General Manager – Horkans Garden Centre Group | Multi-Site Retail & Operations

Horkans Group; Castlebar; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Supportive work environment

Job summary

Horkans Group is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead our Garden Centres business across Castlebar and wider West of Ireland, including Galway, Sligo and ecommerce. You will report to the CEO and guide day-to-day commercial and operational performance, while expanding management capability and customer experience.

The role emphasizes transforming Castlebar into a premier experiential retail, garden, lifestyle and hospitality destination, growing sales, margins and EBITDA, and building

Qualifications

• Significant multi-site retail leadership experience.
• Strong P&L and budgeting responsibility.
• Experience leading managers and building high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of sales, gross margin, labour and stock.
• Experience using retail systems, KPIs and management reporting.
• Track record of improving commercial and operational performance.
• Ability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

Responsibilities

• Grow sales, margin and EBITDA across the business.
• Build a strong leadership culture that develops people and accountability.
• Raise retail, merchandising, stock performance and customer-experience standards.
• Lead the strategic transformation of Horkans Castlebar into a premier experiential destination.
• Build strategic supplier alliances to strengthen competitive advantage.

Skills

Multi-site leadership

P&L budgeting

Leadership of managers

Sales & margins

Retail KPIs

Operational improvement

Strategic execution

Job description

We are looking for an experienced retail leader to take operational responsibility for our Garden & Lifestyle business across Castlebar, Galway, Sligo and ecommerce.

This is a rare opportunity to join an established Irish family business at an important stage of growth.

Our flagship 10-acre Castlebar site at Turlough is evolving from a traditional garden centre into a major Garden, Lifestyle, Retail, Food and Experience Destination for the West of Ireland, combining Horkans retail with 7 national concessions, hospitality and experiential retail.

The successful General Manager will work directly with the CEO and member of senior management team, taking responsibility for the day-to-day commercial and operational performance of Horkans Garden Centres while helping build the management capability, category range and customer experience required for the next stage of growth. They act as Manager of our Castlebar flagship centre while leading the wider Garden Centre Group.

What success looks like

You will be expected to:

• Grow sales, margin and EBITDA across the business.
• Build a strong leadership culture that develops people, strengthens accountability and improves performance.
• Raise retail, merchandising, stock performance and customer-experience standards and outputs.
• Lead the strategic transformation of Horkans Castlebar into the West of Ireland's premier experiential retail, garden, lifestyle, food, wellness event, and lifestyle destination.
• Build strategic supplier alliances and partnerships that strengthens Horkans' competitive advantage

In this role, you will curate a distinctive, experience-led platform—seamlessly integrating retail, wellness, events, and hospitality to drive footfall, extend customer dwell time, and continue building Horkan's long-term brand loyalty.

The existing Horkans role identifies operational transformation, customer experience, cost control, margin improvement, omnichannel integration, inventory optimisation and leadership development as core priorities.

About you

We are looking for a proven retail operator who has:

• Significant multi-site retail leadership experience.
• Strong P&L and budgeting responsibility.
• Experience leading managers and building high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of sales, gross margin, labour and stock.
• Experience using retail systems, KPIs and management reporting.
• A track record of improving commercial and operational performance.
• The ability to combine strategic thinking with hands‑on execution.

Experience in garden centres, DIY, home improvement, lifestyle retail, grocery, department stores or hospitality‑led retail would be particularly relevant.

Horticultural experience is beneficial but not essential.

Why Horkans?

You will join an established Irish retail business with:

• A flagship Castlebar destination with significant expansion potential.
• A growing portfolio of national retail concessions.
• A strong regional brand and customer base.
• Directly working with the CEO and genuine influence over the future direction of the business.

The Castlebar business is strategically positioned on the N5 beside the National Museum of Country Life and Mayo Greenway and is already drawing customers from across the West of Ireland.

Lead the business today. Build the operating platform for tomorrow. Help shape one of the West of Ireland's most ambitious retail and lifestyle destinations.

Please note candidates will need a minimum of 5 years in a retail management role

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• A supportive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment
• The opportunity to shape and be part of the future of one of Horkans Garden Centre Group

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