Retail Operations Manager – Independent Garden Centre
From horticruitment
Our client is a well-established, independent garden centre with a strong reputation for quality, service, and community engagement. The business generates approximately £5 million in annual turnover and employs around 30–40 staff across both the garden centre and its busy on-site coffee shop.
The centre offers a diverse, destination-led retail experience, combining horticulture, retail, and hospitality in a welcoming environment. With a loyal customer base and continued growth, the business is now entering its next phase of development.
Role Overview:
This is a senior operational leadership role within an independent, family-business environment.
The successful candidate will become the primary operational lead across the business, overseeing all departments and helping bring greater structure, accountability, consistency, and operational organisation across the site. – This role is not about sitting in an office managing spreadsheets.
We are looking for someone practical, visible, commercially aware, and confident managing people — someone who enjoys improving how a business operates while maintaining a positive and team-focused culture.
The role will involve close collaboration with existing department managers and staff, supporting them while helping create clearer operational standards, stronger communication, and improved coordination across the business.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
• Oversee the day-to-day running of the garden centre and café
• Coordinate departments to ensure smooth and efficient operations
• Support, manage, and develop department managers and teams
• Maintain high operational and customer service standards across the site
• Take ownership of day-to-day decision-making and problem-solving
• Lead from the front with a strong hands-on presence throughout the business
Structure & Operational Improvement
• Introduce practical systems, routines, and clearer operational structure
• Improve accountability and consistency across departments
• Help create more effective reporting and communication processes
• Ensure recurring operational tasks and responsibilities are clearly owned
• Improve operational organisation and follow-through across the business
Commercial & Retail Performance
- Introduce and improve practical systems and working processes
- Help develop more structured workflows and reporting methods
- Support improvements in stock ordering and operational planning
- Ensure departments are working consistently and efficiently together
Team & Culture
• Work closely with long-standing staff and experienced department managers
• Help strengthen communication, delegation, and teamwork across the business
• Support a positive, respectful, and solutions-focused working culture
• Build trust, accountability, and clarity within the management team
What We’re Looking for:
We are looking for someone who:
- Has experience in a senior operational role within garden centres, retail, hospitality, or another multi-department environment
- Is confident managing people and coordinating multiple areas of a business
- Has a hands-on leadership style and enjoys being visible within the operation
- Can bring structure and accountability without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
- Is commercially aware and operationally organised
- Takes ownership naturally and enjoys solving problems
- Communicates clearly and calmly
- Understands how to improve operational consistency and team performance
Garden centre experience would be advantageous, but we are open to candidates from other relevant operational backgrounds with the right leadership style and mindset.
Benefits
- Opportunity to take on a senior leadership role within a growing independent business
- Genuine operational responsibility and influence across the business
- Collaborative working relationship with an engaged business owner
- Long-term career potential
- Performance-related bonus
What Success Looks Like
- Greater operational structure and consistency across the business
- Stronger coordination and communication between departments
- Improved operational efficiency and accountability
- Clearer ownership of responsibilities throughout the site
- High standards maintained consistently across retail and café operations
- The owner becoming less involved in the day-to-day running of the business
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to take on a genuinely influential leadership role within a respected and growing independent business.
The successful candidate will have the ability to make a real impact, help shape the future operation of the business, and work closely with an engaged owner who is committed to continued improvement and growth.
Package
• Circa £50,000 DOE
• Performance-related bonus
• Full-time position
• Weekend working required as part of retail operations
• Long-term opportunity within a growing independent business
Working Hours
- Full-time role (including weekends as required in a retail environment)
- Due to the senior nature of the position, the successful candidate will need to be flexible when required to support key trading periods, seasonal demands, and centre events
- Holiday entitlement is 28 days per annum
Who This Role Would Suit
This position would suit someone currently working as a:
• Operations Manager
• Garden Centre Manager
• Retail Manager (multi-department)
• Hospitality Operations Manager
Location:
Buckinghamshire
Apply Now:
If you are an experienced operations professional looking to take ownership of a diverse and customer-focused business, we would love to hear from you.
If this Retail Operations Manager role is of interest, please click ‘Apply Now’ above or contact Sophie Sharpe on 01233 732767 or email sophie@horticruitment.com or if you’re interested in viewing our other horticultural jobs such as…
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Thank you for the interest you have shown in this Retail Operations Manager vacancy. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not possible to respond to everyone. Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 14 days, your application for this vacancy has been unsuccessful.