Retail Operations & Fulfilment Manager

House of Commons

The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. 

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

Staff Benefits

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including: 

• 30 days’ annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). 
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. 
• Access to training and development. 
• Flexible working. 
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan. 

Introduction 

The House of Commons Retail Team is a dynamic and ambitious team with three gift shops across the Parliamentary Estate, with an online shop and a warehouse based in North Acton.

Retail Services is part of the Customer Experience and Service Delivery team, with a remit of delivering an exceptional omnichannel retail experience for Members and their staff, House staff, visitors to Parliament, and the public. This role is an exciting opportunity to join a creative and ambitious team in a non-traditional retail environment.

The Role 

The post holder is responsible for leading and managing the Retail Operations Team to deliver excellent customer service. You will lead on building a strong team atmosphere by involving and supporting others, sharing information and best practice, injecting enthusiasm, and promoting a harmonious and inclusive environment. You will also drive sales targets and hold responsibility for adhering to operational policies and procedures, audit compliance, health and safety standards, and stock control.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Take ownership of the retail operation by setting priorities and creating plans to deliver an exceptional omnichannel retail experience. Foster an exceptional team culture whilst providing inspirational leadership for the operations team in line with our values and strategy.
• Responsible for the management of the retail operations rota, ensuring a resilient, agile and outstanding team is in place to deliver excellent service in all operational areas, taking operational day to day decisions independently.
• Analyse retail operations data to make informed decisions and or make recommendations to the Retail Services Senior Management Team, with the ability to write low level business cases and report papers.

The post holder will be working in all or any of the retail gift shops including at our offsite online fulfilment facility, working evenings and weekends on a rostered basis, providing cover and assistance when necessary. 

Skills and Experience 

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Ability to demonstrate commitment to outstanding customer service, with a strong track record of delivering an exceptional retail experience to a diverse customer base.
• Proven experience of financial management and KPI monitoring with the ability to clearly set and communicate sales targets to maximise profit in line with the retail strategy and budgets. Fully competent in retail policies and procedures including stock management, online fulfilment, security, and cash handling processes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to develop strong, positive relationships and build credibility quickly.
• Experience of leading and developing a diverse team of customer-facing staff to deliver an outstanding retail experience, both face to face and digitally, inspiring, and motivating team members to collectively deliver against KPIs, offering clear, creative and strategic direction as needed, while upholding principles of diversity and inclusion.
• Confident in taking a ‘hands-on’ approach to problem solving, using initiative and exercising sound judgement independently to make dynamic decisions whilst remaining calm under pressure and taking control of incidents.
• Highly organised with the ability to balance operational responsibilities with a strategic approach to planning and delivery of a range of operational projects and activities across the Retail Operation.

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. 

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. 

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

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