Retail Area Manager

Retail Area Manager

Make a meaningful impact in your retail career.

At Prospect Hospice, we believe in a community where everyone lives and dies well. As we embark on an ambitious five-year strategy to grow and diversify our income, we're looking for a dynamic retail area manager to lead our retail operations into an exciting new chapter.

We're an established charity based in Swindon, providing specialist care to people in Swindon, Marlborough and northeast Wiltshire. Our retail operation is at the heart of our mission, raising over £2.5 million annually to support individuals and families through life-limiting illness.

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday with flexibility as needed)

About the Role:

As our retail area manager, you ll lead our charity retail operations, overseeing a network of 18 charity shops and a thriving ecommerce operation. Your mission: to drive profitability, inspire high-performing teams, and expand our retail footprint all while championing our brand in the community.

This is a high-impact role for a strategic and hands-on retail leader who thrives on performance, innovation and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and support shop managers and teams to exceed sales targets and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• Drive growth through innovative merchandising, promotions, and community engagement.
• Oversee operational excellence across all sites, ensuring compliance, cleanliness, and consistency.
• Collaborate with the Head of Commercial Income to identify and launch new shop locations.
• Use data and insight to inform decisions, monitor performance, and maximise profitability.
• Play a key role in delivering our strategic goal to increase voluntary income by 50% over five years.

Our Vision for Retail:

Retail is a cornerstone of our income generation strategy. With plans to open new shops, invest in digital infrastructure, and enhance our ecommerce presence, this role is pivotal to our future success. You ll be empowered to innovate, lead change, and help us build a sustainable future for hospice care.

About you:

• Proven experience in multi-site retail management (charity retail experience a bonus)
• A track record of driving income growth
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop remote teams
• Experience of managing large budgets and performance analytics
• A passion for community engagement and a commitment to our values
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle

Please see the job description for full details and person specification.

If you re a retail leader who thrives on challenge, innovation, and community impact, we d love to hear from you. To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role and why you d like to work with us.

Interviews will be held on Monday, 7 July 2025

We offer a great range of benefits, including:

• 27 days annual leave entitlement (plus bank holidays)
• Generous contributory pension scheme and life assurance
• Discounts with local retailers, gyms, and service providers including Blue Light Discount Card
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Family-friendly policies and practice
• Supportive induction, and training and development
• A values led, inclusive working environment
• Free parking on-site

Equality & Diversity

Prospect Hospice is committed to encouraging a diverse and inclusive working environment. We recognise that promoting diversity and eliminating discrimination in our workplace will bring benefits for our people, our business, and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, offending background, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we support. As part of our SAFER recruitment processes, offers of employment will be subject to thorough checks, which may include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, online and social media checks, and verification of qualifications. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to adhere to our safeguarding policies and procedures at all times.

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands, or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

We will review applications as they come in and therefore we may close the vacancy before the closing date. Candidates are therefore advised to apply early.