Regional Charity Retail Manager

Veterans at Ease; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly rate

Staff discount

Company pension

Annual leave 20 days + bank holidays

Professional development

Support Armed Forces community

Job summary

Veterans at Ease seeks a dynamic Regional Charity Retail Manager to oversee nine stores across the North East and East/South East, with base flexibility in Gateshead or King’s Lynn and regular regional travel.

You will lead Store Managers and volunteers, manage budgets, ensure visual standards, and drive profitability while delivering excellent customer experiences to fund mental health services.

Qualifications

• Experience leading regional or multi-site charity retail operations.
• Track record of coaching store managers and volunteers.
• Excellent communication and community engagement skills.
• Full UK driving license and willingness to travel regularly.

Responsibilities

• Drive regional performance against targets and budgets.
• Lead, train and mentor Store Managers and volunteer teams.
• Maintain visual merchandising, stock control and store presentation.
• Ensure policy, financial, and health and safety compliance.
• Analyse sales trends and opportunities to grow revenue.

Skills

Retail leadership

People management

Communication

Mobility

Job description

Location: Multi-site role covering region from Blyth (North) to Norwich (South) (Regular travel required)

Primary Work Base: Flexible — Gateshead or King’s Lynn premises (Gateshead preferred but open to discussion)

About the Role

Are you a dynamic Regional Charity Retail Manager with a proven track record of driving commercial

performance, leading high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional customer experiences?

Veterans at Ease is seeking an energetic and commercially minded Regional Charity Retail Manager to oversee, inspire, and grow our retail footprint. Managing a portfolio of 9 stores, North East (6 locations) and East/South East (3 locations), you will hold overall operational accountability for store performance, financial success, and brand standards across the region.

Working closely with Store Managers, you will maximise profitability, ensure visual and operational consistency, and foster a positive, supportive team culture that directly contributes to funding our vital mental health support services.

Key Responsibilities

• Performance & Sales Leadership: Drive regional performance against targets, KPIs, and operational budgets to maximise charity revenue.
• Team Development & Mentorship: Recruit, train, and mentor Store Managers to build robust succession plans, support volunteer teams, and foster high engagement.
• Operational Excellence: Maintain exemplary standards of visual merchandising, stock control, inventory turnover, and store presentation across all sites.
• Compliance & Governance: Conduct regular store audits to ensure full compliance with organisational policies, financial procedures, and Health & Safety regulations.
• Commercial Strategy: Analyse sales trends, donation throughput, and customer insights to identify local commercial opportunities and execute effective store initiatives.

What We Are Looking For

• Retail Leadership: Proven experience as a Regional, Multi-Site, or Area Manager which is essential that this is within the charity retail sector with a minimum of 3 years experience.
• People Management: A proven track record of coaching, empowering, and developing store managers and volunteer teams.
• Communication & Engagement: Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships with internal teams, volunteers, and local communities.
• Mobility & Flexibility: A full UK driving license and a willingness to travel regularly across the assigned regional network.

What We Offer

• Competitive hourly rate with performance-aligned incentives
• Staff discount on retail items
• Company pension scheme enrolment
• Generous annual leave entitlement 20 days, plus public bank holidays
• Professional development, training, and career progression opportunities
• A supportive, purpose-driven working environment supporting Armed Forces personnel and their families

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and proudly support the Armed Forces community through our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for eligible applicants.