Head of Trading

The Air Ambulance Service; Kilsby; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced annual leave

Annual leave purchase options

Enhanced sick pay

Life assurance

Blue Light Card eligibility

Employee Assistance Programme

EDI networks

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

The Air Ambulance Service is seeking an experienced Head of Trading to provide strategic and operational leadership across our Trading function, driving sustainable income and profitability while supporting our lifesaving mission.

You will shape our Trading Strategy in partnership with the Trading Director, oversee retail, property and facilities, and lead senior teams across a distributed operation. A strong track record in charity retail and property management is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Significant senior management experience within a multi-site retail, commercial or trading environment.
• Proven track record of delivering commercial growth and achieving financial targets.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and managing senior operational leaders.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across our retail, property and facilities functions.
• Lead and develop Area Managers and senior Property leadership, creating high-performing teams.
• Drive retail performance across our estate, improving sales, donation income, Gift Aid and profitability.
• Use insight and performance data to identify opportunities for growth, innovation and operational improvement.
• Oversee property portfolio including acquisitions, disposals, lease negotiations, relocations and major maintenance programmes.
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts and business plans delivering income, expenditure and profit targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and commercial return across trading activities.
• Champion employees and volunteers, supporting engagement, development and succession planning.

Skills

Senior leadership

Retail management

Trading

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Property/Facilities management

Data analysis

Job description

We're on the lookout for an experienced and commercially focused Head of Trading to provide strategic and operational leadership across our Trading function. This is a key senior leadership role with responsibility for driving the performance and sustainable growth of our retail operation, alongside leading our Property and Facilities function. You'll ensure our trading activities deliver strong commercial returns while supporting the charity's wider objectives and lifesaving mission. If you're looking for more than a job, motivated by purpose and ready to make a real impact in an organisation committed to saving lives every day, then this may be the opportunity you've been waiting for!

What We Offer

• Enhanced annual leave, with even more added as your service grows
• Additional annual leave purchase options
• Enhanced sick pay
• Life assurance
• Blue Light Card eligibility and access to generous discount schemes
• A supportive, purpose-driven team
• Access to our comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, our people are encouraged to get involved in our internal EDI networks, providing opportunities to connect, share experiences and help shape a more inclusive workplace.

What You'll Be Doing

As Head of Trading, you'll work closely with the Trading Director to shape and deliver our Trading Strategy, maximising sustainable income and profitability while ensuring a consistently high-performing operation.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across our retail, property and facilities functions.
• Lead and develop our Area Managers and senior Property leadership, creating high-performing and engaged teams.
• Drive retail performance across our estate, improving sales, donation income, Gift Aid and profitability.
• Use insight and performance data to identify opportunities for growth, innovation and operational improvement.
• Oversee our property portfolio, including acquisitions, disposals, lease negotiations, relocations, refurbishments and major maintenance programmes.
• Ensure our properties are safe, compliant, commercially effective and fit for purpose.
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts and business plans, delivering agreed income, expenditure and profit targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and commercial return across our trading activities.
• Champion our employees and volunteers, supporting engagement, development, succession planning and continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively across the charity and contribute to wider organisational strategy as a senior leader.

You'll Bring

• Significant senior management experience within a multi-site retail, commercial or trading environment.
• A proven track record of delivering commercial growth and achieving financial targets.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and managing senior operational leaders.
• Experience overseeing property, estates, facilities or asset management activities.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including budget setting, forecasting and interpreting performance data.
• Experience of leading change and embedding continuous improvement.
• Excellent leadership, communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to move confidently between strategic thinking and hands‑on operational delivery.
• A collaborative, proactive and solution-focused approach, with a genuine commitment to our lifesaving purpose.

Experience within charity retail, including knowledge of Gift Aid, and experience of managing property portfolios and lease negotiations would be advantageous. A full UK driving licence is required, with regular travel across the charity's operational area. Weekend and Bank Holiday working will also be required on a rota basis, alongside occasional evening working to meet business needs.

At TAAS

At TAAS, you'll be part of a passionate and committed charity that's making a real difference every day. We value professionalism, compassion and teamwork, and we're proud of our inclusive, supportive culture. In this role, you won't just be leading a commercial operation. You'll be helping ensure our trading activities generate the sustainable income needed to support our lifesaving work.

Compliance Responsibilities

As a manager, in addition to specific compliance requirements within your area of expertise, you also hold responsibility within your team for:

• Health & Safety and Environment
• Safeguarding
• Data Protection
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Quality

You are expected and encouraged to raise and escalate appropriately any potential breaches or areas for improvement regarding the above. The role is subject to a Basic DBS check. TAAS is an inclusive working environment where Equality, Diversity and Human Rights are guiding principles. Individuals are respected and the value of having a diverse workforce is recognised. The recruitment, employment and development of people are based on qualifications, experience and competency to do the job, eliminating personal bias or prejudice. As an organisation, TAAS is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults involved in any of our activities. Our commitment applies to all acting on our behalf, including employees, contractors, volunteers, supporters, patients, donors and visitors, meaning that everyone has a responsibility towards safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom they have contact. Any new staff joining the organisation will need to be committed to safeguarding, complete relevant safeguarding training and report any concerns they may have. TAAS operates a safer recruitment process as part of our Safeguarding Policy, which includes identifying and rejecting anyone who may be a risk to vulnerable people. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the stated closing date should the hiring manager deem there to be enough suitable applicants. We are currently recruiting for this role directly and do not require agency assistance at this time.