We’re looking for a Retail Change and Implementation Manager to join our team for 10 months. You’ll lead the successful implementation and embedding of operational and technology change across the retail estate, ensuring new systems, processes, and ways of working are adopted effectively by frontline teams and deliver measurable commercial and customer benefits. You’ll own the “last mile” of change delivery, acting as the critical bridge between technology, central functions, and store operations. Success is defined not by go-live, but by sustained adoption in all stores.
What you’ll be doing:
Technology Change Implementation (Primary Focus) - Support leading the retail implementation strategy for major technology-enabled change (e.g., Tills, ISL, colleague tools) to ensure sustained adoption in all stores.
Partner closely with Technology, Product, and Data teams to:
> ensure solutions are store-ready
> shape deployment plans that reflect trading realities
> influence design decisions based on operational insight
Support pilots, phased rollouts, and national deployments at scale
Ensure robust cutover, hypercare, and post-implementation support models
Stakeholder & Governance Leadership - Act as a point of accountability for retail implementation across all programmes, operating as a senior peer to Retail Operations, Technology & Digital, Supply Chain, HR and Finance.
Provide clear, confident updates to Stakeholders
Manage cross-programme dependencies and prioritisation to protect stores from overload
Escalate risks with clear mitigation plans and decisions required
Measurement, Adoption & Embedding - Support define adoption, compliance, and performance KPIs for all change initiatives, tracking post-go-live performance and intervening where adoption is lagging. Ensure clear BAU ownership is established and sustained.
Communication, Training & Engagement - Responsible for frontline-first communication, ensuring all change is supported by simple, role-based training, clear messaging, and strong field leader enablement. Develop playbooks, guides, and implementation toolkits. Ensure consistency of message and approach across all stores
Operational Change & Continuous Improvement - Support the implementation of non-technology operational change and champion continuous improvement informed by frontline feedback. Ensure technology change is fully integrated into end-to-end operating models
Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, and remove unnecessary complexity for stores
What we’re looking for:
The ideal candidate will have proven people leadership experience, including building and developing teams. Experience supporting national rollouts across large retail estates (300+ stores). As well as this you’ll have:
Excellent senior stakeholder management and influencing skills. Strong delivery discipline with the ability to operate at pace in complex environments.
Strong understanding of store operations and field management models.
Credible and confident with senior leaders and frontline colleagues.
Pragmatic, calm, and decisive under pressure.
Strong commercial acumen and customer focus.
High resilience and emotional intelligence.
Passionate about making change work in practice.
It is preferred if you also have:
Exposure to formal change and improvement methodologies
Background in retail operations leadership (store, area, or regional level). Experience operating in matrixed or transformation-heavy organisations.
Experience working with agile or product-led technology teams.
What can we offer you?
You’ll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us. We also have an early careers network to support you if you’re in your first few years of your career.
We’ll also equip you with a benefits package that includes:
Competitive bonus
Save-as-you-earn scheme
Private Medical and Life Assurance
Enhanced contributory pension scheme
Colleague discount
Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme
Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.
By giving you the support you need to do well at work, and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn’t put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.
About Us:
Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues. But it is our culture that is considered our best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.
Please contact us here if you require any adjustments within the application process. If you require any reasonable adjustments at the interview stage you will have an opportunity to inform us when we invite you to interview. Please note, this link is only for reasonable adjustments required - general enquiries, or direct CV applications cannot be accepted via this form
