Department Manager - Womenswear

Selfridges; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Selfridges in Manchester seeks a commercially minded leader to own the bought and concession department strategy, including payroll, using external market trends and competitor insights to identify opportunities and risks.

You will coach and motivate a high-performing team, set improvement targets with the Concession Manager, and drive sales while ensuring stock control, compliance, and exceptional customer service across all concession partners and services.

Qualifications

• Commercial awareness with ability to interpret store performance and implement actions.
• Collaborative approach to working with teams and concession partners.
• Retail experience in high volume, customer-focused environments.
• Excellent communication with customers, teams, and stakeholders.
• Strong leadership to motivate and develop staff.
• Adaptability to change and seasonal demands.
• Proactive planning for weeks, months, and peak periods.
• Ambassador of company values and trusted colleague.

Responsibilities

• Own bought and concession department strategy, including payroll, using market trends and competitor insights.
• Support concession businesses by working with the Concession Manager to set targets and resolve issues.
• Motivate the team to exceed sales targets by developing product knowledge, cross-category selling, and after-sales service.
• Lead and coach the team with regular feedback, identifying development plans.
• Act on feedback from the business and team surveys to drive improvements.
• Ensure compliance with trading standards, health and safety, and store procedures.
• Manage stock loss KPIs and implement stock loss action plans and training.
• Collaborate with VM and B&M teams to improve visual presentation, stock levels, and relay customer feedback.

Skills

Commercially minded

Collaborative

Retail expert

Good communicator

Leader

Adaptable

Proactive

Values oriented

Job description

• Be responsible for the own bought and concession department and strategy (including payroll), identifying opportunities and risks using external market trends and competitor insights
• Support the concession businesses in your department by working closely with the Concession Manager to support and set improvement targets, resolve issues that may arise
• Motivate the team to exceed sales targets by developing skills in product knowledge, cross category selling, after sales service and awareness of other services within Selfridges
• Manage and lead your team giving regular feedback and coaching. Recognising both talent and development areas, you will create unique plans to progress your team using the tools available
• Act upon information and feedback from across the business e.g spotlight, engagement survey and team member feedback to name a few
• Ensure that the department is fully compliant with trading standards, health and safety legislation and all store operating procedures
• Achieve stock loss KPI through effective management of procedures, stockless action plan and team member training
• Liaise and influence VM and B&M team to seek ways to improve visual presentation, stock holding and relay customer feedback, including best and worst sellers
• Keep consistently high standards in your department through the completion of daily floor walks and checks, following up on required improvements

A bit about you:

• Commercially minded. Understanding the numbers, you have a plan to achieve sales targets, realise the importance of managing stock levels and are reactive to external factors that may impact performance
• Collaborative. Building relationships is one of your strengths. Whether it’s with your team to drive performance, your concession partners to initiate positive change, or with the wider Selfridges community, you realise the importance on working together
• A retail expert. Accustomed to working in customer focused, fast paced/high volume environments, you bring both passion and knowledge to support your team. Generating ideas and implementing plans to develop business opportunities
• A good communicator. Your friendly and confident manner is appreciated by customers, team members and stakeholders alike
• A leader. Motivating and inspiring your team to deliver exceptional service and meet sales targets. You understand the importance of leading by example and provide coaching to drive performance and change
• Adaptable. Prioritising is one of your skills and you know how to keep you team calm and focused in times of change
• Proactive. Planning for the weeks, months and season ahead from floor cover, events, stock and many more, you truly own your business area and take responsibility for ensuring its success
• An example of our values, a trusted and respected colleague

This guide represents a summary of the role, however all team members are expected to be flexible in the work they undertake, which may change from time to time, according to the needs of the business.