Department Manager

Naylor's Equestrian Llp; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Naylor's Equestrian Llp in Gateshead is seeking a Department Manager to lead and develop a high-performing team, delivering exceptional customer service and achieving store KPIs. You will coach colleagues, manage daily operations, assist with hiring and training, and drive sales targets while maintaining a safe and compliant store environment.

You will motivate staff, coordinate schedules, and act as the point of contact in the Store Manager's absence, ensuring a positive, customer-centric

Qualifications

• Proven coaching and mentoring skills to lead and develop a high-performing team.
• Excellent communication to engage colleagues and deliver customer-focused service.
• Experience in retail or customer-focused environments with KPI awareness.
• Ability to prioritise, delegate workload and drive store performance.
• Track record of improving customer experiences and driving sales metrics.

Responsibilities

• Support the Store Manager in leading, coaching and developing a high-performing, engaged team.
• Deliver exceptional customer experiences that encourage loyalty and repeat visits.
• Drive KPIs including conversions, average transaction value and units per transaction.
• Maintain store standards and a safe, compliant environment.
• Assist in opening/closing procedures and cash handling tasks.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding and training of new employees.
• Provide feedback and coaching to improve performance and engagement.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

Leadership

Retail experience

KPI understanding

Training

Customer service

Planning

Decision-making

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

# Department Manager## GatesheadSeptember 20, 2026RetailSeptember 20, 2026Role overview:Create a positive and engaging environment for colleagues and customers through the effective leadership and management of your department or defined business area. Support, coach and develop store colleagues to deliver service which has customers at the heart, through exceptional store standards and highly engaged colleagues.Responsibilities:- Support the Store Manager in leading, coaching and developing a high-performing, engaged team.- Deliver exceptional customer experiences that encourage customer loyalty and repeat visits.- Develop store teams through internal development programme to support future talent and career pathways to help us grow our business.- Help maintain a safe and compliant store environment for colleagues and customers.- Contribute to delivering financial results in line with or exceeding company targets.- Support other retail management duties where required.- Act as the point of contact for colleagues in the manager's absence.- Provide excellent customer service, addressing inquiries and resolving complaints professionally.- Help manage day-to-day operations, including opening and closing procedures.- Support cash management tasks, such as processing transactions and reconciling tills.- Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training new employees.- Provide feedback and coaching to colleagues to improve performance.- Support the Store Manager in maintaining colleague schedules to ensure proper coverage and productivity Role objectives and KPI's:- Contribute to achieving or exceeding the store's monthly sales target.- Drive all additional KPIs including but not limited to Units, Conversion, ATV, UPT.- Achieve upselling or cross-selling targets.- Maintain a high customer metric score.- Ensure stock accuracy during store Audits.- Ensure all new colleagues complete mandatory training required.- Ensure colleague engagement survey results meet or exceed company benchmarks.- Assist in keeping operational costs within the allocated budget Skills and Experience:- Great coaching, mentoring and team building skills that drives team performance.- Strong communicator with the ability to engage, support and influence colleagues effectively.- Experience leading, coaching and developing colleagues within a retail or customer-focused environment.- Experience of effectively prioritising and delegating workload to achieve team goals and objectives.- Experience supporting business growth through customer engagement, local activity or community initiatives.- Commitment to delivering excellent customer service and customer experiences.- Be able to demonstrate the ability to improve store performance & standards through effective planning.- Strong understanding of retail KPIs and commercial performance measures.- Knowledge of local market trends, competitor activity and the ability to identify local community growth opportunities.- Leads with a plan/do/review mindset.- Effective decision-maker with the ability to assess information and make informed decisions.- Communicates in a way that inspires and engages.- Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.- Resilient and positive attitude even under pressure.- Demonstrates accountability and ownership of responsibilities.- Demonstrates company values and behaviours in day-to-day activities.- Committed to supporting colleague development and progression.- Committed to two-way, clear, and honest feedback.- Builds positive working relationships with colleagues, customers and stakeholders.