Supermarket Assistant, Team Leader

About the role

As a Team Leader in a Waitrose store, you’ll help create the distinctive service and food focus that keeps customers coming back. The role is about leading by example, supporting both customers and Partners, and helping the shop deliver strong sales and profit performance.

New store opening in Chelmer Village

A new Waitrose Convenience shop is due to open in Chelmer Village on 2 July 2026, and the business is recruiting Partners to help set up the store from day one. This is a chance to be part of the founding team and play a key role in shaping a welcoming, high-quality shopping experience for the local community.

• Work with a new team to build a positive and friendly store atmosphere.
• Help make sure the opening day runs smoothly and successfully.
• Represent the brand in the community through excellent customer service.

What you’ll be doing

In addition to delivering great service, you’ll take on a range of shop-floor and leadership duties to keep the operation running efficiently.

• Assist the management team with day-to-day leadership tasks and support all areas of the store to meet customer demand.
• Make sure Partners work safely and in line with legal and company requirements.
• Pick and prepare online customer orders for delivery.
• Keep shelves stocked and products correctly placed so customers can find what they need.
• Support checkout activity, Click & Collect, on-demand orders, and other shop tasks whenever required.
• Suggest ways to improve how the shop performs commercially.
• Minimise waste by checking product dates and applying markdowns where needed.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and well-organised working environment.

Skills and experience needed

You’ll need a solid mix of leadership, retail awareness, and customer service experience to succeed in this role.

• Strong people skills and the ability to lead others.
• Good understanding of retail operations and how to drive commercial results.
• Previous experience in a customer-facing role.
• Confidence working with third parties and colleagues across the wider business.

Desirable experience

• Duty Manager Training, for internal Partners only.

About the Partnership

The company is the UK’s largest employee-owned business and includes John Lewis and Waitrose. Partners share ownership, responsibility, and rewards, with a focus on building a better world through excellent retail, collaboration, and mutual respect. The business values inclusion, kindness, and the freedom for everyone to be themselves and thrive.

Important information

Some roles may require pre-employment vetting, which can include DBS checks and, in certain cases, financial probity checks. If this applies, you will be told during recruitment and should complete any requested documents promptly to avoid delays.

Vacancies may close early if applications are received in high volumes, so early submission is recommended. If you need a reasonable adjustment because of a disability and require extra time to complete the application, you should contact the employer as soon as possible.

Flexible working is supported where possible, including flexible or compressed hours, job sharing, or shorter-hour contracts. These arrangements can be discussed with the hiring manager during interview.