Head of CBS Commercial & Specialist Operations

Head of CBS Commercial and Specialist Operations 
£80,000 - £90,000 plus great benefits including car allowance (Work Level 4) 
Manchester city centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office around twice a week.  

We’re looking for a Head of Commercial and Specialist Operations to join the Business Support Services team within our wider Co-op Business Services (CBS) organisation. CBS is made up of a number of diverse teams dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable and cost-effective business services across our Co-op. You’ll play a key role in helping CBS to support and realise our group vision of ‘co-operating to build more value for member-owners every day’.

Why this job matters

At Co-op, we’re always looking for ways to do things better, for our members, our communities, and our colleagues. Our Business Support Services team is growing fast, and we’re building out specialist commercial service lines that support areas like fleet management, concessions, and post office operations. These services are unique, complex, and evolving, and we need someone who can lead the charge in shaping how they’re delivered, developed, and scaled. This is a brilliant opportunity to build something meaningful, drive commercial value, and make a real impact across the Co-op.

What you’ll do

• As Head of CBS Commercial and Specialist Operations, you’ll be the glue between our operations, commercial teams , and suppliers, leading the development and delivery of specialist services across the Co-op. You’ll:
• Lead a team of 3 direct reports and around 20 colleagues across the wider function
• Shape and deliver the strategy for specialist commercial services within CBS
• Own the profit and loss (P&L) and drive financial performance, identifying opportunities to grow income and reduce costs
• Be part of the CBS extended leadership team(s) and contribute to the wider strategy for Business Support Services
• Develop and evolve service lines like concessions and fleet, defining ways of working and service value all whilst showcasing a service led mentality 
• Use data and insight to optimise services and drive continuous improvement
• Manage senior supplier relationships and oversee escalations
• Lead the transition and delivery of new service lines using our business adoption model
• Drive innovation and make sure that services meet operational needs and strategic goals
• Support policy development, risk management, and stakeholder engagement across the business

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for someone who’s strategic, commercially minded, and passionate about service delivery. You’ll need:

• Strong operational understanding of how the business works
• A commercial mindset and experience managing P&L
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to manage diverse teams and priorities
• A service-led mindset and a drive for continuous improvement
• Excellent relationship management skills, including working with senior leaders
• Confidence in managing risk and navigating complex landscapes
• A self-starter attitude with ambition and a passion for making things better

Why Co-op?

If you have the skills that we need, we can offer you a competitive salary and great benefits package which includes 30% off Co-op branded products in our food stores (as well as other discounts on Co-op products and services).

• 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
• Private healthcare for you and your family 
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn
• Company car/cash allowance

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.
If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme at Disability Confident Scheme - Co-op Colleagues and more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion at Diversity and Inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.

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