Vacancy Introduction

We're thrilled to announce plans for our first Hertfordshire Food store in Bishop's Stortford!

This brand-new location, situated conveniently opposite the train station, is due to open its doors this summer, offering the local community and commuters a prime spot to experience quality products and exceptional customer service.

To lead this exciting venture, we're seeking a driven Branch Manager who thrives in a dynamic retail environment. This pivotal role demands a leader who can build a high-performing team, foster a collaborative environment, and ensure exceptional customer service. You'll champion legal compliance and embrace the fast-paced retail landscape, all while guiding your team to achieve their full potential.

If you're a results-oriented leader with a passion for retail success, we invite you to explore this exciting opportunity and be part of our growing food retail story.

Role Responsibility

• Lead and support the branch team
• Ensure that the branch delivers exceptional standards and customer service
• Growing the branch's turnover and profitability (e.g. managing costs, including personnel)
• Make sure that the branch is operating safe and legally (including acting as the DPS)
• Establish the branch as the convenience retailer trusted most by its local community
• Build relationships with other stores, customers and Head Office/support colleagues
• Promoting membership

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience of working and managing in a food retail or customer service environment
• Great interpersonal skills, able to effectively communicate with stakeholders at all levels
• Commercially astute
• A confident decision-maker
• Driven, determined and resilient
• Good level of literacy, numeracy and IT literacy
• Self-aware, with commitment to continued professional and personal development

Package Description

What’s in it for you

At the East of England Co-op, we strive to be the best place to work. We invest in our colleagues to help them to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential. How do we do this?  

• Competitive rates of pay
• 20% discount in our food stores, along with other discounts across our family of businesses
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holiday entitlement) which increases with service
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Death in service benefit
• Access to our colleague communications app, The Loop
• Enhanced* family leave and pay arrangements
• Opportunities to grow, with award-winning training and apprenticeship programmes
• Great deals and discounts across 100’s of high street and online retailers
• Financial wellbeing support, including Wagestream®

Check out the detail of all our colleague benefits here.

* Enhanced on statutory terms, subject to service criteria.

We recognise the challenges people face trying to balance commitments both in and out of the workplace -  perhaps studying, caring commitments, or other employment. We therefore aim to be as flexible as possible, to create shift patterns that work for both our co-op and our colleagues.

About the Company

The East of England Co-op is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia, with over 230 stores and branches across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Owned by over 260,000 members – including our colleagues – our vision is to be the most valued organisation in our region, by being a better kind of business and using our profit to make a positive impact on our communities.

Our Community Cares Fund provides hundreds of thousands of pounds to support groups and good causes, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing, food justice for all and creating community spaces. 

With a focus on environmental sustainability, we’re proud to have led the way on reducing food waste, being the first major retailer to sell food past its Best Before date for just 10p. 

At the East of England Co-op, we strive to be the best place to work. We invest in our colleagues to help them to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential, whether in food retail, funeral services, property investment, travel, security, stonemasonry, events, or our support functions. 

Find out more at www.eastofengland.coop

Our Recruitment Process

If this is the job for you, simply click ‘apply’. You will be required to register a profile on our careers page. To do this simply click apply. The good news is you’ll only have to register once – after this, it’ll be easier and quicker to apply for any roles in the future too.

Please note that our working patterns are non-contractual. The advertised working pattern represents the normal working pattern for the role at time of advertisement and is subject to change.

East of England Co-op