Department Manager – Bristol

About the role

A Department Manager position in Bristol, within the retail sector, leads a department or defined business area and creates a positive environment for colleagues and customers. The role supports, coaches and develops store colleagues to deliver service centred on customers, with strong store standards and engaged teams.

Key responsibilities

• Support the Store Manager in leading, coaching and developing a high-performing, engaged team.
• Deliver exceptional customer experiences that encourage loyalty and repeat visits, and provide excellent customer service, including handling inquiries and complaints.
• Develop store teams through an internal development programme, covering hiring, onboarding and training of new employees.
• Help maintain a safe and compliant store environment and manage day-to-day operations, including opening and closing procedures.
• Support cash management, such as processing transactions and reconciling tills.
• Contribute to financial results in line with or exceeding company targets, and act as point of contact for colleagues in the manager's absence.

Role objectives and KPIs

• Contribute to achieving or exceeding the store's monthly sales target.
• Drive additional KPIs such as units, conversion, ATV and UPT, and achieve upselling or cross-selling targets.
• Maintain a high customer metric score and ensure stock accuracy during store audits.
• Ensure all new colleagues complete mandatory training and that engagement survey results meet or exceed company benchmarks.
• Assist in keeping operational costs within the allocated budget.

Required profile

• Experience leading, coaching and developing colleagues in a retail or customer-focused environment.
• Ability to prioritise and delegate workload to achieve team goals.
• Experience supporting business growth through customer engagement, local activity or community initiatives.
• Strong communication, coaching and mentoring skills, with a plan-do-review approach and resilience under pressure.

Required skills

• Strong understanding of retail KPIs and commercial performance measures.
• Knowledge of local market trends, competitor activity and local community growth opportunities.
• Ability to improve store performance and standards through effective planning.