Change Manager - Greater Manchester, England

We'd all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That's waiting for you at Sainsbury's. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we're not handling projects, we're helping all corners of the wider group with what they're trying to achieve. And around here, ...

Job description

We'd all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That's waiting for you at Sainsbury's. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we're not handling projects, we're helping all corners of the wider group with what they're trying to achieve. And around here, you can see the results of your work as soon as you walk into a store, which gives you a real sense of purpose and responsibility. Better still, the team around you will listen to your ideas and opinions, and you'll have every chance to try something new. The sheer scale and complexity of our set-up means there's always something else around the corner, and we'll help and support you every step of the way. We're trusted to get on with it. So get ready to make things happen here.

This role can be based in London, Manchester or Coventry
About The Team
The Finance Operations & Change division lies at the heart of Sainsbury's mission to deliver operational excellence and continuous improvement across all finance functions. We are a collaborative, forward-thinking team dedicated to integrating, automating, and optimising processes that make life easier for our customers and our colleagues.

Our division partners closely with stakeholders across the business to drive transformation, encourage innovation, and ensure that change delivers sustainable value. If you thrive in an environment that values curiosity, teamwork, and making a tangible impact, you'll find a like-minded community here.

More About The Role
As a Change Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of key initiatives that modernise our finance operations. Reporting to the Head of Finance Transformation, you'll work in a matrix environment alongside colleagues from Finance, Sainsbury's Tech, Commercial, and other business areas. You will be responsible for planning and implementing change management strategies for significant projects, supporting stakeholders at all levels, and producing high-quality materials to facilitate communication, training, and engagement.

Your day-to-day activities will include stakeholder analysis, change-impact assessments, and business-readiness planning. You will proactively identify and manage risks, champion new ways of working, and support workstream leads in monitoring and embedding change. As a subject matter expert, you'll provide guidance and challenge to ensure the best outcomes for Sainsbury's and our customers, driving our Next Level Strategy forward.

More About You
To succeed in this role, you'll bring experience of delivering large-scale, complex change initiatives within a fast-paced environment. You are adept at building relationships, influencing at all levels, and communicating clearly and confidently. Your organisational skills and attention to detail enable you to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively. You are skilled in change management methodologies and have a track record of supporting colleagues through change, always seeking out opportunities to improve our ways of working.

Our valued behaviours—Own it, Make it better, Be human—are central to your approach. You take ownership for delivering results, embrace and encourage innovation, and proactively foster honest, supportive relationships. You understand the importance of effective communication and adapt your style to suit the needs of stakeholders throughout the business.

Essential Skills

• Experience in Retail Change Management (across multiple, traditional business functions), including communication, engagement, and training activities
• Proven track record of delivering change initiatives of significant complexity within multi-year programmes involving multiple stakeholders
• Expert knowledge of formal Change Management methodologies (e.g., ADKAR/Prosci, Kotter, Lewin)
• Experience in developing and executing end-to-end change plans from inception to adoption
• Ability to work autonomously and manage multiple priorities to tight deadlines in a matrix environment

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you'll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there's always the chance to try something new — whether that's as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we'll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:

Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks' pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks' pay for paternity leave.

Please see for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).