Head of Retail Operations

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Century House Brunel Road Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate, United Kingdom

Competitive salary and benefits package

June 4, 2026

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Job description

<div class="feature-text"><h2>About the job</h2>If you’re excited by the idea of shaping how a retail business truly operates, this could be your next big move. We’re looking for a Head of Retail Operations who can bring clarity, direction and energy to the way our stores run every day. You’ll lead the specialist teams who make retail tick — from change delivery and communications to policies, routines and our retail helpdesk — ensuring every store has what it needs to succeed. You’ll turn big‑picture strategy into simple, store‑ready delivery, championing operational excellence and making change feel seamless for colleagues. It’s a role with real influence: you’ll drive value for customers and teams, build a culture of accountability and keep Retail Operations future‑fit, agile and ready for whatever comes next. If you thrive on shaping strategy, elevating standards and enabling teams to deliver their best, you’ll make a significant impact here. This is a hybrid role, with 2–3 days each week spent at our Wakefield head office. What you will be doing You’ll shape how Retail Operations runs today and how it evolves for the future. Working closely with the Central Operations Senior Leadership Team, you’ll turn long‑term strategy into a clear, deliverable plan that aligns teams behind the right priorities. You’ll set the roadmap, define the measures that matter and create a culture where people understand what they’re here to deliver and feel empowered to do it well. You’ll lead operational excellence across the estate, ensuring everything we ask stores to do is practical, aligned to capacity and genuinely adds value. From activity planning and communications to policies, routines and process simplification, you’ll make sure stores receive clear guidance, simple ways of working and change that lands smoothly. You’ll collaborate across the business to keep operations efficient, future‑fit and responsive to the needs of colleagues and customers. You’ll sponsor major change programmes, ensuring they’re store‑ready, well‑tested and deliver the benefits they promise. You’ll also oversee our Retail Helpdesk, ensuring stores receive fast, effective support and that insights from issues help us continually improve. As a senior leader, you’ll build and develop a high‑performing Retail Operations team, champion collaboration and create opportunities for colleagues to grow across both central and field roles. You’ll set high standards, celebrate success and help shape an operation that enables stores to deliver brilliantly every day. What we’re looking for <ul style="list-style-type:disc;margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;"><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Significant senior leadership experience inmulti‑siteretail or retail operations, with a strongtrack recordof leadingcross‑functionalteams.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Proven accountability for P&L and operational budgets, with experience deliveringlarge‑scalechange in afast‑pacedretail environment.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Demonstrated ability to drive measurable improvements in efficiency, storeexecutionand colleague experience.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Strong strategic planning capability, with confidence in capacity planning,budgetingand commercialdecision‑making.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Excellent stakeholder management,communicationand influencing skills, with the ability to simplify complexity and make clear,timelydecisions.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Technologically confident, with acontinuous‑improvementmindset and a focus on smarter, more efficient ways of working.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Anenterprise‑firstthinker who champions store success, bringsfuture‑focusedand commercially astute thinking and stays composed under pressure.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">A visible, decisive leader who builds trust, drivesmomentumand developshigh‑performingteams through coaching,supportand clear accountability.</li><li style="margin-left:24px;font-size:inherit;">Someone who brings energy,simplicityand strategic clarity to complex challenges, unlocking potential in others and elevating team performance.</li></ul> No agencies please!#priorityindeednr</div><a href="https://careers.cfjobs.co.uk/members/?j=31888&lang=en&" class="btn btn-apply apply_bottom">Apply</a>