Job Description

Seasonal Events Planner

£33,440 to £41,800 plus great benefits (Work Level 6A)

Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least twice a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

12-month fixed-term contract

We’re looking for a Seasonal Events Planner to join our Co-op. In this role you'll be at the heart of delivering some of our biggest and most exciting seasonal events, from Christmas right through to regional & cultural moments. Working closely with teams across the business, you'll coordinate plans, manage timelines, track performance and make sure everything is in place for a successful launch. It's a fast-paced role where you'll be juggling multiple projects, working with lots of internal partners and using data and insight to help drive great outcomes for our customers.

Why this job matters

Seasonal events are a huge part of our business. They help us create great customer experiences, drive performance and respond to what matters most to our customers throughout the year. You'll bring people, plans and data together to make those events happen. Your work will help teams stay aligned, keep projects on track and make sure we're ready to deliver at every stage, from planning through to launch and beyond.

What you’ll do

• Coordinate the delivery of seasonal events from planning through to launch, supporting everything from major moments like Christmas to smaller cultural and trading events
• Manage multiple event timelines at once, keeping plans on track, highlighting risks early and making sure key milestones are met
• Work closely with our Commercial team to maintain accurate planning data, validate information and support the creation of seasonal range templates
• Use systems (e.g. SAP, CTS and JDA) to analyse data, track progress and support event reporting
• Lead event readiness and launch support activity, bringing teams together to make sure there is a smooth delivery across all channels
• Chair seasonal working groups, track actions and drive accountability across a wide range of partners
• Turn data and reporting into meaningful insights, helping teams understand performance and identify opportunities for action
• Monitor competitor activity and market trends while continuously looking for ways to improve processes through automation, technology and AI

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• Experience in a retail or FMCG environment, with an understanding of trading performance and customer behaviours
• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple critical paths
• Good Microsoft Excel skills including lookups, formulas and data analysis, with the ability to turn complex data into clear insights and actions
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the business.
• A proactive and adaptable mindset, always looking for continuous improvement in our processes

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• 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
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-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.