General Manager

Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd.; Swansea; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading garden centre retailer is seeking a Store Manager in Swansea to ensure operations align with commercial targets while fostering a customer-focused environment. The ideal candidate will have strong retail management expertise and a passion for leading teams towards exceptional service delivery. Key responsibilities include overseeing business operations, coaching staff, and maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations. Generous benefits include annual leave flexibility and employee discounts.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Employee discounts

Access to financial wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Proven experience of leading multiple direct reports.
• Ability to identify training needs and coach all levels.
• Positivity and motivation in managing change.

Responsibilities

• Manage store operations to meet commercial targets.
• Maximize profitable sales and create a customer-focused environment.
• Lead team development and enhance customer journey.

Skills

Retail management expertise

Excellent communication skills

Adaptability

Commercial awareness

Job description

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the store management, ensuring everything is in place to hit commercial targets with responsive management of budgets and cost controls
• Oversee the complete business operation, maximising profitable sales and growth while creating a unique customer‑focused environment
• Lead the creation of a great place to work for everyone on a day‑to‑day basis whilst planning your team’s development journey with Dobbies
• Spark your team's passion for delivering the best customer experience possible by creating a brilliant customer journey
• Observe your team's service levels, identify ways they can improve and coach them to improve
• Work closely with our central support teams, maintaining excellent communication, stock supply and response
• Ensure all compliance with health & safety regulations, whilst caring for employee and customer welfare at all times

Qualifications

• Retail management expertise with proven experience of leading multiple direct reports and their teams
• Commercial awareness and understanding of budgets, profitability from driving retail sales and improved ways of working
• Ability to identify training needs; effectively coach and train all levels to deliver a first‑class customer experience
• Excellent communication skills; share successful initiatives and actions across the business and monitor performance
• Adaptability; act quickly and enthusiastically to changing priority, workload and concepts
• Positivity when managing change; lead the team through each season with care and motivation to deliver best
• Can demonstrate our values at all times – we’re one team, getting better every day. We bring a smile. We live and breathe gardens. We make it work for our customers

About Dobbies

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through our own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. We champion garden living all‑year‑round. Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment. We also offer a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together, and we have a national charity partner that both our colleagues and customers raise money for. We’re committed to being a great place to work, encouraging our colleagues to be the best version of themselves every day and to share their wins and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement – use your holidays when you want, with limited statutory days off required
• Uncapped discount across our stores: 50% off in our restaurants, 25% off in the Garden Centre and 10% off in our food halls
• Access to Stream – support your financial wellbeing, with the ability to access earnings ahead of payday, save for the future and receive financial advice
• Access to Retail Trust – confidential support, a virtual GP, free counselling services and discounted retail rewards via our employee wellbeing platform
• Access to Dobbies Academy – continue your development with our eLearning platform and development programmes
• Thriving culture; the Dobbies team are passionate, diverse and committed to making it work for our customers