Help shape the future of retail at RSPCA Woodside
Are you an ambitious retail leader ready for a role that combines commercial challenge with genuine purpose?
We’re looking for an exceptional Head of Retail and Trading to lead the next stage of Woodside’s commercial development. You’ll take responsibility for our retail estate, online sales, new goods and customer experience, with the freedom to identify new opportunities, challenge how we do things and drive sustainable income growth.
And you’ll be joining at a particularly exciting point in our journey.
A major part of your role will be leading the commercial development and launch of our new superstore planned for 2027 – an opportunity to help create something new from the ground up and turn an ambitious vision into a successful retail operation.
We’re looking for someone with strong commercial instincts who knows what great retail looks like. You’ll be an inspiring leader, comfortable with both strategy and delivery, and able to turn insight and ideas into measurable results.
If that sounds like the kind of challenge you’ve been looking for, read on.
Role Purpose
As Head of Retail and Trading, you’ll provide strategic and commercial leadership across Woodside’s trading activities, including our charity shops, Woodside shop, online sales, e-commerce and customer experience.
Reporting to the CEO and working as part of the senior leadership team, you’ll develop and deliver our trading strategy, setting clear commercial priorities and ensuring our people and operations are equipped to deliver them.
You’ll use performance insight, market knowledge and customer trends to improve our existing operations while identifying and developing new opportunities for growth.
You’ll also lead the commercial development of our planned 2027 superstore, helping to shape the proposition and taking the project from development through to opening and successful operation.
Throughout, you’ll ensure our commercial activities reflect Woodside’s values and meet the high standards of governance, compliance and operational excellence expected across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Strategy & Growth
- Develop and implement a comprehensive trading strategy aligned with Woodside's organisational objectives.
- Evaluate commercial performance and identify opportunities to increase sales, profitability and sustainable income.
- Research and interpret retail and consumer trends, adapting our commercial approach in response to changing customer behaviour and market conditions.
- Identify and develop new trading and business opportunities, taking ideas from initial concept and business case through to implementation.
- Develop our new goods proposition and identify opportunities to broaden our product and income mix.
- Develop e-commerce and online sales across appropriate platforms to maximise reach and income.
- Work collaboratively with Fundraising and Marketing to develop effective commercial campaigns that increase footfall, engagement and sales.
Retail & Customer Experience
- Provide strategic leadership across Woodside's retail estate.
- Ensure a consistently high-quality customer experience across stores, Woodside and online channels.
- Establish clear commercial targets and use performance information to identify opportunities and improve results.
- Encourage innovation and continuous improvement across the trading operation.
- Ensure our retail environments and customer proposition positively represent the Woodside brand and our charitable purpose.
2027 Superstore Project
- Provide commercial leadership for the development and launch of Woodside's planned new superstore.
- Help develop the commercial concept, proposition and customer experience.
- Lead relevant elements of site development and acquisition, working with professional advisers and internal stakeholders as required.
- Develop robust commercial plans, budgets and performance measures for the new operation.
- Coordinate with colleagues and external partners to take the project from concept and development through to opening.
- Build and lead the trading operation required to deliver a successful launch and sustainable long-term performance.
Leadership
- Provide confident leadership, sound decision-making and strategic advice as a member of Woodside's senior leadership team.
- Create an inspiring, accountable and collaborative team environment with open communication.
- Set clear expectations and empower managers and teams to deliver excellent results.
- Coach and develop colleagues, building capability and supporting succession planning.
- Promote a positive culture of engagement, wellbeing and continuous improvement.
- Lead by example and consistently demonstrate Woodside's organisational values.
- Represent Woodside externally, developing partnerships, networks and opportunities that raise our profile and support our commercial ambitions.
Financial, Risk & Governance
- Lead departmental business planning and budgeting, ensuring effective use of Woodside's resources and assets.
- Assess commercial and operational risks and ensure appropriate mitigations are in place.
- Ensure relevant legal, regulatory and statutory requirements are understood and met.
- Ensure appropriate policies, procedures and assurance frameworks are maintained, including requirements relating to GDPR, safeguarding and relevant Woodside and RSPCA policies.
Person Specification
We're looking for an accomplished commercial leader who can combine strategic thinking with the energy and practical approach required to turn opportunities into results.
You will ideally bring:
- Proven experience of leading multi-site retail operations.
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to identify and develop profitable new opportunities.
- Experience of developing and delivering commercial or retail strategy.
- Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to engage, develop and inspire teams.
- Experience of leading significant retail developments, new store openings, site acquisitions or comparable commercial projects would be highly advantageous.
- Strong financial and analytical skills, including accountability for significant budgets and commercial performance.
- A strategic and creative outlook, with the ability to communicate a compelling vision and bring people with you.
- An excellent understanding of customer experience and contemporary retail.
- A strong understanding of e-commerce, digital trading and emerging technologies.
- The ability to remain calm, pragmatic and decisive in a fast-moving environment.
- High levels of integrity, openness and commitment to good governance.
- A commitment to continued professional development.
Ready for your next challenge?
Few senior retail roles give you the opportunity to grow an established operation and create something completely new at the same time.
At Woodside, you’ll have the scope to make decisions, develop ideas and see the results of your work – while knowing that the income your teams generate helps fund the care of animals who need us.
We’re looking for a commercially ambitious leader who wants to make an impact, develop great teams and leave their mark on the future of Woodside.
Sound like you? We’d love to hear from you.
We are a Leicester-based organisation, but the role holder will spend most of their time at the retail locations across our region of Leicestershire, Peterborough and Rutland.
40 hours per week.
Closing date for applications: 26th August 2026
Pay: £45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
Work Location: In person
