Section Manager, NDC

About the roleAt the John Lewis Partnership, we believe in a different way of doing business. As a Section Manager at our Magna Park National Distribution Centre (NDC), you are more than an employee, you are a Partner. You will share in our collective success and work toward our shared purpose: Working in Partnership for a happier world.

In this role, your focus is to support, inspire, and grow a team of Warehouse Operative Partners. You will champion a growth mindset, helping each team member reach their full potential while contributing to the Partnership Purpose and Magna Park Vision.

At a glance 

Partnership Role Title: Section Manager NDC

Position: 2 positions available, one 12-month fixed-term and one permanent position.

Hours of work: Full-time, 37.5 hours, working 5 out of 7 days on a 6-week rotation. The shift pattern will alternate between 06:00 to 14:00 and 14:00 to 22:00.
 

Key Responsibilities:

Act as a role model and mentor, managing the full employee lifecycle, including performance reviews and talent development.

 Deliver a successful operation by ensuring stock integrity, accuracy, and maximising efficiency.

Optimise department performance, including Third-Party Operations, by driving cost efficiency and productivity.

Inspire a culture of safe working practices and lead the delivery of Diversity and Inclusion strategies while supporting Partner health and wellbeing.

Ensure the "voice of Partners" is heard, keeping democratic vitality thriving and vibrant in your department.

Take responsibility for engaging and leading Partners in delivering and embedding change consistently within the operation.

Essential skills/experience you'll need

-Experience in a fast-paced, customer-centric leadership role managing large teams and performance metrics. 

-An agile approach with the ability to easily adapt to changing circumstances and operational requirements. 

-Excellent communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive conversations with empathy and clarity.

-Proficiently computer literate with digital capability (e.g., MS Office, Warehouse Management Systems, and HR systems).

Desirable skills/experience you may have

-Experience working within both automation and non-automation work environments.

-The ability to cover other parts of the operation as required.

-A history of driving a culture of empowerment and delivering successful commercial outcomes.

About The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.