Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff to the CEO  
Up to £95,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 4) 
18-month secondment
Manchester City Centre, M60 0AG – hybrid working with flexibility to support the CEO on evenings and weekends where required.

We’re looking for a Chief of Staff to support our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to support on the delivery of the Co-op Group strategy.

In this role, you’ll create space for the CEO to focus on delivering the Group strategy by taking the lead on strategic projects, driving Board effectiveness, and keeping key priorities on track. From anticipating challenges to supporting communications, you’ll work closely with senior leaders across the business to make sure everything runs smoothly, proactively planning ahead and acting as a trusted confidant.

To be successful you’ll need to be a resilient critical thinker who can communicate key messages, increase focus within the team and bring structure to enable our most senior leaders to deliver their objectives. In return we can offer you a unique opportunity to gain exposure to the people and projects that define the strategic direction of our Co-op.

What you’ll do

Partnering with our CEO:

•    Strategically manage the CEO’s time, working closely with the CEO’s Business Support Manager to evaluate opportunities and determine fit with key priorities
•    Proactively look ahead across the broader Co-op landscape to anticipate what’s coming up, identifying and averting problems and making sure the CEO is prepared with the appropriate briefings. 
•    Act as an advisor and strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team, supporting the development of the Group strategy and presenting different perspectives to help make sure it remains fit for purpose
•    Work closely with the Business Support Manager to support the CEO on day-to-day activity, including supporting with inbox and diary management 
•    Identify and develop new ways of improving Operating Board effectiveness and support with objective setting, working closely with the People team
•    Co-ordinate and prepare the CEO for Annuals and Interim results

Leadership presence and comms:

•    Be accountable for the tone of voice of all CEO comms and Board reports, and ensure that the CEO is visible internally and externally at the right times with the right messages
•    Organise, plan, and facilitate sessions to ensure strategic alignment, engagement, and maintenance of positive working relationships

Group leadership effectiveness:

•    Build and utilise a network across the wider business to respond to Op Board and/or Board requests, decisions, and priorities and deliver activity on behalf of the CEO

Enabling governance and reporting:

•    Support on all governance and reporting requirements, preparing presentations, briefing packs and analysis for the Operating Board and Co-op Board, as well as external partners to facilitate effective discussions and decision making

This role would suit people who have

•    A broad knowledge of Food Operations - with an in-depth understanding of the political, technical and strategic market considerations that are relevant to the work of the CEO 
•    Resilience - highly organised with the ability to drive focus on key deliverables whilst being adaptable to change and flexible to support the CEO’s schedule
•    Comms expertise - the ability to deliver key complex messages to a variety of audiences in a way that they understand
•    Finance knowledge – the ability to understand and interpret key financial documentation 
•    Self-motivation – the ability to work with minimal direction and bring people together based
•    on a highly developed understanding of strategic priorities
•    Great people and influencing skills – the ability to understand, build close relationships with, and influence a diverse group of colleagues in a coherent, co-ordinated way 
•    Strategic awareness and commercial acumen – the ability to bring together strategy, customer, and colleague context, and manage detail and high-level strategy simultaneously

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:
•    Annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
•    Private healthcare
•    Company car or car allowance
•    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)
•    Coaching and mentoring to support your career development

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