Convenience Operations Manager

Job Description

As a Convenience Operations Manager, you are responsible for the continuous improvement of all Convenience and Post Office operations, including commerciality, our customers and their communities, our colleagues, and safe and legal routines. You will drive successful improvement plans across stores, holding Store Managers accountable to deliver change programmes and execution that lands right first time. By maintaining a strong presence in the region, you will improve Store Manager leadership capability by coaching, challenging, and influencing management teams to drive great standards through efficient ways of working.

This role is accountable for the successful delivery of execution plans and projects in circa 20-35 stores with approximately £1m weekly takings. You will lead a team of Store Managers collaborating cross-functionally with Central Support, People Services, and wider Hilmore stakeholders to ensure optimum operational focus and profitability.

This role is a remote role, where you will be travelling to the stores within your area 5 days a week.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and landing change programmes and retail execution to ensure they are well-planned and successful.

• Improving Store Manager leadership capability by coaching, challenging, and influencing management teams.

• Using customer insight and data sets to identify improvement opportunities at an area and store level, driving changes to increase sales and reduce complaints.

• Ensuring stores are safe and legal, creating and following up on plans where non-conformance is identified.

• Owning the regional talent and succession plan to ensure a future pipeline of Store Managers and minimise vacancies.

• Driving continuous improvement of all colleague management metrics, including absence, holidays, and labour controls.

• Building strong relations with the Support Office and wider stakeholders to remove barriers and simplify ways of working.

• Working strategically to plan weekly, periodically, and up to 2 years ahead for the Area.

• Driving quantifiable improvements on all cost lines to ensure budgets are delivered at both Store and Area levels.

• Continually growing sales, engaging, inspiring, and coaching store management teams to deliver exceptional standards.

About you

For this role, we’re looking for someone who has:

• Substantial retail and operational expertise across the convenience sector, with both field and remote management experience.

• Strong commercial acumen to develop operational improvement plans and a sound awareness of local competitor activity.

• A proven history of delivering significant improvement plans across Sales, Operations, Colleague, Costs, and Customer Service.

• Exemplary communication and influencing skills with experience in presenting to senior stakeholders.

• Strong coaching skills and the ability to translate a strategic plan into an achievable action plan.

• Proven ability to plan and lead substantial change projects with well-developed influencing skills.

• The ability to generate innovative ideas and drive performance improvement across the region.

• Significant experience as both a Store Manager and Area Manager (Essential).

• A proven record of delivering sales targets and managing cost controls.

• Computer literacy and the ability to manage extensive travel requirements.

This role is open exclusively to internal colleagues who have been formally placed under consultation. Applications from other colleagues will not be considered at this stage.

While we are committed to supporting colleagues during this period, applicants will still be required to demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the selection process.

Selection Criteria:

Candidates for this role must have previous Area Manager experience or have served as a Store Manager at WL4 or above. In addition, at least one of the following three criteria must be met:

• Achieved at either a 2:3, 3:2 or 3:3 in their most recent performance review

• Have already completed (or be currently enrolled in) Leadership School at work level 5

• Have previously been in a role at work level 5.

All applicants currently in a work level 5 role will be considered.

All colleagues who meet the above criteria will be invited to interview.

Interview Process:

For Work Level 5 or above colleagues

Candidates applying for this role will complete an interview following the structure below:

• Pre-prepared SWOT focusing on Convenience

• 3 competency questions based on our ways of working

Interview duration: 1 hour

Promotions

Candidates applying who aren’t currently a Work Level 5 colleague will complete a Leadership School Assessment as part of the same interview, which follows the structure below:

• Pre-prepared SWOT focusing on Convenience

• Pre-prepared Presentation on personal development

• 3 competency questions based on our ways of working