Retail Operations Manager

Purpose

The Retail Operations Manager (Central) will lead the provision of safe, efficient and effective non-food production and retail environments (including creative studios/ workshops, shops, retail spaces within cafes, and online) to enable quality delivery of Nature-based Therapies and Skills Programmes in our Central (Gloucestershire and Stourbridge) Communities.

You will manage our retail activities based in the Trust’s Gloucestershire and Stourbridge communities, implementing strategy and ensuring an efficient and profitable running of all retail aspects.

This is a managerial role which requires a ‘hands on’ approach, working alongside the team to implement high standards and best working practices across all food production areas.

Location & Travel

Community-based

This role will be based at Taurus Crafts in Lydney.

Duties & Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities:

Enabling Nature-based Therapies and Skills Programmes

• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary NBTS team, develop systems and processes to ensure our non-food production and retail environments are well-run, efficient and effective in providing places for people we support to have meaningful roles to develop skills in non-food production, retail and customer service.
• Provide and share technical expertise in systems, processes, equipment usage, production techniques etc.

Managing safe non-food production and retail environments

• Responsible for providing expertise in safe practice in production and retail environments. 
• Ensure robust risk assessments are in place on our non-food production and retail buildings, equipment etc. and ensure that policies/ risk mitigations are being followed effectively.
• Work with our PALS colleagues to ensure equipment is maintained, serviced, repaired or replaced.
• Develop and embed systems and processes to ensure the products we make are safe for market and meet all relevant regulatory requirements (e.g. labelling, safety testing etc).
• Find solutions to operational challenges and escalate risks or issues that are outside your control or influence to mitigate/ resolve; action recommendations made in internal/ external audits to improve safety/reduce risk.

Financial

• Manage the relevant budgets, maintaining spend within agreed levels and reporting financial performance; assist with forecasting.
• Maximise sales, margin and profitability across all retail and production opportunities
• Lead Customer Service/ Satisfaction and develop mechanisms to measure/ evidence success.
• Lead footfall-driving initiatives, finding and delivering opportunities to drive trade.
• Manage/ source supplies and suppliers, ensuring we are getting the best value for money and minimising waste.
• Ensure financial risks are identified and managed.

People

• Be an inspiring leader, developing skills and capabilities in the team through on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring.
• Recruit, induct, integrate and train new staff and volunteers.
• Lead an engaged, motivated, committed team to deliver quality enabling environments and financial efficiency/ effectiveness. 
• Line management of Production and Retail Leads/ Assistants and any additional roles that may arise while developing the production and retail team, and oversight of the training and development needs of the team.
• Responsible for ensuring staffing schedules/ rotas resource the service efficiently and appropriately to ensure a safe environment for the NBTS and Severnside Skills Programmes to take place in and meet customer demand.
• Effective communication/ cascade of information to staff team and senior leaders.

Data and Reporting

• Collect KPI data to evidence the efficiency and effectiveness of the non-food production and retail environments.

Service Development and Promotion

• Manage the Trust’s retail undertakings to ensure the smooth, efficient, and profitable running of the department in accordance with the Trust’s vision and the strategic objectives
• Contribute to the business planning and assist the budget-holder so that each year’s development objectives and a budget are agreed.
• Lead, motivate and develop the retail team to maximise potential and to ensure that staff members and volunteers meet personal goals and achieve service excellence.
• Oversee the buying, storing, visual merchandising and selling of stock, including the planning and carrying out of special promotional activities.
• Collaborate with Retail Lead in development of effective stock control mechanisms to improve the ordering, stocking and selling of products with the objectives of improving sales performance and retail margins.
• Collaboration with all Retail Operations managers to maximise development and operational delivery of the online retail and mail order function, including email and social media campaigns to maximise sale opportunities
• Developing routes to market for produce and products that are surplus to requirements for internal outlets
• Co-ordinate our presence at external events where there is a sales opportunity, promoting the work we do and the quality of our products
• Devise, plan and co-ordinate events to drive footfall to Taurus Crafts and achieve increased revenue streams across the campus for our food and retail business units
• Create partnerships with other businesses and organisations to generate income from room/space hire
• Manage the events and venues team in providing a consistent and high-quality service
• Produce detailed proposals for events (including timelines, venues, suppliers, legal obligations, staffing, expenditure budgets and income targets)
• Plan event from start to finish according to requirements, target audience and objectives
• Coordinate suppliers, handle client queries and troubleshoot on the day of the event to ensure that all runs smoothly and to budget
• Regional coordination of Trust lettable venues across Gloucestershire
• Contribute to the planning and staging of events across the Trust on an ad hoc basis
• Building and maintaining good relationships with stakeholders, including people we support, customers, suppliers, family members, colleagues and partners/visiting professionals, while ensuring the Camphill Village Trust ethos is clearly communicated.
• Seek out opportunities for continual service improvement.

General

• Comply with the Trust’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding, equality and diversity, and data protection.  
• Comply with the statutory provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Employees must look after their own health, safety and welfare and be mindful of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Co-operate with management instructions regarding health and safety issues and report all accidents, incidents and problems as soon as practicable to their manager or other senior members of staff where necessary.
• Ensure that confidentiality is respected and maintained at all times.
• Undertake any other duties which are consistent with this post, as directed by line management. This may include participation in weekend or evening events at Taurus Crafts.

This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the department.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE English & Maths at grade C and above (or equivalent to).

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Opportunity provision

• An ability to work with our mixed abilities team including people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and others facing barriers to participation in society and work.

Non-Food Production and Retail

• A minimum of 3-years management experience in production and/ or retail environments.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience of leading in successful trading environments.

• Experience of leading customer service excellence and knowledge of how to deliver a positive customer experience, increasing footfall/spend per head, positive reviews and feedback.

Managing People

• Proven ability to supervise staff informally & formally, implement appraisals & performance management outcomes.

Managing Finances

• Experience in developing effective supplier networks, negotiate terms & conditions of supply and associated costs.
• Proven ability to manage a budget effectively and assist with forecasting.

IT Skills

• Experience in using Microsoft Office (spreadsheets for data in Excel, Word and Powerpoint for reports/ presentations) to present information/ write reports etc).

Desirable

• Experience of social enterprise and/ or fundraising in charities through trade
• Experience of working in an environment that provides opportunity for people with learning disability, autism and /or mental health support needs.
• Have established retail supplier relationships & local networks.

Personal Attributes

• A calm, person-orientated approach with a flexible mind set and the ability to take and give direction from and to others.
• Proven ability to be honest, dependable, and dedicated to your role.
• A common-sense approach, fun but mature attitude and approachability are key. 
• Have strong and adaptable communication skills.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.

Key Competencies

• Able to evidence empathy, recognise the needs of others, their individual abilities, barriers to progression & solutions to overcome these.
• Excellent people management skills with the desire/ability to influence a positive and inclusive culture.
• Excellent planning and time management skills.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
• Able to support the team to be creative and develop products/menus driven by local, seasonal products to meet customer demands and expectations.
• Proven IT Competency, particularly with EPOS systems.
• Must be available to work some weekends, bank holidays, school holidays between the hours of 9 – 5.30.