Purpose

This role is vital to the effective and efficient delivery of process and practice across the region and is uniquely positioned to support our Stores transformation plan and deliver a step change in our learning offer to colleagues at all levels. In doing so the Academy Team Manager role will:

Support the Academy Store Manager to deliver and role model best practice, test and learn activity

Manage the Regional Centre for talent, recruitment and development

Ensure colleagues understand and are motivated to deliver their part

The roles are Hatfield / St Albans / Hemel Hempstead / London Colney 

Key Accountabilities

Work closely with Regional Manager and Academy Store Manager to prioritise and execute Academy activity plans to time, cost and quality, both with business led initiatives and regional requirements

Support the HRBP and stores across the wider region to deliver a successful regional peak recruitment process, leading the Academy Customer Assistants to meet the recruitment requirements and accurately process data to ensure a smooth attraction, interview and onboarding of candidates

Provide feedback, coaching and development for Academy Customer Assistants to ensure accurate delivery

Support the Regional Manager and the Academy Store Manager by being the conscience of the wider Academy store management team, to ensure they continually review their processes and coaching requirements to embed ongoing excellence and ‘Fit to Trade, Fit to Train’

Manage the facility and resources associated with the Academy to ensure consistent delivery of best in town standards, efficiency and quality experience for all Academy participants

Take accountability for providing seamless and quality process improvement activity and learning in collaboration with Store Manager and other BU stakeholders

Collaborate with the Talent and Development Team for Stores and Property, supporting engagement, learning events and talent initiatives

Collaborate with the Talent and Development Team for Stores and Property, supporting Line Managers by coordinating training plans for new and existing managers requiring upskilling

Represent M&S and Academy Store with internal and external partners, showcasing the best-in-class standards, learning and environment for process improvement.

Support the Regional Manager with Academy related Comms and Engagement across the Region and Division as required

Collate appropriate feedback to engage and influence senior stakeholders within the business

Support the Regions recruitment and induction plan, providing leadership to the Customer Assistants for Talent and Learning

Support the wider Region to ensure that colleagues across the Region have a suitable induction

Create the right culture in the Academy, role modelling new digital ways of working and leadership behaviours

Build an active working relationship with BIG, provide feedback and support the development of BIG reps

Regularly review individual performance through quality conversations, managing underperformance and celebrating success

Support the risk stores identified by the Regional Manager and Academy Store Manager through coordinating training plans, hosted within the Academy, to drive an improvement in performance

Promote inclusion and diversity within the Academy and the wider Region

Key Capabilities    

Successfully embeds change for lasting commercial impact and results

Remain up to date with Store Performance and work with the wider management team to drive improvement

Addresses beliefs and mindsets around resistance to change and supports colleagues in adapting

Spends time coaching colleagues to accelerate performance and personal growth

Supports team in dealing with challenging situations, minimising stress and finding solutions together

Recognises high performance and supports poor performers to improve

Shows colleagues why they matter to M&S, their part to play in delivering the plan and what the results of their work are

Helps teams understand information and business messages by actively seeking out opinions and asking questions

Encourages colleagues to ask questions, challenge, try new things and learn from mistakes

Uses a combination of channels and technology to communicate, ensuring timely, clear and open communication with colleagues

Seeks the best solution for M&S by proactively collaborating with colleagues from across the business

Focused on delivering results that matter to M&S and prioritises to complete on time

Technical Skills/ Experience

Has a good understanding and up to date knowledge of commercial, visual, operational and people processes and systems

Strong level of digital capability and an understanding and use of all systems including Excel, Word, Teams, Powerpoint

Good understanding of all available data and MI to identify commercial, visual, cost savings & customer opportunities to increase profit

Good working knowledge of VM principles

Confident to lead digital engagement and learning event

Good knowledge of the legal requirements within a store operation

Knowledge of our people policies and managing performance within a team

The ability to have difficult conversations with effective resolutions with colleagues

Good communicator and listener who will inspire, share their knowledge and best practices with others

Ability to plan and review across the week and the month

Ability to deliver under pressure demonstrating resilience

Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the store and region

Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to change, and the ability to lead teams through change with a growth mindset

Good understanding of recruitment process to support ACA delivery across the region

Key Relationships and Stakeholders

Customers

Colleagues

Academy Store Manager

Regional Manager/ HRBP

Learning and Development Team

BU Leads (C&H, Food, Visual)

Recruitment team

Store Leadership team

BIG

Colleague services