Retail Operations & Facilities Manager

Fight for Sight; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Fight for Sight is seeking a Retail Operations & Facilities Manager to oversee the charity’s network of shops, ensuring safe, compliant and efficient operations across the retail estate. The role reports to the Head of Retail and works with the Area Manager and volunteers to implement policy and maintain high standards.

The position is a 35-hour week on a 12-month fixed-term contract with four shop days and one day from home, offering opportunities to drive improvements in retail procedures,

Responsibilities

• Lead health, safety and compliance across all shops with risk assessments and records.
• Establish and monitor retail financial control procedures and cash handling.
• Coordinate retail rota planning, payroll inputs and workforce administration.
• Own operational communications and updates across the shop estate.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and process improvements.
• Provide guidance on operational standards and drive improvements through audits and actions.

Job description

Retail Operations & Facilities Manager

12 month fixed-term contract

Job description and person specification

Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight. In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:

Can this be stopped?

How will I live my life?

Currently, research into preventing and treating sight loss is chronically underfunded, receiving a mere 1.2% of publicly funded health research grants: people who are blind or vision impaired are three times more likely to experience loneliness and isolation than the general population.

We find and fund the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight.

Our researchers are at the forefront, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will prevent, treat and cure eye disease.

The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people.

We are Fight for Sight: we won't stop until we: Save Sight. Change Lives.

We have a clear ambition and have the support of well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors. We are now looking for experienced, committed, and creative individuals to join our dynamic team to help realise a new five-year growth strategy. If you want to be part of something impactful, we'd love to hear from you.

The Retail Operations & Facilities Manager will form an integral part of our Retail team, working closely with the Area Manager and Head of Retail.

Responsible to

Head of Retail

Direct reports

None

Working hours and contract

35h per week, 12 month fixed-term contract

Salary

£30.000 - £35.000

Location

Four days per week in our shops, and one day from home

Closing date for applications

5pm, Wednesday, 4th November

Important note

All applicants must have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we do not have a sponsoring license for non-UK employees which means that if you do not have a current, valid UK working permit, please do not apply, as we will not be able to consider your application.

Purpose of Job

To ensure the charity's 12 shops operate safely, consistently, efficiently and in accordance with relevant legislation, organisational policies and operational standards.

The Retail Operations & Compliance Manager will lead the development, implementation and monitoring of retail procedures, compliance frameworks, financial controls and workforce administration processes. The role will provide clear systems, guidance and oversight to enable Shop Managers to manage their shops effectively and independently.

Working closely with the Head of Retail, Area Manager and Volunteer & Learning Manager, the postholder will identify operational risks, improve processes and establish consistent ways of working across the retail estate.

The role is responsible for ensuring that the right systems, standards and controls are in place. Shop Managers remain responsible for applying these requirements within their own shops.

Main Responsibilities

• A. Health, safety and compliance
  • Lead the monitoring and implementation of health and safety requirements across all shops, ensuring appropriate procedures, risk assessments and records are maintained.
  • Develop and coordinate a risk-based programme of shop inspections and compliance audits.
  • Monitor compliance with fire safety arrangements, manual handling requirements, safe storage, accident reporting and other relevant retail safety requirements.
  • Ensure incidents, hazards and compliance concerns are recorded, escalated and addressed promptly.
  • Maintain oversight of audit findings and corrective action plans, ensuring actions have clear owners, deadlines and evidence of completion.
  • Identify recurring compliance failures and work with Project Manager to implement improvements to prevent reoccurrence.
  • Coordinate with Project Manager regarding new and updated H&S policies, procedures and practices.
• B. Financial controls and cash management
  • Establish, maintain and monitor consistent retail financial control procedures across the shop estate.
  • Oversee procedures relating to cash handling, banking, refunds, financial reconciliations, record-keeping and other relevant retail controls.
  • Work with the Finance team to ensure retail procedures align with financial policies, delegated authority and reporting requirements.
  • Coordinate checks to identify discrepancies, control weaknesses and potential financial risks.
  • Ensure Shop Managers understand their financial control responsibilities and know how to apply the required procedures.
  • Coordinate the investigation and resolution of financial control failures, escalating significant concerns to the Head of Retail and Finance team as appropriate.
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen controls, reduce avoidable errors and improve the accuracy and reliability of shop-level financial information.
• C. Workforce administration: rotas and payroll
  • Establish clear and consistent processes for retail rota planning, approval, recording and monitoring.
  • Ensure rota procedures support agreed opening hours, operational requirements, staffing arrangements and volunteer availability.
  • Monitor the accuracy and completeness of workforce information submitted by Shop Managers.
  • Coordinate the timely submission of payroll inputs in partnership with the central Payroll, Finance and HR teams.
  • Establish clear deadlines and procedures for submitting hours, approved changes, absence information and other required payroll data.
  • Monitor compliance with relevant working-time requirements and organisational policies.
  • Work with the Area Manager to identify workforce planning issues that affect shop operations, stock processing or trading performance.
  • Ensure appropriate authorisation, confidentiality and data-handling arrangements are followed.
  • The role coordinates retail workforce administration processes but does not replace the formal responsibilities of the organization’s Payroll, Finance or HR functions.
• D. Retail Operations communications and operational updates
  • Own the coordination and distribution of operational communications across the shop estate.
  • Establish clear communication channels and a consistent approach to issuing retail updates, instructions and deadlines.
  • Work closely with Senior Retail Management to coordinate communications relating to operational procedures, compliance requirements, systems, policies and changes to working practices.
  • Ensure communications are accurate, timely, clearly prioritised and accessible to Shop Managers.
  • Maintain an appropriate record of key communications and monitor acknowledgement or implementation where required.
• E. Operational procedures and process improvement
  • Lead on end-to-end maintenance processes for the shop estate, coordinating with contractor partnership to resolve the maintenance issues.
  • Ensuring that maintenance spends are aligned with financial budgets.
  • Own the development, maintenance and review of standard operating procedures across the retail estate.
  • Ensure procedures are practical, consistent, current and accessible to Shop Managers and relevant team members.
  • Maintain appropriate document control, including version management, review dates and approval arrangements.
  • Develop standard templates, checklists and guidance to support consistent delivery of routine retail activities.
  • Review existing processes to identify duplication, inefficiency, unclear responsibilities and unnecessary administration.
  • Lead the implementation of agreed operational process improvements and monitor their effectiveness.
  • Work with the Area Manager to ensure operational procedures support efficient stock processing, effective trading and appropriate controls.
  • Work with the Volunteer & Learning Manager to ensure procedures are incorporated into relevant induction and management development resources.
  • Ensure operational changes are communicated effectively and that Shop Managers understand their responsibilities for implementation.
• F. Operational assurance and management support
  • Provide Shop Managers with clear guidance on operational standards, procedures and control requirements.
  • Use audit results, incident reports, control checks and shop visits to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
  • Provide constructive feedback to Shop Managers and agree corrective actions where standards are not being met.
  • Monitor progress against agreed actions and elevate repeated or unresolved failures to the Head of Retail.
  • Identify common capability gaps and work with the Volunteer & Learning Manager to develop appropriate training and coaching interventions.