Property Location Planning Manager East of England

Marks and Spencer; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established retail brand is seeking a skilled Location Planning Manager in London to lead the development of the store estate strategy. You will utilize data-driven insights to guide strategic decisions, influence growth, and deliver impactful recommendations. The ideal candidate is experienced in location planning or a similar analytical role, has strong data analysis capabilities, and is adept at building relationships across teams. This role offers competitive benefits and the opportunity to make a significant impact in a well-recognized brand.

Benefits

20% employee discount

Competitive holiday allowance

Discretionary bonus schemes

Strong pension and life assurance

Wellbeing support services

Qualifications

• Experience in location planning, market development, or data analysis.
• Proficiency in data analytics with large datasets and actionable insights.
• Ability to write compelling business cases and present analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead store estate strategy development for your region.
• Use data to provide insights that shape strategy and decision-making.
• Build business cases for new store openings and adjustments.

Skills

Location planning

Data analysis

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Experience in a similar analytical role

Tools

GIS tools (MapInfo, ArcGIS, QGIS)

Power BI

SQL

Python

Alteryx

Job description

Summary

Join M&S as a Location Planning Manager and help shape the future of our UK store estate. This role is all about using data-driven insight to influence strategic decisions and deliver meaningful change. You will take ownership of a specific region, developing and implementing estate strategies that support our growth and transformation. If you are analytical, commercially aware and passionate about making an impact, this is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in one of the UK's most recognised brands.

Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

Please note we are looking for this person to be based in the East of the England or London as this role requires you to be in our Waterside London office 2 days per week.

All the details

What You Will Do

• Lead the development of the store estate strategy for your region, acting as the subject matter expert for the business
• Use data and analytics to provide insight that shapes strategy, improves forecasting and supports decision‑making
• Build business cases for actions in your region, including new store openings, extensions, relocations, closures and footprint adjustments
• Visit new sites and existing stores to assess opportunities and make informed recommendations
• Deliver standalone analysis projects to answer key property-related questions and influence strategic direction
• Work collaboratively with Retail Regional Managers and other stakeholders to share insight, review performance and plan future actions
• Partner with colleagues across Property, Retail, Finance and other teams to deliver projects and ensure alignment
• Present business cases and analysis outcomes to senior stakeholders, making clear recommendations
• Lead post-opening reviews for new stores, analysing performance against forecasts and advising on improvements
• Develop relationships with external data providers and drive innovation in digital solutions and analytical approaches
• Stay informed on UK retail market trends and interpret these to support M&S strategy

Who You Will Be

• Experienced in location planning, market development or a similar analytical role
• Skilled in data analysis, with experience of working with large datasets and delivering actionable insight
• Technically capable, ideally with knowledge of GIS tools (MapInfo, ArcGIS, QGIS), Excel, and analytical software such as Power BI, SQL, Python or Alteryx
• Familiar with financial modelling concepts such as discounted cash flow, NPV and IRR
• Able to write clear, compelling business cases and present complex analysis confidently to senior stakeholders
• Strong communicator with the ability to build relationships across teams and with external partners
• Comfortable working independently, managing priorities and developing ideas for analysis projects
• Ideally based in the East of England or London, with flexibility to travel and stay overnight up to 2‑3 days per month
• Full UK driving licence required

Key Stakeholders

• Property Data & Analytics Team
• Property Acquisitions Team
• Property Finance
• Retail Regional Managers
• Property Estates Management Team
• Property Programme Office
• Pre‑construction and Store Development Teams
• Store Planning
• Business Unit Space and Customer Insight Teams
• Franchise and Outlet Teams
• Retail and Property Leadership Team
• Corporate Press Office
• External partners and suppliers

What's in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We're inclusive, fast‑moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing. Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third‑party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you have completed your probation
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
• Market‑leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone's Welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.