Lead Food Manager

Sainsbury’s Group; Uxbridge; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK supermarket is seeking a Lead Food Manager to manage the grocery shop floor and ensure high performance. You will lead a team, drive customer satisfaction, and execute trading events. The ideal candidate has proven leadership experience and a record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment. This role promotes inclusivity and offers competitive benefits, making it a great opportunity for ambitious leaders in the retail sector.

Benefits

10-15% shopping discount

Annual bonus scheme

Generous holiday entitlement

Pension matching contributions

Wellbeing support

Cycle to Work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience managing teams in a retail environment.
• Ability to handle complex people matters effectively.
• Proven track record delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of food managers in a supermarket setting.
• Manage store accountability in the absence of senior management.
• Ensure compliance to processes and create fantastic shopping experiences.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Customer Focus

Data Interpretation

Inclusivity Champion

Performance Management

Job description

Responsibilities

• 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 take full accountability for the store in the absence of a store manager, role‑model and coach for high standards and efficiency across the food hall.
• Manage compliance to processes and safety while bringing passion and flair for great shop‑keeping and creating fantastic shopping experiences.
• Ensure a large team of colleagues performs at their best, is present on the shop floor when we need them, and that all people matters are conducted properly – from celebrating success to managing difficult situations.

What makes a great Lead Food Manager

• A passionate leader who is consistently ambitious for their customers and colleagues, 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.
• Champion of inclusivity, putting it at the heart of what they do, and building an inclusive team and working environment.
• Comfortable in managing complex people matters such as disciplinaries, performance issues or other similar employee relations issues.
• Experience leading large teams in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment – 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.
• 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 (retail, hospitality, or food service) where you have owned departmental performance and confidently led the store in the absence of senior leadership.
• Evidence of leading change – whether rolling out new ways of working, embedding new systems, or shifting team mindsets.

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be dependent upon your experience as well as the store size, complexity and location. Alongside this, we also offer a great range of benefits for our managers, including:

• Discount card – 10% discount off on your shopping at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat after four weeks. This increases to 15% discount off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day.
• Annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance.
• Free food and hot drinks provided for colleagues in all our stores.
• Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave.
• Pension – we’ll match 4‑7.5% of your pension contributions.
• Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted rates.
• Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice.
• Colleague networks – link with like‑minded people to help fulfil your potential.
• Cycle to Work scheme – opportunity to hire a new bike and cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI.
• Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.

An inclusive place to work and shop

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us. To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a look here.