Head of Trading

The Air Ambulance Service; Rugby; 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 discounts

Supportive team

Employee Assistance Programme

EDI network involvement

Job summary

The Air Ambulance Service is seeking an experienced Head of Trading to provide strategic and operational leadership across our Trading function, including retail, property and facilities. This senior role drives commercial performance, growth and sustainable income to support lifesaving work.

Based at Field Base with travel across the UK, the role leads Area Managers and senior property leadership, shapes budgets and business plans, and champions engagement and continuous improvement across a

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.
• 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.
• Ability to move between strategic thinking and hands-on delivery.
• Commitment to lifesaving purpose; experience in charity retail or property portfolios is advantageous.
• Full UK driving licence with regular travel; weekend/Bank Holiday and some evening work may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across our retail, property and facilities functions.
• Lead and develop Area Managers and senior Property leadership to create high-performing teams.
• Drive retail performance across our estate, including sales, donation income and profitability.
• Use insight and performance data to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Oversee property portfolio activities including acquisitions, disposals, leases and major maintenance.
• Ensure properties are safe, compliant, and commercially effective.
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts and business plans to meet income and profit targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and return across trading activities.
• Champion employees and volunteers, supporting engagement, development and succession planning.
• Collaborate across the charity and contribute to wider strategy as a senior leader.

Skills

Senior leadership

Commercial acumen

People leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Change management

Driving licence

Job description

Head of Trading

Join Our Lifesaving Team

Head of Trading

Location: Field Base with travel to sites across the UK

Hours: 37.5 hpw

Job Description: Head of Trading JD

Benefits Summary: TAAS Benefits Summary

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

• 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.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an experienced leader who combines strong commercial instincts with excellent people leadership and strategic thinking.

• 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.

What's In It For You

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

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

You are expected and encouraged to raise and escape appropriately any potential breaches or areas for improvement regarding the above.

The role is subject to a Basic DBS check

Environment

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.