SPACE SYSTEMS MANAGER – COE
Position summary
Introduction
Job description
· Lead the Space Systems (SRD) Centre of Excellence in a manner consistent with our Values and Leadership Way
· Provide clear direction, priorities, and ways of working for the Space Systems CoE team
· Embed a strong people‑first, continuous improvement culture, supporting capability building and performance delivery
· Define, govern, and continuously improve SRD best practices, standards, principles, processes, and methodologies across Foods
· Own and evolve the SRD systems ecosystem, ensuring tools are fit for purpose, optimised, and future ready
· Lead SRD systems capability building, including training, change management, and adoption
· Enable effective assortment, clustering, and display planning through robust systems and end‑to‑end processes
· Own and govern the Foods Range Change Calendar, ensuring alignment across functions and timely execution
· Partner with Category, Buying, Planning, Product Development, Technology, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Macro Space and Retail Operations teams
· Translate category and business strategy into customer‑centric, executable space and display outcomes in store
· Champion world‑class systems thinking and execution that enables scalable, consistent shelf standards across Foods
· Provide leadership oversight to ensure SRD systems and processes support profitable growth and customer experience objectives
· Sponsor and contribute to building a world‑class Space, Range and Display capability as a profession within Foods
· Actively participate in cross‑functional forums to resolve system, process, and execution challenges
· Drive insight‑led decision‑making through analytics, financial acumen, and performance measurement
Minimum requirements
- A relevant degree, with additional professional development in systems or leadership
- 8–12 years’ experience in systems-driven roles within food retail or FMCG environments
- Proven track record in leadership, strategy development, and execution at scale
- Strong understanding of Space retail systems, processes, and technical applications, specifically Blue Yonder
- Experience championing change, delivering large-scale, cross-functional initiatives
- Strong analytical capability and financial acumen
- Deep understanding of assortment, and space management systems and practices
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Strong interpersonal, influencing, and conflict management skills
- Lead with confidence, resilience, and empathy through complexity and change
- Ability to connect data, systems, and strategy into a compelling narrative that enables decision‑making
- Proven problem‑solving, critical thinking, and decision‑making capability
- Project management capability, including planning against critical paths and managing dependencies
- Set clear, stretch goals aligned to broader business priorities
- Plan and manage team resources to meet changing demands
- Hold self and team accountable for delivery and quality outcomes
- Create a safe, inclusive environment where ideas are shared and challenged
- Support team well‑being, development, and learning
- Encourage innovation, continuous improvement, and the effective use of digital and system capabilities
- Build strong internal partnerships to enable deliver at pace
You will lead people, shape systems, and embed world-class Space, Range and Display practices that ensure the right product is in the right space, in the right way on our shelves — consistently and at scale.