Department Manager - Wine & Spirits

Harrods; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading luxury department store in the UK is seeking an experienced Department Manager for their Wine and Spirits department. You will lead a team, drive performance, and engage with customers to create exceptional shopping experiences. Ideal candidates should possess strong retail experience and a customer-focused mindset, with opportunities for professional growth and an attractive benefits package.

Benefits

Competitive bonus scheme

Company pension

25 days' holiday and your birthday off

Up to 33% in-store discount

Flexible working

Qualifications

• Experience in Food and Beverage or Luxury retail.
• Strong leadership capabilities to inspire team members.
• Solid background in fast-paced retail environments.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead high-performing teams in a dynamic environment.
• Drive performance and develop stakeholder relationships.
• Deliver exceptional customer service and operational standards.

Skills

Customer-focused

Leadership

Strong communication

Retail experience

Problem-solving

Job description

We are now looking for a people-focused and experienced Department Manager to join our world-renowned Wine and Spirits department. Responsible for a team that sells luxury products across a range of customer bases, you will drive exceptional performance whilst developing key stakeholder relationships.

Our retail offering is evolving as we grow our omnichannel approach, and we are looking for someone to join our leadership team who is agile and flexible, curious and bold enough to try new things.

About The Role

Being the front-line face of the leadership team, the Department Manager is skilled at building high-performing teams and delivering effective performance coaching across both face-to-face and virtual channels. This is achieved through high levels of presence on the floor and a natural ability to inspire and engage sales colleagues through story-telling and a culture of continuous feedback.

It’s that authentic and inclusive culture you create, alongside a flair for working with data and insight, that will help your business exceed performance targets and deliver exceptional operational standards – treating your area as your own business within a business.

This role is fully on site, working 5 out of the 7 days a week. Please see our Hybrid@Harrods policy on our Career Site for more information or speak to a member of our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions regarding the requirements for this role.

About You

You will be an accomplished retail professional looking to broaden your experience, or an established and proven Supervisor or Team Leader, ready to take the next step in your career. You will be commercially minded and customer-focused, with a passion for delivering outstanding service and results on the shop floor. As a motivating leader, you’ll inspire your team and lead by example every day.

You will bring strong experience in Food and Beverage or Luxury retail, ideally across brands and own label. A sound understanding of Wines and Spirits is a bonus, and you’ll be eager to deepen your knowledge by engaging with product training and industry trends. You’ll work closely with business managers, buyers, merchandisers, and support teams to help drive the success of your department.

You'll also:

• Have a solid background in a fast-paced or premium retail environment, where you’ve contributed to visual merchandising, stock management, promotional execution, sampling, personalisation, and achieving sales targets.
• Be a confident decision-maker and problem-solver, using your insight and product knowledge to deliver commercial results while ensuring a great experience for every customer.
• Be a genuine “people person” with a passion for helping others learn and grow - you get a kick out of helping your team members succeed.
• Have high levels of emotional intelligence and self-awareness and ability to flex your style.
• Be personally comfortable with ambiguity and change. We’re looking to you to help your team navigate changes across retail and the business whilst maintaining high levels of engagement.
• Have an out-of-the-box thinking mentality, surprising and delighting customers with exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Be resilient and actively seek constructive feedback for improvement.
• Be conscientious with a relentless focus on delivering to the best of your ability from performance to standards to people and customer experience.

About Us

Harrods is one of the world’s leading luxury department stores and we’re becoming a destination for top designers, and the most sought-after brands from around the globe. Our combined mission is to make visiting our iconic Knightsbridge store one of the world’s most inspiring shopping experiences.

Our Promise to You

Help us make the impossible possible for our customers and we’ll do something remarkable for you. As well as offering a friendly environment to inspire your best work, we provide abundant opportunities and support to build an exceptional career across the varied specialisms of our business.

In return, you'll receive an excellent benefits package, including eligibility for a competitive bonus scheme, a company pension, flexible working, 25 days' holiday and your birthday off, up to 33% in-store discount (including across our Food Halls and restaurants) and a season ticket loan.

Uniquely You

At Harrods we believe the personality and authenticity of our people sets us apart. We celebrate and invite applications from all cultures, backgrounds, tastes, and experiences and are proud of our culture where people from all walks of life can grow and thrive. What makes you unique makes us exceptional.

While our job adverts outline the ideal qualities, skills, and prior experience for the role, we believe in the potential for growth and value individual strengths. If you do not meet every desired criteria but feel you have the skills and experience to thrive in this role as well as a genuine interest in working for Harrods and you can demonstrate an alignment with our values, we would encourage you to apply.

If you want to know more about our people and our culture, search #TogetherHarrods on LinkedIn, Facebook or follow us on Instagram @togetherharrods