About this Team Manager role at John Lewis Partnership
ABOUT THE ROLE
As Section Manager in one of our Customer Delivery Hubs, you'll manage a team of Partners responsible for direct-to-customer deliveries and ensure the supply chain runs smoothly, while maintaining the highest customer service standards expected of the John Lewis brand.You'll ensure all operations adhere to legal compliance rules and regulations and deliver all operational KPIs / SLAs in line with Partner, customer, and profit business-wide metrics. In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 18:00 - 22:00 will attract an Evening Premium at a rate of £3.75 per hour, and any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract a Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.
At a glance
Partnership Role Title: Section Manager, Customer Delivery Hub
Positions Available: 2 (1x Permanent, 1x 6-month Secondment/Fixed-Term)
Location: South Central (Customer Delivery Hub) in Southampton
Hours of work: Full-time, 41 hours per a week.
Permanent Shift Pattern (3-Week Rota)
Week 1: Wednesday–Saturday (6:00 am–5:00 pm)
Week 2: Monday (5:00 am–4:00 pm), Tuesday–Thursday (6:00 am–5:00 pm)
Week 3: Tuesday–Friday
Fixed-Term Shift Pattern (6-Week Rota)
Week 1: Monday (5:00 am–4:00 pm), Tuesday–Thursday (6:00 am–5:00 pm)
Week 2: Tuesday–Friday (10:30 am–9:30 pm)
Week 3: Wednesday–Saturday (6:00 am–5:00 pm)
Week 4: Monday–Thursday (10:30 am–9:30 pm)
Week 5: Tuesday–Friday (6:00 am–5:00 pm)
Week 6: Wednesday–Friday (10:30 am–9:30 pm), Saturday (7:00 am–6:00 pm)
Key Responsibilities
Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:
- Planning operational resources (daily and weekly) with the Partners and agency.
- Developing and maintaining relationships with the operational teams to ensure communication across the site remains effective.
- Monitoring and analysing department KPIs to look for trends and opportunities to facilitate continuous improvement within the team.
- Ensuring daily communication with the transport planning team.
- Managing the day-to-day running of the transport office (for example, schedules and conference calls).
You'll need to be open to flexible working hours, as this role has the head of branch, out-of-hours, and key holder responsibilities. During these times, you will be held accountable for the site's business continuity procedure.
It’s crucial that you act responsibly in line with Corporate Social Responsibility commitments and waste management for your department and site.
Essential skills/experience you’ll need
People management experience within a large team environment
Experience working in a fast-paced, operational environment
Strong stakeholder and agency management skills
Experience managing performance, absence and conduct, including disciplinaries and grievances
Knowledge and understanding of transport operations and legal compliance
Strong communication, organisation and problem-solving skills
Ability to manage competing priorities and make effective decisions under pressure
Experience driving performance and maintaining high standards across a team
Desirable skills/experience you may have
Transport Manager CPC qualification
Hiring Manager and/or recruitment experience
Incident management experience
Experience of managing fleet, drivers or transport operations
Experience using transport, workforce management or performance systems
Experience of continuous improvement and delivering operational efficiencies
Closing Date:
September 20, 2026
Pay:
Contract Type:
Hours of Work:
Job Level:
Where You'll Be Working:
South Central Customer Dellivery Hub (John Lewis & Partners), Unit 3, Peel Logistics Park South Central, Southampton, Hampshire, SO169BNABOUT 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 also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.
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.
