Lead Online Manager

TN United Kingdom; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the retail sector is seeking a Lead Online Manager to enhance in-store service and team performance. This role involves coaching and motivating a team, ensuring operational excellence, and fostering a customer-focused environment. With opportunities for career progression, this position is ideal for those passionate about leadership and customer service.

Benefits

10% discount at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, and Habitat

Free food and hot drinks in all stores

Generous holiday, maternity, and paternity leave

Pension scheme with 4-7% employer matching

Wellbeing support, including emotional, legal, and financial advice

Cycle to Work scheme for bikes and equipment

Special offers on gym memberships, holidays, retail vouchers

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer-focused leadership role, preferably in retail.
• Motivation to develop and bring out the best in others.
• Passion for customer service.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of managers in a busy store environment.
• Set direction and support team in delivering excellent customer service.
• Make confident decisions and solve short-term problems.

Skills

Leadership

Customer Service

Coaching

Communication

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

Our Lead Online Manager role

This is a brilliant step if you're ready to stretch your leadership skills, fully own a management team and department. You will have clear accountability, realistic expectations, and structured support. It’s a win-win – we give you the time and space to coach your team and strengthen your leadership skills, and you help us create even better in-store service for our customers and colleagues.

Your leadership experience could be in any customer-focused industry, not necessarily Food Retail. We’re keen to nurture broad mindsets to grow a management team that operates effectively across the store. Don’t worry if you lack technical knowledge; we value the desire to succeed through people and a love for connecting with customers.

What you’ll be doing

Our purpose is driven by our passion for food: together, we serve and help every customer.

You’ll work in a busy, complex store, reporting directly to the Store Manager and leading a team of managers. It’s fast-paced, with unexpected challenges daily. You won’t always have answers – that’s fine – but by solving short-term problems and making medium-term changes, you’ll support your team to keep delivering.

Online teams are bustling, picking, preparing, and delivering online orders to customers’ doorsteps. Managers thrive on pace, keeping vans moving and customers happy, while analyzing key information and motivating your team, whether in-store or on the road.

Your role is to set the direction for the next 1-3 months in your area.

What success looks like

There’s a lot to learn. Every day, you’ll strengthen existing leadership skills and acquire new ones, including:

• Coaching, motivating, and guiding your managers to work as a productive team, building capabilities, and leading through change
• Helping your team empathize with customers, taking pride in delivering better service and spotting opportunities
• Leading through clear communication, articulating performance, and inspiring improvements for now and the upcoming quarter
• Developing yourself as an operational expert and role model
• Making confident decisions at pace, feeling empowered and accountable to run your store area and deputize for the Store Manager

About you

You might currently manage a smaller supermarket or convenience store, or be in a team leadership role. Perhaps you’re seeking a new challenge after a career break or transitioning from another retail environment or sector. Regardless, you’ve demonstrated you can make a difference.

What matters most is your motivation to develop, dedication to bringing out the best in others, and passion for customer service. After all, that’s what our stores are all about.

Where next?

Join Sainsbury’s in-store management teams to enjoy support and opportunities to excel. You’ll receive a tailored induction, orientation, and training plan developed with your manager. They will support and coach you to perform well while allowing time for your development.

As a Lead Manager, you could progress to Deputy Store Manager or Store Manager roles, or take on leadership challenges in head office or across the Sainsbury’s family: Habitat, Tu, Argos, Sainsbury’s Bank, and Nectar 360. We know how to help you reach your potential.

Added benefits

Salary depends on your experience, store size, complexity, and location. We also offer a range of benefits, including:

• 10% discount at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, and Habitat after four weeks; increasing to 15% at Sainsbury’s on Fridays and Saturdays, and at Argos on paydays
• Free food and hot drinks in all stores
• Generous holiday, maternity, and paternity leave
• Pension scheme with 4-7% employer matching
• Sainsbury’s share scheme for discounted investments
• Wellbeing support, including emotional, legal, and financial advice
• Colleague networks for personal growth
• Cycle to Work scheme for bikes and equipment
• Special offers on gym memberships, holidays, retail vouchers, and more

Click ‘apply’ to start your Sainsbury’s journey.