Regional Partnerships Manager

MARKS&SPENCER; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in London is seeking a strategic leader to drive international franchise growth. The role involves managing partner relationships and maximizing retail sales across all channels. Ideal candidates will have strong commercial acumen and retail experience. The position offers a hybrid working model with various employee benefits, including discounts and well-being support.

Benefits

20% colleague discount

Competitive holiday entitlement

Discretionary bonus schemes

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Tailored induction and training programs

Wellbeing support access

Charity volunteer day

Qualifications

• Proven track record in driving sales and maximizing profit.
• Experience in managing global to local business relationships.
• Highly skilled at influencing key stakeholders at senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead omni-channel franchise strategy in the region.
• Manage franchise partner relationships for sustainable growth.
• Review and update franchise agreements for brand and commercial success.

Skills

Strong commercial acumen

Entrepreneurial mindset

Retail experience

Relationship building

Stakeholder influencing

Job description

Overview

Be the driving force behind M&S's international franchise growth. We're looking for a strategic and commercially astute leader to take full accountability for the performance and partner relationships across a defined international region. You will line manage a small team of Franchise Partner Managers, using your deep understanding of local customers, markets and partnerships to drive sustainable growth. You will shape and deliver the omni-channel franchise strategy in your region, ensuring key performance indicators are met at both partner and regional levels. With full P&L ownership, you will maximise retail sales and profit through optimised product mix and a seamless customer experience across all selling channels. You will lead the development of joint business plans with franchise partners and cross-functional M&S teams, ensuring market-relevant product ranges, competitive pricing, and consistent delivery of the M&S brand experience. In addition, you will define and evolve commercial terms and our Franchise Playbook, tailoring guidelines to meet local market needs while maintaining brand integrity. You will also own and shape franchise agreements, acting as the key interface between M&S and its partners to ensure strategic alignment and long-term growth.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.

What's in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special...

• After completing your probationary period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

What you'll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Works with the in-market merchandising team and Clothing & Home and Food BU teams to achieve an optimum product assortment across all the selling channels.
• Helps to grow the Online business through new flagships, marketplaces and developing existing ones, plus omnichannel activity in store.
• Actively listens to partner feedback/requirements and coordinates with central / Online/Food, Clothing and Home BU functions to help establish appropriate and cost-effective support/actions for partners.
• Provides robust and rigorous operational focus to the team, looking for ways to continually improve delivery through the transfer of best practice to and between Franchisees to ensure they run efficiently and in line with brand operating standards.
• In conjunction with the legal teams, review, shape, and update franchise agreements which deliver brand and commercial growth and success; shape successful partnership relationships and define clear performance targets and brand requirements.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• Strong commercial acumen and proven track record in driving sales and maximising profit
• Entrepreneurial - identify and influence commercial opportunities and act on them
• Retail experience - Stores and Online
• Highly skilled at relationship building and influencing key stakeholders at senior levels within M&S and externally
• Experience in managing global to local business relationships

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.

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