Sourced directly from Sainsbury's's own careers page
Lead Online Manager
Sainsbury's
Ely, England, United Kingdom£31,450+["Full time"]
Thinking of applying? Check your CV against this job first.
See your match score, your strongest skills for this role, and what's missing — before you spend time on an application.
Your real match score
Free CareerPilot account · Takes about 2 minutes
What you’ll be doing:
• Direct a small team of managers to deliver the online delivery operation of
the supermarket taking accountability for every delivery going out on time,
every time, so our customers get exactly what they need, when they expect it
• The department is fast paced with lots of KPIs, you’ll spend time reviewing
data and ensuring compliance to processes and procedures
• Planning for upcoming key trading activities and events by working closely
with the rest of the store leadership team.
• Regularly taking full accountability for the store overnight, role modelling
and coaching for high standards and efficiency across the store.
• People management, including pay and scheduling routines, training,
communication and employee relation activities such as managing performance,
absence, and completing disciplinaries.
Our online teams work early mornings with picking items for deliveries usually
taking place from 04:00 – 08:
00.
What makes a great Lead Online manager:
• A passionate leader who is consistently ambitious for their customers and
colleagues, every day, growing their team to do the same.
• Experience of managing managers, in a fast-paced performance focussed
environment.
• An operator who is comfortable managing alone in the absence of more senior
management.
• Driven to deliver high performance with a focus on efficiency and engagement.
• Confident in the use of data, and understanding / interpreting KPI's or other
performance indicators, and has experience of improving these.
• Puts inclusivity at the heart of what they do and uses this to build an
inclusive team and working environment.
• Can manage disciplinaries, performance issues or other similar employee
relations issues (Up to dismissal).
Essential Criteria:
• Experience leading large teams in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment
— you’ve developed leaders, built high-performing teams, and created a
culture of ownership and accountability.
• A track record of delivering exceptional customer experiences across complex
operations, with evidence of delivering these through your team.
• Proven success in delivering and improving KPIs — from sales and stock
availability to customer satisfaction and colleague engagement, you’ve driven
results that matter.
• Experience managing sensitive and complex people matters, including
performance, absence, and formal employee relations cases, with confidence,
fairness, and sound judgement.
• Leadership experience in an operational environment — whether in retail,
hospitality, or food service — where you’ve owned departmental performance
and confidently led the store in the absence of senior leadership.
• Can evidence leading change — whether rolling out new ways of working,
embedding new systems, or shifting team mindsets, you’ve brought people with
you and made change stick.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Leading in our stores:
Our management teams don’t just run stores - they’re the driving force behind
our business. With bold leadership, a passion for service and an eye for
opportunity, they empower teams to raise the bar every single day for our
customers. Whether it's product availability, safety standards, or delivering
seamless daily operations, they’re hands-on, sleeves-rolled-up changemakers. And
the impact? Work becomes more rewarding for our colleagues, and shopping becomes
a next-level experience for every customer who walks through our doors. This is
how we bring our purpose to life, one powerful action at a time.
QUALIFICATIONS
Working for us has great rewards
Salary will be dependent upon your experience as well as the store size,
complexity and location. Alongside this, we also offer a great range of benefits
for our managers, including:
• Discount card – 10% discount off on your shopping at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu
and Habitat after four weeks. This increases to 15% discount off at
Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday.
• An annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance.
• Free food and hot drinks provided for Colleagues in all our stores.
• Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave.
• Pension – we’ll match 4-7.5% of your pension contributions.
• Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted rates.
• Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and
financial advice.
• Colleague networks – link with like-minded people to help fulfil your
potential.
• Our Cycle to Work scheme gives you the opportunity to hire a new bike and
cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI.
• Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and
more.
An inclusive place to work and shop:
We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can
achieve their full potential and every customer feels welcome when they shop
with us.
To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of
enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We
provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role
and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true
representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our
colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities,
including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our
colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various
initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you
would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a
look here
[https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/sustainability/better-for-everyone/diversity-and-inclusion].
Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or
interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.