AddressWith our previous manager taking on another role within the business, an opportunity has arise for a new Retail Operations Manager to guide our team across our two retail stores.
Your role
People are a huge focus for us - both our guests and our team. Therefore, we expect our Retail Operations Manager to ensure we are honouring our guests in everything we do; providing exemplary customer serving and maintaining our standards to ensure an unforgettable experience upon each visit. You will also be responsible for the welfare of your team, their development and any recruitment needs.
What we can offer
- A positive workplace environment with opportunities to develop both personally and professionally.
- Stay in shape with our complimentary use of our gym and wellbeing classes
- Look after your wellbeing with complimentary access to our Spa and swimming pools and our exclusive benefit of 50% of Spa Treatments.
- Enjoy shopping in both our shops on estate and online with 30% discount for all our colleagues and free delivery for any online purchases.
- Discover exclusive perks with our Discounted hotel stays for staff, accompanied by a fantastic 30% discount at our restaurants.
- The opportunity to ensure your views are heard and shape the future of the business via our Employee Engine Room.
- Complimentary garden membership for the Newt and our partner gardens including the Eden Project, Kew Gardens and The Lost Gardens of Heligan
- Complimentary meal whilst on shift, created using fresh produce from our estate by our dedicated staff food chefs
- We value your hard work and recognise your achievements through our colleague recognition programme “Newt Awards” with the opportunity to achieve a variety of amazing rewards including a complimentary Hotel Stay.
- Support from our Employee Assistance Programme for both yourself and your family
- A team that knows how to have fun with regular team engagement activities including monthly Gather and Grow Motivational Speakers and our regular fun squad events, which include activities such as Go-Karting and Wine Tasting, to name but a few.
- Up to 30 days annual leave each year for our full-time team
- Assisting the category managers with the alignment of the product offer and pricing across all channels including ecommerce.
- Responsible for maintaining the product display according to VM guidelines, actively promoting seasonal product ranges and flagging opportunity for point of sale information where necessary.
- Manage stock rotation and counts, waste, samples, till discrepancies and complaints.
- Ensure HACCP, Food Safety and Health & Safety policies are followed.
- Owning the quality process from delivery to store, and then continuing spot checks through the product lifecycle in both retail shops.
- Creating a strategy to ensure that all customers get the freshest possible produce, minimising waste, monitoring slow sellers and implementing mark down strategy to clear stock.
- Working with the merchandising department to keep up to date with rate of sales across all channels, improving productivity and profitability.
- Working in a flexible way to support changing trends and seasonal opportunities.
- Maintaining a keen interest in product and understanding our competition.
- Understanding the need for clear and accurate data, maintaining all systems and following our retail processes.
- Working with the operations team to optimise space and inventory management.
- 5+ years experience of managing within a high-end independent retailer or hospitality venue
- Strong communicator: ability to listen and convey complex issues concisely and accurately
- Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to build productive working relationships and influence others across the business
- Excellent analytical skills: ability to assess problems thoroughly and drive logical conclusions
- Confident: comfortable interacting with key stakeholders without diluting unpleasant news or well-reasoned analysis
- Assertive: readiness to challenge teams to take remedial action when required
- Credible: ability to demonstrate understanding of product processes in order to work with various stakeholders throughout the estate
- Commercial: good understanding of the market, the competition, product value, pricing strategy and margins
- Passionate: Interested in product and driven by desire for The Newt to be best in class
- Organised: highly organised and rigorous with the ability to manage multiple projects at pace
- Appreciation and understanding of the critical business functions contributing to the product process, including Production, Creative, Finance and Operations
- Continuous Excel training is required
Our bricks and mortar shops are an integral part of the member experience when visiting the newt, a high-end retail experience specialising in the sales of our own products – as well as celebrating local craftsmen and suppliers.
The Farm Shop specialises in the sales of our own products with a particular focus on cyder, cheese, and bakery items. We also have a walk-in cheese room with the finest British cheeses, a butchery counter with its own Himalayan pink salt wall for ageing meats, and freshly harvested vegetables from our fields.
Our House & Garden Shop boasts produce a wide selection of fine living items from our own scented range, to a wide range of products sourced from local artisan suppliers as well as our friends in Babylonstoren and Vignamaggio.
The Creamery, opening later this year, will offer a high-end retail experience and will specialise in the sale of our own Farm Shop products with a few special items from our House and Garden range.
Who are we? - The Newt in Somerset
Nestled within an expanse of rolling fields and steeped in ancient history, our luxury country estate stands as a haven of refined elegance, inviting guests to explore acres of captivating gardens, meandering pathways, and enriching exhibitions - accessible 364 days a year for our members. Our hotel extends a warm welcome, offering a home-away-from-home experience where impeccable service flourishes in an ambiance of unassuming sophistication. Beyond the estate, the Newt's essence remains tangible, with our Ecommerce teams delivering our finest products to homes, while media and membership endeavours keep them informed of our latest developments. Behind the scenes, a tapestry of talented teams - from Housekeeping to HR, Finance to Farming - collaborates harmoniously, crafting an unforgettable journey of growth, development, and innovation, where every contribution creates unparalleled experiences.
