Head of Retail
Job Description
Job summary
Join Our Team as Head of Retail!
Do you have the commercial expertise, strategic vision and leadership skills to grow a successful retail operation that helps fund outstanding hospice care?
Are you an experienced retail leader with a proven track record of driving commercial performance, leading multi-site operations and delivering sustainable growth?
If so, we would love to hear from you.
Barnsley Hospice is looking for an ambitious, commercially minded and inspirational Head of Retail to lead the strategic development of our retail operation. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our retail portfolio, maximise income generation and play a vital role in supporting specialist palliative and end-of-life care for people across Barnsley.
Main duties of the job
As Head of Retail, you will lead Barnsley Hospice's retail division with responsibility for our Retail Hub, ecommerce operations, retail events, distribution and logistics.
Reporting to the Director of Income Generation, you will develop and deliver an ambitious retail strategy focused on increasing sales, profitability and long-term sustainability. You will be responsible for identifying opportunities to grow our retail estate, optimising Gift Aid income, enhancing the customer experience and ensuring our retail operation continues to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.
This is a strategic leadership role requiring a commercially focused individual who can inspire and develop teams, lead transformational change and work collaboratively across the Hospice to maximise opportunities for income growth.
About us
Barnsley Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to hundreds of local people and those close to them every year. Every purchase made in our shops, every donated item and every pound raised through retail helps us continue delivering compassionate care to patients and families across our community.
As our Head of Retail, you will have the opportunity to lead an ambitious retail growth strategy, shape the future of our retail operation and make a lasting contribution to the financial sustainability of the Hospice.
You'll be joining an organisation that values Ambition, Collaboration, Compassion and Integrity, where innovation is encouraged, people are supported to thrive and every member of the team plays an important role in making a real difference.
We are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and candidates with disabilities, as we are committed to increasing representation across our workforce.
If you are looking for a rewarding leadership role where your commercial expertise can help secure the future of hospice care in Barnsley, we would love to hear from you.
Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development and delivery of Barnsley Hospices retail strategy.
- Identify opportunities for growth, including new retail sites, ecommerce, and innovative income streams.
- Contribute to the wider Income Generation strategy and organisational business planning.
- Oversee the performance of all retail outlets, ensuring consistency, compliance, and high standards of presentation.
- Drive improvements in stock management, pricing strategy, merchandising, and donation processing.
- Ensure effective use of systems and processes to maximise efficiency and profitability.
- Manage retail budgets, ensuring income targets and cost controls are achieved.
- Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial performance.
- Drive profitability and sustainable income growth across all retail operations.
- Lead, manage, and develop retail managers and teams across multiple sites.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture.
- Support volunteer engagement and development across retail operations.
- Identify and deliver opportunities for expansion, including new shop locations and ecommerce growth.
- Lead initiatives to improve customer experience and increase sales performance.
- Develop partnerships and community engagement opportunities to support retail growth.
- Ensure all retail operations comply with relevant legislation, health and safety, and safeguarding requirements.
- Maintain strong governance and risk management across all retail activities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant professional qualification in retail management, business management, leadership, or equivalent level of experience.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in retail, leadership, or business management
Desirable
- Leadership or management qualification (e.g. ILM Level 5 or equivalent)
- Qualification in business, retail management, or a related discipline
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in a senior retail management role, including multi-site retail responsibility
- Proven track record of delivering commercial growth, income generation, or improved retail performance
- Experience of managing budgets, financial performance, and achieving income/profit targets
- Experience of leading, managing, and developing teams (including staff and/or volunteers)
- Experience of developing and implementing retail or business growth strategies
- Experience of operational retail management including stock control, merchandising, and customer experience improvement
Desirable
- Experience working in charity retail or not-for-profit income generation
- Experience of ecommerce or digital retail development
- Experience of opening new retail sites or leading retail expansion projects
- Experience of working in a regulated or compliance-driven environment
Knowledge, Skills and Personal Attributes
Essential
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to interpret data and make evidence-based decisions
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders
- Ability to work strategically while also managing operational detail effectively
- Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
- Ability to lead change and drive service or business improvement initiatives
- Commitment to high standards of customer service and continuous improvement
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams and build effective working relationships
- Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace
- Alignment with organisational values and ability to demonstrate these in practice
Desirable
- Knowledge of the charity or not-for-profit sector operating environment
- Understanding of volunteer-led service delivery models
- Awareness of retail compliance, health and safety, and governance requirements
- Experience of working in a values-led organisation such as a hospice or charity
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Barnsley Hospice
Address
104-106 Church Street
Gawber
Barnsley
S75 2RL
United Kingdom
