Department Manager

Go-Outdoors; Thurrock; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus schemes

Staff discount across GO Outdoors and家

Development opportunities (training)

Employee benefits platform access

Health and well-being support

Holiday allowances

Job summary

GO Outdoors is seeking an experienced retail manager to lead a store team in Thurrock. You will coach, develop and motivate staff to deliver exceptional customer service and achieve sales targets.

The role requires strong leadership, planning, and cost control to grow the business while maintaining a safe environment for customers and colleagues. You will oversee hiring, onboarding, and training, drive KPI performance, and coordinate scheduling and daily operations to ensure smooth store

Qualifications

• Coaching, mentoring and team-building skills to drive performance.
• Clear, confident, motivational communicator with strong verbal and written skills.
• At least 2 years of management experience, preferably in retail.
• Ability to prioritise and delegate workload to achieve team goals.
• Proven experience promoting and growing a brand in the local community.
• Passion for customer service with a track record of excellence.
• Ability to improve store performance and standards via planning.
• Knowledge of retail KPIs and cost control, to boost sales and experience.
• Understanding local market trends and opportunities for growth.
• Strong planning with plan/do/review mindset and decisive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate a high-performing store team.
• Deliver exceptional customer service to win customers for life.
• Develop staff through internal programmes and identify future talent.
• Maintain a safe, compliant store environment for colleagues and customers.
• Achieve monthly sales targets and other KPIs (units, conversion, ATV, UPT).
• Handle hiring, onboarding and training of new colleagues.
• Provide feedback and coaching to improve performance.
• Manage colleague schedules to ensure coverage and productivity.
• Support Store Manager in day-to-day operations including opening/closing and cash handling.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

People management

Retail KPI knowledge

Cost control

Team leadership

Customer service excellence

Strategic planning

Decision making

Resilience

Relationship building

Developing teams

Job description

Role overview:

Make your part of GO a great place to shop and work through the effective leadership and management of your store or defined business area. Motivate and coaching store teams to deliver service which has customers at the heart, through exceptional store standards and highly engaged colleagues.

Responsibilities:

• Support the Store Manager lead and motivate a high performing, highly engaged team.
• Create a culture of exceptional customer service ensuring our store teams win customers for life by exceeding their expectations.
• Develop store teams through internal development programme to support future talent and career pathways to help us grow our business.
• Uphold a store that is safe and compliant operating environment for all colleagues and customers.
• Deliver our financial results in line with or in excess of 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 stores 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 employee satisfaction stores or 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.
• Clear, confident, and motivational communicator with excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills.
• At least 2 years management experience, preferably in a similar format of retail.
• Experience of effectively prioritising and delegating workload to achieve team goals and objectives.
• A proven record of successfully promoting and growing a brand or service in the local community.
• A passion for customer service and a proven record of delivering excellence in this area.
• Be able to demonstrate the ability to improve store performance & standards through effective planning.
• Robust working knowledge of retail KPI’s and the proven ability to control costs, increase sales and improve the customer experience.
• Knowledge of local market trends, competitor activity and the ability to identify local community growth opportunities.
• Leads with a plan/do/review mindset.
• Confident and clear decision maker.
• Communicates in a way that inspires and engages.
• Strives to be better.
• Resilient and positive attitude even under pressure.
• Takes personal responsibility.
• Lives and breathes our values.
• Passionate about developing teams.
• Committed to two-way, clear, and honest feedback.
• Builds great relationships

Benefits

We know our employees work tirelessly to make JD Group the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits:

• Discretionary bonus schemes
• Company discount off a large number of products in-store and online (JD Sports, Size?, Foot Patrol, Blacks, Millets, GO Outdoors)
• Exclusive deals and discounts and offers from retail and hospitality businesses through our online benefits platform (TELUS Health)
• Access to digital health and well-being services through our benefits platform (TELUS Health)
• Health cash plans
• Wide range of internal development courses to support personal and professional development throughout your career journey with the Group
• Access to apprenticeships & accredited qualifications - Earn while you learn and gain nationally recognised qualifications (England Only)
• Discounted Gym memberships at JD Gyms
• Access to colleague networks, to share lived experiences and support initiatives that drive positive change.
• Opportunities to volunteer and contribute to JD Foundation
• Employer engagement forums to help influence positive change
• Incremental Holiday Allowance