Reporting To: Retail & People Director Location: Flexible across the UK with regular travel required across the retail network. Expectation to be in Woods Way, Worthing, at least 1 day per week Bird & Blend Tea Co. is an eco-conscious, people-focused, award-winning & B Corp-certified Tea Mixology company on a mission to spread happiness & reimagine tea! Bird & Blend was set up & is run by Krisi & Mike, who met whilst studying Politics (of all things!) at university. Building Bird & Blend from scratch while staying true to their ethos & values has been Krisi & Mike’s passion for over 10 years. From the early days of packing tea in their bedroom & attending markets, to now, with an awesome team, multiple retail stores & a thriving international online store, Bird & Blend is leading the way in tea innovation in the UK. Bird & Blend has grown out of a core belief in doing business in a better way. This is ultimately our why - it’s why we are in business & what we believe in. Of course, we want to welcome as many people as possible into our Magical World of Tea but fundamentally it’s what we care about other than great tea that makes us magical. You can read heaps more information about us and our mission here: https://www.birdandblendtea.com/pages/our-story Overview: The Senior Retail Operations Manager is responsible for driving operational excellence, consistency, and efficiency across the entire retail estate. This role acts as the operational backbone of the business — building scalable systems, governing processes, enabling store teams to perform at their best, and ensuring the retail estate delivers exceptional customer experience and commercial performance. As a senior leader, the position influences strategic decisions, leads continuous improvement initiatives, and provides operational insight to the Retail and People Director and wider leadership team. The role partners closely with Brand, Digital, Merchandising, Logistics, Health & Safety, and Finance to guarantee flawless execution of campaigns, product launches, store operations, and business-critical processes. Key Responsibilities 1. Operational Excellence, Systems & Process Governance Own the operational framework across all stores, ensuring best practice, consistency, and compliance. Lead optimisation of all retail tools and workflows, partnering with cross-functional teams to improve systems and automate manual processes. Maintain strategic oversight of Shopify POS across the estate (product setup, pricing, stock accuracy, staff access, hardware governance). Provide operational insight to support system enhancements and roadmap priorities. Govern adherence to operational processes (event booking, cancellations, EOD, inventory, data entry), using insights to identify training needs or system improvements. Maintain a structured, version-controlled Retail Operations Hub (Drive/Notion/SharePoint). Oversee retail IT systems support, providing guidance on troubleshooting, liaising with the IT team and external partners, and ensuring minimal disruption to store operations. 2. Strategic Planning, Continuous Improvement & Data-Led Optimisation Lead continuous improvement projects across retail (efficiency gains, cost reduction, customer experience, compliance improvements). Identify gaps, inefficiencies or operational risks and partner with relevant teams to deliver solutions. Own operational reporting (weekly, monthly), providing insight on KPIs, compliance, downtime, events, stock accuracy and campaign performance. Use data trends to influence planning, resourcing, system upgrades, and retail strategy. Support the Retail Director with annual operational planning and budgeting for retail operations. 3. Health & Safety, Compliance & Operational Risk Maintain governance of all H&S documentation, including Risk Assessments, Fire Safety, DSE, and compliance logs. Ensure all stores meet regulatory and internal safety standards, escalating risks when required. Govern SoloProtect usage, compliance, activation and reporting. Oversee allergen and ingredient accuracy across all product and campaign updates. Act as key operational escalation point for incidents, emergencies and crisis management. 4. Retail Campaign Delivery & Activation Own operational delivery of all retail campaigns including: Kick-off & briefing Critical path management Shopify updates VM guidelines & window assets Store readiness Conduct launch readiness checks to ensure robust execution across stores. Lead cross-functional campaign planning with Brand, Digital, VM, and Merchandising. Produce strategic, insight-driven Campaign Autopsies covering: KPI & sales performance Operational execution quality Customer insights Event performance Recommendations to stop/start/continue Build repeatable, scalable campaign processes for future growth. 5. Inventory Governance & Stock Integrity Lead the stock integrity strategy across the estate, ensuring accurate stockholding, SKU governance and cycle counts for high-risk products. Develop and enforce strong inventory controls through Shopify. Maintain operational set-up for store-exclusive blends. Partner with Merchandising on stock allocation, shrink reduction and operational efficiencies. 6. New Store Openings – Operational Ownership (Commercial sourcing/contracting retained by Retail & People Director) Lead all operational workstreams for new stores: Shopify POS setup Equipment procurement Operational planning & workflows H&S setup Blend configuration Pre-opening training & readiness Partner with Merchandising on initial allocations & space planning. Provide on-site or remote support to ensure flawless launch execution. Conduct post-opening reviews and refine NSO processes. 7. Vendor, Supplier & Maintenance Management Own relationships with key operational suppliers (POS hardware, printers, maintenance providers, logistics partners). Negotiate favourable terms and manage performance against SLAs. Govern the retail maintenance process, triaging requests, approving spend, and ensuring timely resolution. Maintain a preferred supplier list and evaluate supplier performance annually. 8. Logistics, Deliveries & Returns Oversight Act as senior escalation point for depot issues, delivery failures and stock discrepancies. Ensure DHL returns and reverse logistics processes are efficient and cost-controlled. Oversee Lollipop printing workflows to guarantee timely delivery of VM and window assets. Identify opportunities to streamline logistics or reduce costs. 9. Budget Ownership, Purchasing & Financial Governance Manage operational budgets (supplies, maintenance, equipment). Approve and track retail procurement requests, ensuring value and cost efficiency. Govern travel & accommodation processes, ensuring compliance with safety and cost policies. Partner with Finance to support forecasting, accruals, and cost-saving initiatives. 10. Communications, Calendar & Store Support Framework Produce clear, concise weekly Retail Operations communications outlining priorities, wins and operational updates. Own the Retail Master Calendar, ensuring visibility for all operational touchpoints. Establish structured store support channels and SLAs for retail queries and escalations. Lead operational training sessions, workshops, and store manager development on process, systems and compliance. 11. People Operations & ER Support Lead or support formal ER cases including investigations, grievances and disciplinary processes. Provide objective, confidential guidance to managers and escalate high-risk matters appropriately. Partner with People Team on training needs, succession planning and capability development across the estate. Model high professional standards, coaching leaders on effective people management and operational compliance. Skills & Experience Required Proven experience in a senior, multi-site retail role such as Area Manager, Regional Manager, Senior Retail Operations Manager, or equivalent central operations position. Demonstrable experience operating beyond single-store leadership. Candidates must have owned or significantly influenced performance, compliance, and operational delivery across multiple locations. Experience working at a strategic and governance level, not just execution, including building, embedding and enforcing operational frameworks, systems and standards. Strong cross-functional experience, partnering with teams such as Brand, Digital, Merchandising, Logistics, Finance and People to deliver campaigns, system changes and operational initiatives. Track record of leading complex operational projects (e.g. systems implementations, process redesign, compliance programmes, new store openings or business transformations). Experience using data and insight to influence decision-making, improve efficiency, mitigate risk and drive commercial performance. Confidence operating as a senior escalation point, managing incidents, compliance risks, H&S issues, and people matters with discretion and authority. Experience supporting or leading Employee Relations processes in partnership with a People/HR team. Strong IT skills with the ability to oversee retail systems, support troubleshooting, and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth operations Are there any perks? Of course there are, for all the hard work you will get: Friendly and supportive team culture: Enjoy working alongside a team of like-minded individuals who value collaboration, camaraderie, and fun in the workplace. Membership of company pension scheme (if applicable): Secure your financial future with enrollment in a company-sponsored pension scheme, ensuring peace of mind and financial stability in retirement. Holiday accrual that grows with loyalty: Enjoy 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays ) as a token of appreciation for your dedication and loyalty to the organisation, providing you with ample opportunities for rest and relaxation. This entitlement increases with service. Life Insurance & Income Protection: providing financial security and peace of mind for you and your families. Health Cash Plan: after one year service we will enrol you into our Health Cash Plan which will allow you to claim back money for dental, optical, prescription charges etc. Specific information on this scheme will be shared with you. Life Happens Leave: Sometimes life can throw unexpected challenges our way, we offer paid leave specifically dedicated to these situations to provide employees with the time and space needed. Complimentary drinks and snacks: Stay refreshed and energised throughout the day with a variety of free drinks and snacks provided in the office. Monthly tea allowance and generous staff discount: Indulge in your favourite teas while benefiting from a discount on company products, fostering a culture of enjoyment and appreciation. Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential and professional mental health support services to prioritise your well-being and address any personal or work-related challenges. Bike to Work and Electric Vehicle Schemes: Take advantage of a sustainable transportation option, contribute to environmental conservation, and benefit from tax-efficient savings. Paid volunteer days: Make a positive impact in our community by participating in volunteer activities during dedicated paid volunteer days, fostering a culture of corporate social responsibility and giving back. Dog-friendly office: Bring your furry friend to work and enjoy a pet-friendly environment that promotes work-life balance and companionship. We also have enhanced family friendly policies, offer flexible working and are always open to discussing your individual circumstances! We are proud to be a Sunday Times Best Places To Work 2024 employer. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all, applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the application or interview process please let us know.