Director of retail jobs in colchester, essex
Head of Retail and FOOD Services
Department: Directorate of Development and External Affairs
Salary: Starting at £47,264, rising to £54,728 FTE per annum + £480 home-based allowance FTE per annum
Location: Homebased with weekly national travel
Hours: 37 hours per week (full-time)
We offer flexible working arrangements - please see below for more details.
Contract: Permanent
Family Action & the Role’s Impact:
At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.
We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.
This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as the Head of Retail and FOOD Services. This is a unique opportunity to lead and innovate in a role that combines strategic leadership, operational excellence, and community impact.
Main Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement a multi-channel retail and food services strategy, including business planning, risk assessment, and performance management to increase net profit and service impact.
- Lead on budgeting, financial forecasting, and P&L management. Identify and develop new income-generating opportunities, including grants and tenders.
- Provide strategic leadership to geographically dispersed teams, ensuring effective recruitment, support and training of staff and volunteers.
Main Requirements
- Educated to degree level or above in a relevant sector.
- Demonstrable senior retail management knowledge and experience in managing complex projects, leading teams, and delivering measurable outcomes.
- Proven track record in income growth, financial planning, and managing budgets.
Benefits:
- an annual paid leave entitlement of 30 working days plus bank holidays
- up to 6% matched-pension contributions
- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions
- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers
- cycle to work scheme
- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities
We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.
To Apply:
• Apply via the Family Action Careers Hub linked to this advert
• Closing Date: 7th July at 23:59
Interviews are scheduled to take place from 16th-22nd July 2025.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.
We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role and will reimburse your travel cost if you attend an interview.
*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.
Family Action is an award-winning national charity working from the heart of local communities across England and Wales.




The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About the Role
As Director of Devolved Nations, you will:
- Lead Carers UK’s work in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, driving strategic impact and ensuring alignment with the UK-wide mission.
- Shape and deliver national strategies that bring about real improvements in carers’ lives.
- Collaborate with government, public bodies, the voluntary sector, and other stakeholders to influence policy and secure statutory funding.
- Provide inspirational leadership to the Carers Scotland, Carers Wales, and Carers NI teams.
- Contribute to UK-wide senior leadership and organisational development.
You’ll need to be flexible, with travel across the UK, including overnight stays and occasional weekend work.
About You
We’re looking for someone who brings:
- Significant senior leadership experience in policy, public affairs, or charity leadership.
- A deep understanding of the political and policy landscapes in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Strong governance knowledge and experience working with Boards or Committees.
- A track record of building influential relationships across sectors, including with senior government officials and funders.
- Excellent people management skills and the ability to lead dispersed teams.
- Commitment to Carers UK’s values of being Attentive, Ambitious, and Achievers.
- Experience working with or understanding the needs of unpaid carers is highly desirable.
And who:
- Is passionate about caring and can inspire their teams to deliver new and innovative ways to campaign for and support carers as we close our 60th anniversary in 2025 and move towards our strategic review in 2026.
- Will be an active member of the Senior Management team working collaboratively across the organisation, ensuring consistent messaging and support across all four nations.
- Who is able to proactively represent the charity, engaging a wide range of stakeholders.
For more information please download the full job description
What We Offer
- 25 days annual leave (rising to 28 days with long service) + bank holidays
- An additional 3 paid days leave over Christmas and New Year
- Up to 10 days paid care leave
- 6% employer pension contribution
- Life assurance cover (2x salary)
- Flexible and hybrid working
- Free Health Cash Plan with a free, unlimited and confidential 24 hour advice, support and information line; free, unlimited and confidential GP line access; a wellbeing portal and app plus cash back to set limits for dental, optical and therapy treatments, plus kids cover and retail and restaurant discounts
- Paid Special Leave
- Organisational sick pay scheme
- Paid volunteer leave
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion staff network groups
- A recognition scheme including a values winner of the month
- Season ticket, cycle, and technology loans
- A learning and development culture with access to a Learning Management System
We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer, a Carer Confident Employer, a Carer Positive employer, and part of the Happy to Talk Flexible Working scheme. We have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge and have achieved the Disability Confident Employer (level 2).
Diversity and Inclusion
Carers UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects our community. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly from those with lived experience of caring. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Opportunity:
Nigel Wright Group are proud to be partnering with a transformative and growing social impact organisation in their search for a Business Development Manager. Our client is a passionate, values-led charity and their mission is to bridge the gap between talented individuals and employers offering rewarding job opportunities, creating a thriving community where everyone has the chance to succeed. They deliver on skills shortages, push back on regional unemployment and contribute to a national reduction in reoffending. Following a significant inward investment, our client is positioning itself to embark on an ambitious nationwide scaling-up programme. The newly created Business Development Manager role can be based anywhere in the UK and carries the responsibility of contributing to the organisation’s overarching strategic plan, while also leading the development and implementation of the accompanying income generation strategy.
Role Profile:
- Lead and coordinate activities to position the charity for successful public sector contracts and tenders.
- Identify and pursue new and repeat business opportunities; attend market engagement events and monitor sector trends.
- Develop strategic partnerships to enhance reach and impact.
- Maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date pipeline of business development and grant opportunities.
- Prepare and submit high-quality, competitive tenders as a lead or subcontractor.
- Develop proposals aligned with service specifications, incorporating input from operational teams.
- Collaborate with the CEO and Finance Director to ensure accurate, fully costed and competitive bid pricing.
- Write and submit persuasive bids via relevant online platforms.
- Line manage a Grant Writer, overseeing the submission of high-value and multi-year trust and foundation applications.
- Support the CEO in cultivating relationships with major donors and securing significant contributions.
- Manage public donations, lead fundraising initiatives, and ensure compliance with fundraising regulations.
- Produce compelling quarterly impact reports to communicate the charity’s outcomes to funders.
Person Specification:
- Demonstrated success in writing and securing competitive tenders, particularly within the criminal justice or related sectors.
- Proven ability to develop high-quality bids for statutory funding.
- Extensive experience in generating significant income from charitable trusts and foundations.
- Strong background in designing or contributing to effective income generation strategies.
- Experience in leveraging social value commitments—especially through government procurement and Section 106 obligations—is highly desirable.
- Skilled in building and maintaining relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, network, and engage diverse audiences.
- Knowledge of the criminal justice system or related fields is a strong advantage.
- Awareness of the employment challenges faced by people with convictions is desirable.
Behaviours:
- Maintains a non-judgemental approach when working with individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system.
- Committed to inclusive, anti-discriminatory practices.
- Demonstrates alignment with and respect for the organisation’s Christian ethos and values.
Other Information:
- This is a full-time role offered on a hybrid/remote working pattern
- Occasional visits to the Newcastle head office plus business travel around the UK
- Nigel Wright Group is retained on this search and as such, any direct third party supplied or referred applicants/CVs will be forwarded to Nigel Wright for consideration as part of our process.