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Mencap; Kingston upon Thames; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days holiday

Discounts at high‑street retailers

Health cash plans

Job summary

Mencap is seeking an Area Business Manager to lead expansion from five to fifteen charity shops in Surrey. Based in Kingston upon Thames, you will recruit, develop and inspire shop teams, uphold merchandising standards and drive commercial performance across multiple stores.

The role requires travel between sites, a valid driving license, and strong leadership of Shop Managers, Van Drivers and Volunteers. This is a full-time, field-based position within Mencap's Retail management team.

Qualifications

• Experience in charity retail management is preferred.
• Substantial leadership experience and ability to motivate and influence teams.
• Strong communication and organisational skills, with ability to prioritise a busy day.

Responsibilities

• Research potential sites and lead the setup and onboarding of new stores; travel will be required.
• Manage current stores to optimise sales and maintain standards.
• Provide leadership, development and wellbeing support for Shop Managers, Van Drivers and Volunteers.
• Maximise income across stores and manage expenses to hit budgets.

Skills

Retail management

Leadership

Communication

Recruitment

Job description

Area Business Manager (ABM) Surrey

Company: Mencap

Salary: £38,798 to £38,798 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Kingston upon Thames, KT1

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 30 Sept 2026

Closing date: 29 Oct 2026

Are you a highly motivated, positive and commercially focused retailer, with experience of Charity Retail Management? You will work autonomously, making your own decisions, but also be part of a welcoming and committed Retail field team.

We are looking for an Area Business Manager (ABM) to join our team to support and deliver expansion from 5 to 15 stores in a newly created Area in Surrey. There is travel required in this role to visit the shops; therefore, we require someone who holds a driver’s license.

Mencap stores are the face of our Retail brand, run by a dedicated, creative, and passionate team. Focusing on sustainable fashion, engaging with local communities and leading our store colleagues and volunteers to deliver a great colleague and customer experience. Experience of the Charity Retail sector would be a bonus but more importantly you will have fantastic people skills, and the drive and tenacity to succeed at everything you do.

Your role

As an Area Business Manager, you will be needed to support researching potential sites, and deliver the setting up, opening and on boarding of our new stores, which includes travel, and a driver’s license is essential. You will also manage the current five stores supporting in optimising sales and maintaining standards.

You’ll provide great leadership, inspiration and support to help our team be the very best they can be. You will develop your team to deliver commercial success and be passionate ambassadors for Mencap within the local communities.

Do you have experience or skills in the following areas as well as a great attitude and willingness to learn?

• You’ll love retail, enjoy the high street experience and be confident in maintaining high merchandising standards in your shops.
• You will have a keen interest in 'Reloved' fashion and understanding of all the product types we sell
• You will be able to understand the value of our stock identifying commercial sales opportunities on your area.

Do you have the experience to be our next Area Business Manager?

• You’ll have substantial leadership experience and will strive to motivate, inspire and influence your team to be the very best they can be.
• You will need to have strong distance management skills, be an effective communicator and be able to organise and prioritise a busy working day.
• You will also play a vital role in the recruitment, development and wellbeing of our Shop Managers, Assistant Shop Managers, Van Drivers and Volunteers.
• Be confident in maximising income from the five stores, and eventually 15 stores, managing expenses to achieve the agreed net budget, and ensuring opening targets are met

Teamwork

• You will work as part of the Retail management team and will encourage strong teamwork within your shops.
• We will help you to become confident in talking about the important work of Mencap.

This is not an exhaustive list of the role and its requirements, please look at the job description.

This role close on 11 October 2026 there will be a 2-stage interview process, with the first interview being held in October shortly after the vacancy closes.

At Mencap we're committed to making the UK the best place for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. You’ll be part of a values-driven organisation that is brave, kind, inclusive, positive and passionate!

JOB ID: 36913

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high‑street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live their lives to the full. We campaign for a fairer society. We work with families and partners to build inclusive communities. And we deliver the services people need to live their lives.

Everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

- Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.

- Every day we grow and learn. It's okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes.

- Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long term health conditions, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.