Marks and Spencer
Head of Acquisitions - North
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Head of Acquisitions
We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Head of Acquisitions to lead the delivery of M&S's property acquisitions strategy. Reporting to the Property Director, you will be responsible for identifying, evaluating and securing new store opportunities that support our long-term growth ambitions across both Full Line and Food formats.
Leading a team of Acquisitions Managers, you will build and manage a strong pipeline of new store, relocation and renewal opportunities. Working closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, you will ensure M&S continues to secure the right space in the right locations, balancing customer reach, commercial return and strategic fit.
What You Will Do
- Develop and deliver the acquisitions strategy to support M&S's store rotation programme, growth plans and future estate ambitions.
- Identify, evaluate and prioritise new store opportunities using customer, demographic, competitor and commercial insights.
- Lead negotiations with landlords, developers, agents and partners to secure optimal commercial outcomes and minimise risk.
- Own the end-to-end acquisitions process, from opportunity identification through to approvals and handover into delivery.
- Lead, coach and develop a high-performing acquisitions team, ensuring a disciplined and commercially focused approach to pipeline management.
Who You Will Be
- An experienced retail property professional with a strong track record in acquisitions, asset growth and portfolio development.
- A strategic thinker who can translate long-term business objectives into a clear and actionable property pipeline.
- A confident negotiator with the credibility to influence senior stakeholders and external partners.
- Commercially astute, with the ability to balance customer, financial and operational considerations when making decisions.
- An inspiring leader who develops talent, drives accountability and creates high-performing teams.
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What You Will Bring
- Significant experience in retail property acquisitions, site appraisal and estate growth strategies.
- Strong financial and analytical capability, including investment appraisal, risk assessment and business case development.
- Excellent negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience leading complex property transactions from origination through to completion.
- Strong knowledge of the UK retail property market and a well-established external network across landlords, developers and agents.
What’s In It For You
Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever‑evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value and service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.
Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…
- 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third‑party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry‑leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues, including our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist for you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
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Everyone’s welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.
We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
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