Retail Operations Manager

About the role

We’re excited to be recruiting for two newly created Operations Manager roles within our Trading Company, One focused on Hospitality & Events, and this one dedicated to Retail responsible for developing and leading our evolving and ambitious retail operations.

Based across four stunning, listed gallery buildings in the heart of Edinburgh, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of our distinctive retail offer and delight visitors. You’ll have the vision and drive to see the commercial potential of our brand, exciting exhibitions programme and amazing world-class art collection.

With a strong commercial mindset, you’ll bring senior level retail experience and a keen understanding of both product and audience. You’ll be a strategic thinker and hands-on leader, confident in managing your team through change, identifying opportunities, and delivering measurable results.

This is a brilliant opportunity for an experienced retail professional looking for a varied role interacting with both the strategic and operational sides of the organisation. You’ll work closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure that retail is fully integrated into the visitor experience and delivering on our strategic ambition to grow self-generated income.

You’ll oversee all aspects of our retail operation from buying and merchandising to store management, warehousing, eCommerce, and licensing. From optimising product ranges and stock levels to analysing sales data and launching new commercial initiatives, your leadership will be instrumental in making sure our retail offer is as profitable, efficient, and as audience focused as possible.

Reporting to the Director of Audience & Development, you’ll lead a skilled team, setting direction and tone to achieve excellent customer service and drive high performance across our retail activity. As part of a team committed to building our financial resilience, you will help recognise its importance in meeting our purpose: we make art work for everyone. 

The difference you’ll make
As Retail Operations Manager you will provide strategic leadership to the retail team. Your duties will include:
- Leading the development and delivery of a successful retail strategy. You’ll deliver a coherent strategy encompassing buying to end sales in shop, online, books and licensing.
- Working with colleagues to establish plans, targets, and budgets for the retail offer to achieve set profit targets.
- Alongside the Director of Audience & Development and Trading Company management colleagues, contributing to the overall Trading Company business plan including producing reports for Leadership Team and the Trading Company Board as required.
- Leading, motivating, and developing our retail team to promote collaborative ways of working to ensure that our shops, warehouse, Buying, Licensing, and eCommerce offers are appealing and aligned to our brand and audience offer.
- Promoting collaborative ways of working across the retail team to ensure alignment to meet our strategy aims and agreed profit targets.
- Overseeing operations to drive solid sales performance and maximise sales, including fully utilising the opportunities for merchandising and licencing of branded goods based on the art collection.
- Analysing performance data and implementing effective strategies, including setting product pricing, to improve the profitability of retail sales.
- Contributing to the management and monitoring of the Trading Company budget with devolved responsibility for budgets allocated to department and any relevant project activity.
- Responsibility for performing all duties in compliance with related legal/statutory, regulations, professional duties, responsibilities, and obligations in relation to retail management, including ensuring the Trading Company holds all relevant insurances and licenses relevant to retail operations.
- Ensuring compliance with relevant accounting and tax legislation is met, particularly concerning eCommerce sales as well as the exporting and importing of goods.
- Establishing key performance indicators to measure and evaluate customer satisfaction of the retail offer. You’ll use the findings to champion continuous improvement to meet the Trading Company’s ambitions and goals.
-Working with the Director of Audience & Development in developing, leading, and implementing new initiatives to maximise opportunity for income generation through retail sales.
- Developing and implementing process improvements which enhance operational efficiency, including overseeing inventory levels to determine the need for stock supply at each retail outlet.
- Working with Development, Marketing and Audience colleagues to develop a coherent approach to marketing and promoting retail activities, extending our offers, and building up specific audiences.
- Joining or leading organisational or commercial project teams as agreed and where there is appropriate cross over retail management.

Please see the full Job Description on our website and apply directly via our careers portal. Applications via email will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday, 18 August 2025.

Museum Website: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/careers