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DRS Commercial & Supplier Transition Lead

Greater Manchester
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Job ID 1072334 Job Category Retail Support Hours per Week 37.5 Closing Date 07-10-2026 Salary £60,000 to £65,000

DRS Commercial & Supplier Transition Lead

£60,000 to £65,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 5)

Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least once a week for working groups and/or workshops when required (find out more about our hybrid working policy at jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy). 

In line with the Internal Mobility Policy, we’d like to make you aware that there is a preferred candidate who has been identified for this opportunity.

We’re looking for a Commercial & Supplier Transition Lead to help us get ready for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). You’ll work with teams across Co-op and our suppliers, helping them understand what’s changing and what they need to do to prepare. Working alongside a Project Manager, you’ll connect different areas of the business, turn legislation into clear actions and help make sure changes are understood, solutions are designed/delivered and adopted.

Why this job matters

DRS will bring significant change across Co-op, impacting our products, suppliers, stores and customers. You’ll play an important part in making sure we’re ready, helping to keep information accurate, spot risks early and keep things moving. With plenty of ownership, you’ll have the opportunity to shape how Co-op responds to this important change.

What you’ll do

  • Lead our work with suppliers, helping Own Brand and branded suppliers understand what they need to do to prepare for DRS

  • Bring colleagues together from across Co-op, joining up plans and priorities so everyone is working towards the same goal

  • Turn legislation into clear, practical actions, helping teams understand what new requirements mean for them and how they’ll need to work differently

  • Keep our preparations on track, spotting risks, dependencies and gaps and working with others to find the right way forward

  • Help make sure our product and supplier data is accurate, so we can meet DRS requirements and avoid problems further down the line

  • Build strong relationships and influence decisions, working with suppliers, colleagues and senior leaders to challenge thinking and help move things forward

  • Work in unison with the Project Manager and wider DRS team, making sure changes are understood, adopted and successfully put into practice by relevant functional leaders and their teams

What you’ll bring

  • Experience of helping a business through significant change, as part of a large or complex project or programme

  • Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to take something complex and make it clear and manageable

  • Great relationship-building and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and communicate with people at all levels

  • Experience of working with legislation, regulation or compliance, and translating requirements into practical business change

  • A proactive and adaptable approach, with the confidence to take ownership, manage your own priorities and keep things moving

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

  • An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)

  • 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 

  • A pension with up to 10% employer contributions 

  • Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)

  • 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands

  • Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it 

  • Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice 

  • 24/7 colleague support service 

  • Training and support for your development and career progression

  • Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion.

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