Senior Space Planner - Retail

Experis - ManpowerGroup; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Experis - ManpowerGroup in London (Paddington) is seeking a Senior Space Planner to maintain BAU delivery during a major transformation. The role is hybrid and based in Paddington, with a 6‑month contract and a daily pay rate of £300–£375 via Umbrella agency.

The role supports Space Planning, store layouts, space performance and data analysis, partnering with Merchandising, Visual Merchandising and Retail Operations to drive space optimisation and effective handovers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in retail Space Planning within a large multi-site retailer.
• Strong understanding of macro space, grading, store layouts and space optimisation.
• Experience using data and analysis to inform decisions.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience producing clear analysis and business presentations.
• Experience with Space Planning systems such as Blue Yonder/JDA, RELEX, Intactix or equivalent would be advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across commercial, retail, store and central functions.
• Highly organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities and working with limited direction.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear actions and recommendations.
• Experience supporting business change, transformation, project coordination or operational improvement would be beneficial.
• A practical, hands‑on approach with the ability to quickly integrate into an existing team and provide immediate operational support.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational Space Planning support to maintain BAU delivery and business continuity during a major transformation programme.
• Take ownership of agreed Space Planning activity, including macro space, grading, store layouts, space optimisation, concessions and seasonal/tactical activity.
• Support Space Planning Managers and wider teams with store planning, space performance, data maintenance and operational activity.
• Analyse commercial, store and space data to support recommendations and identify opportunities for store and space optimisation.
• Prepare and maintain analysis, reports, trackers, project documentation, decision packs and stakeholder updates.
• Coordinate activities across Space Planning, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Store Planning and Store teams, ensuring actions and dependencies are followed through.
• Support store visits, space reviews and post-implementation reviews, capturing findings and helping embed improvements.
• Maintain accurate store, department, grading and space data, escalating issues and inconsistencies where required.
• Capture and share process knowledge, supporting effective handovers and reducing reliance on individual SMEs.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, simplify ways of working and strengthen operational efficiency.

Job description

Senior Space Planner - Retail
Senior Space Planner - Retail

The location of the role is Paddington, London (hybrid working).
The duration of the contract is 6 months.
The pay rate on offer is £300 - £375 per day (via Umbrella agency).

The client is a multinational high-street retailer.

Role Summary

This role is embedded within the Space Planning business team and is responsible for maintaining operational delivery and business continuity while experienced SMEs dedicate increased time to the Space Planning Transformation Programme. The role backfills agreed business activity, creates capacity for SMEs to contribute to transformation, and ensures day-to-day Space Planning work continues to be delivered accurately, consistently and on time. Working as part of the operational team, the role provides flexible support across space planning, store space optimisation, grading, analysis, documentation, coordination and stakeholder activity, depending on business priorities and where SME capacity is most constrained.

Key accountabilities of the role

• Provide operational Space Planning support to maintain BAU delivery and business continuity during a major transformation programme.
• Take ownership of agreed Space Planning activity, including macro space, grading, store layouts, space optimisation, concessions and seasonal/tactical activity.
• Support Space Planning Managers and wider teams with store planning, space performance, data maintenance and operational activity.
• Analyse commercial, store and space data to support recommendations and identify opportunities for store and space optimisation.
• Prepare and maintain analysis, reports, trackers, project documentation, decision packs and stakeholder updates.
• Coordinate activities across Space Planning, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Store Planning and Store teams, ensuring actions and dependencies are followed through.
• Support store visits, space reviews and post-implementation reviews, capturing findings and helping embed improvements.
• Maintain accurate store, department, grading and space data, escalating issues and inconsistencies where required.
• Capture and share process knowledge, supporting effective handovers and reducing reliance on individual SMEs.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, simplify ways of working and strengthen operational efficiency.

Key skills and experience

• Proven experience in retail Space Planning, ideally within a large multi-site retailer.
• Strong understanding of macro space, grading, store layouts, space optimisation, space performance and seasonal/tactical planning.
• Experience using data and analysis to inform commercial and space planning decisions.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience producing clear analysis and business presentations.
• Experience with Space Planning systems such as Blue Yonder/JDA, RELEX, Intactix or equivalent would be advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across commercial, retail, store and central functions.
• Highly organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities and working with limited direction.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear actions and recommendations.
• Experience supporting business change, transformation, project coordination or operational improvement would be beneficial.
• A practical, hands‑on approach with the ability to quickly integrate into an existing team and provide immediate operational support.