Multi-Site Store Operations Leader

WHSmith Travel; Metchley; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Job summary

WHSmith Travel is seeking a Store Operations Manager to drive operational excellence across our airport stores, leading teams and delivering a world-class customer experience. You will own daily operations, coaching store managers, embedding a high-performance culture, and ensuring consistency across formats.

You will shape people strategy, manage budgets, monitor performance, and partner with commercial teams to maximise sales while maintaining safety and compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large teams in retail or hospitality.
• Proven ability to drive sales and improve KPIs.
• Strong communication and coaching skills.

Responsibilities

• Shaping and influencing the People Strategy to drive performance.
• Inspiring and leading Store Managers through coaching and empowerment.
• Owning and delivering a robust talent strategy with cross-functional collaboration.
• Driving a culture of commercial excellence and maximising sales.
• Collaborating with commercial teams to shape future sales strategies.
• Owning customer selling strategy and improving the customer journey.
• Ensuring safe and compliant operations with support functions.
• Monitoring performance against targets and SLAs with partners.
• Managing costs and shaping annual budgets to maximise profit.
• Regularly updating leaders on operational performance and risks.
• Analysing data to inform actions and reporting practices.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Customer experience

Commercial acumen

Job description

WHSmith Travel is seeking a Store Operations Manager to drive operational excellence across our airport stores, leading teams and delivering a world-class customer experience. You will own daily operations, coaching store managers, embedding a high-performance culture, and ensuring consistency across formats.

You will shape people strategy, manage budgets, monitor performance, and partner with commercial teams to maximise sales while maintaining safety and compliance.