Retail Manager

Restaurant Associates UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career development programs

Digital GP and broader healthcare

Travel discounts

Retail/food discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness and fitness classes

Friends & family discounts

Job summary

Restaurant Associates UK is seeking an experienced Retail / Catering Manager to lead a high-performing team, drive exceptional customer and client experiences, and own the day-to-day performance of a busy retail outlet.

You will drive operational excellence, manage budgets and costs, ensure food safety and compliance, and develop opportunities to grow revenue while building strong relationships with clients.

Qualifications

• Current Food Hygiene Certificate is required.
• Experience in retail, catering or hospitality environments.
• Experience leading a small team.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness with budget control.
• Good IT skills with sales and cost data.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and stay calm under pressure.
• Self-motivated and adaptable with a proactive approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop a trained team and set standards.
• Oversee day-to-day operation of the retail/catering outlet.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients through regular meetings.
• Deliver contractual and client requirements and communicate changes.
• Monitor customer satisfaction and implement improvements.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales and revenue.
• Manage labour to align with sales and budgets.
• Monitor financial targets and control costs.

Skills

Food safety

Team leadership

Budget management

Client relationship

Communication

IT & data literacy

Organisational skills

Deadline driven

Commercial awareness

Proactivity

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Retail / Catering Manager

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Retail / Catering Manager to lead and develop a high-performing team, deliver an outstanding customer and client experience, and take ownership of the day-to-day performance of a busy retail outlet. You’ll be responsible for driving operational excellence, achieving financial and sales targets, managing costs and budgets, and ensuring the highest standards of service, food safety and compliance. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys leading people, building strong client relationships and finding opportunities to improve performance and grow revenue.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead, motivate and develop a trained and engaged team, ensuring the right skills and standards are in place.
• Take ownership of the day-to-day operation of the retail/catering outlet, ensuring consistently high standards.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients through regular meetings and clear communication.
• Deliver all contractual and client requirements and communicate any changes effectively to your line manager.
• Monitor customer and client satisfaction, developing and delivering action plans where improvements are needed.
• Promote the outlet and identify opportunities to increase sales and revenue, including upselling hospitality and additional services.
• Manage labour effectively, ensuring schedules are aligned to sales and budgets while minimising unnecessary agency and overtime costs.
• Monitor sales, purchasing, gross profit and operating costs to ensure financial targets are achieved.
• Monitor food wastage and take action to minimise waste and control costs.
• Identify new commercial opportunities and work with your line manager to develop them.

What You’ll Need To Succeed

• A current Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Previous experience in a retail, catering or hospitality environment.
• Experience of leading and managing a small team.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness, with the ability to manage budgets and control costs.
• Good IT skills and confidence working with sales, cost and financial information.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with customers, clients and colleagues at all levels.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise effectively.
• The ability to work to tight deadlines and remain calm and effective under pressure.
• A self-motivated and adaptable approach, with the confidence to respond positively to a changing environment.
• A proactive approach to identifying opportunities to improve service, sales and operational performance.
• Industry awareness and a genuine commitment to delivering excellent customer experiences.

Benefits

We ensure you’re rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together. Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/1809/98655001/52834399/SU #RA Group

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!