Weston Hospicecare is seeking a Director of Retail to lead and develop our retail division at a pivotal moment in our journey. This is a senior leadership role with influence and autonomy, giving the opportunity to shape a vital income stream that directly supports specialist palliative and end-of-life care for our local community.
About the role
As Director of Retail, you will provide strategic leadership for a diverse retail portfolio comprising 16 shops across North Somerset and Somerset, e-commerce operations, and the associated logistics and donation processes. Reporting to the Chief Executive and working closely with the senior leadership team and Trustees, providing significant Board-level engagement, you will develop and deliver a forward-thinking, sustainable retail strategy that responds to evolving customer behaviours, high street trends, economic pressures and developments within the wider charity retail sector.
Just as importantly, you will lead, inspire and develop a committed team of paid staff and volunteers, creating a high-performance, values-led culture where people feel supported, accountable and proud to be part of their local community.
By building strong relationships across the hospice and working collaboratively, you will maximise income opportunities, strengthen community engagement, and protect and enhance the hospice’s reputation.
What you will bring
We are looking for a leader who combines commercial credibility with warmth, empathy and purpose, and who can confidently operate at both strategic and operational levels.
You will demonstrate:
Commercial and strategic leadership
· Significant experience of maximising resources and delivering strong commercial performance within a retail setting
· The ability to develop, articulate and deliver a clear, ambitious and sustainable retail strategy
· Agility and confidence to move comfortably between board-level conversations and front-line retail operations
People and culture
· A proven ability to lead, inspire and develop diverse teams of paid staff and volunteers
· A collaborative leadership style that brings people with you, fostering ownership and accountability
· Resilience to lead effectively through challenge and uncertainty, responding openly and constructively to feedback and change
· Credibility, confidence and presence to inspire others and lead effectively through change
Values and behaviours
· A genuine passion for charity retail and the difference it can make in communities
· Warmth, empathy and compassion, personifying our hospice values in how you lead
· A values-led approach with a commitment to encouragement, inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement
· A strong commitment to building effective relationships with trustees, colleagues, supporters, customers and donors, patients and their loved ones
Why join us?
In return, we offer:
· A senior leadership role with real influence, autonomy and purpose
· The opportunity to take our retail division to the next level at a crucial time
· A supportive, flexible and collaborative working environment with passionate, committed colleagues
· A sector-competitive salary and benefits package
· Access to training, professional development and wellbeing support
We are seeking to appoint a permanent Director of Retail; however, we will also welcome applications from experienced interim retail leaders who can bring immediate expertise, stability and momentum during this important period while we recruit to the permanent role.
Weston Hospicecare is located in the quiet village of Uphill on the North Somerset coast, and was founded by our local community over 30 years ago. We are the major provider of specialist palliative care within the catchment we serve, offering in-patient, community, day care and related services to patients, and bereavement support to their families and loved ones. All our care is provided free of charge to whomever needs it, however it costs approximately £7 million every year to provide our full range of services, of which less than 20% is funded by the NHS. The remainder is raised each year through a combination of our retail division income, our multi-varied fundraising activities, and gifts in wills.
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or any other category protected by law.
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The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Director of Operations – Finance & Support Services
Dartington (& Torquay as required)
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, ideally Monday-Friday 08.30-16.30
Salary: £51,663.00 - £59,597.00 per annum (DOE)
Are you a skilled operations professional with a background in finance?
We have a brand-new opportunity at Lifeworks Charity, for a Director of Operations (Finance & Support Services) to play a crucial role in our Central Support team. You will drive the sustainable growth and operational efficiency of the charity, directly contributing to our charitable impact.
You'll blend your financial expertise with your keen eye for operational oversight in this hybrid role, ensuring our resources are managed effectively to benefit the young people and families we support.
Who we are:
Since 1996, we've been empowering people with learning disabilities in Devon to achieve their dreams and build fulfilling lives. Our core values of kindness, respect, and positivity guide everything we do.
What you’ll do:
Finance
- Manage and maintain all financial aspects of the charity, including (but not limited to), budgeting, forecasting, reporting, ledgers, balance sheets, bank reconciliations, debtor accounts, cash flow management, insurances, property and procurement.
- Take a lead on the development of financial and fundraising processes and strategies.
- Manage and be the main point of contact for all aspects of ESFA and DfE funding compliance and reporting.
- Lead a small team to deliver outstanding support to the charity and act as a key financial advisor to managers across the organisation.
- Produce clear and concise monthly management accounts and provide financial insights to senior managers and the Board of Trustees.
- Working closely with external auditors, prepare and oversee our year end accounts.
Operations
- Ensure that charity governance and compliance is upheld, by contributing to record maintenance, managing registers and supporting with reviews of policies and procedures.
- Work with our external IT partners to manage our technology. You will make sure that the correct infrastructure, systems and processes are in the right place at the right time.
- Lead on IT security for the charity, implementing regular reviews to monitor compliance.
- Act as the Data Controller and manage all areas of data protection regulations, always prioritising data security.
- Develop and review charity policies as necessary, ensuring they align with best practices and legal requirements.
- Ensure compliance of Health and Safety policies, liaising with external advisors to maintain safety within the workplace.
Last but not least, we are looking for someone that is an advocate for people with learning disabilities and shares our common goal of making sure the people we support achieve their best lives with us. You may not be involved in the day-to-day work with our service users, but the work you will do is vital to the success of our charity.
What we're looking for:
You'll be a motivated and experienced professional who is passionate about making a difference. You should be:
- ACCA/CIMA/ACA part-qualified with significant experience (or fully qualified is a bonus!).
- A proven leader with the ability to inspire and develop a team.
- An expert in financial management, from budgeting to reporting.
- An excellent communicator who can clearly explain complex financial information to all audiences.
- Experienced in managing a broad portfolio, ideally including Health and Safety, IT, or facilities.
- Knowledgeable about governance frameworks and risk management.
If you are a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach and a desire to contribute to a vital cause, we would love to hear from you.
We're passionate about supporting our staff just as much as we are about supporting our service users. When you join our team, you can expect:
- An hourly rate above the Real Living Wage
- A holiday entitlement of 33 days’ holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
- A fully funded DBS check and update service to ensure a smooth onboarding process
- Access to valuable resources including an employee assistance program to support your mental and emotional health
Building a diverse and safe team:
At Lifeworks, we're committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the diversity of our community. As a Disability Confident Employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals with disabilities who meet the job criteria, and we guarantee qualified candidates with disabilities an interview.
Lifeworks is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. To achieve this commitment, we will ensure the continuous development, improvement and review of robust safeguarding processes and procedures that continuously promote a culture of vigilance in respect of safeguarding within our organisation. All staff undergo Safer Recruitment checks which include pre-employment checks, reference checks, and a DBS check with Barred List checks (where applicable).
Early applications encouraged!
This vacancy is scheduled to close on the 19th of July, but may close earlier if suitable candidates are identified. So, to ensure your application is considered, ensure you apply early!
The interview format will consist of 3 parts; a formal interview assessment, a short presentation and a Q&A with staff members. If you are selected for interview, further details will be shared ahead of the above date.
Apply today and tell us why you'd be a great fit for our team.
Please note that this role was previously advertised as Operations Manager. We ask that previous applicants of this role need not reapply.
We’d appreciate no contact from agencies regarding this role. We are only accepting direct applications.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.