating someone’s success or managing difficult situations.

What makes a great Lead Food Manager:

• A passionate leader who is consistently ambitious for their customers and colleagues, every day, growing their team to do the same.
• Experience of managing managers, in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment.
• An operator who is comfortable managing alone in the absence of more senior management.
• Driven to deliver high performance with a focus on efficiency and engagement.
• Confident in the use of data and understanding / interpreting KPI's or other performance indicators and transforming these into meaningful actions.
• Is a champion of inclusivity putting it at the heart of what they do, uses this passion to build an inclusive team and working environment.
• Comfortable in managing complex people matters such as: managing disciplinaries, performance issues or other similar employee relations issues.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience leading large teams in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment — you’ve developed leaders, built high-performing teams, and created a culture of ownership and accountability.
• A track record of delivering exceptional customer experiences across complex operations, with evidence of delivering these through your team.
• Proven success in delivering and improving KPIs — from sales and stock availability to customer satisfaction and colleague engagement, you’ve driven results that matter.
• Experience managing sensitive and complex people matters, including performance, absence, and formal employee relations cases, with confidence, fairness, and sound judgement.
• Leadership experience in an operational environment — whether in retail, hospitality, or food service — where you’ve owned departmental performance and confidently led the store in the absence of senior leadership.
• Can evidence leading change — whether rolling out new ways of working, embedding new systems, or shifting team mindsets, you’ve brought people with you and made change stick.