Head of Retail

Nottingham, England, United Kingdom

12/21/2024

Salary: Please state your expectations within your application

Contract: Full Time, 37.5 hours a week

Location: The City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ

Working Arrangements: On site

Closing Date For Applications: 6th January 2025

We are recruiting for a new Head of Retail to drive strong retail sales growth by strategically leading, developing and innovating all aspects of the retail operation for Nottingham Forest.

The Perks of the Job:

• Opportunity to access tickets for events at The City Ground.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to high street and gym discounts.
• Discount within our Club shop.
• Free on-site parking.
  
  

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Implement and develop the strategic growth plan to exceed agreed growth targets in a rolling 3-year plan.
• Operate as part of our senior management team (operational management) as lead representative for our retail operations.
• Recruit, develop and inspire the retail team through proactive and engaging leadership; foster a culture of continuous development and innovation.
• Hold accountability for sales, related costs and the net margin achieved within the retail operation.
• Ownership for effective and optimal mix of replica kit, training kit, leisure wear, headwear and accessories to deliver the required sales targets.
• Grow and develop a strategic focus on Ecommerce as the main driver of commercial retail growth.
• Manage the relationship with our Official Technical Kit partner (currently adidas).
• Work with Marketing Director to ensure a comprehensive seasonal marketing plan is executed to support the needs of the retail business and drive sales.
• Proactively manage the retail promotional & discounting function to ensure that stock sell through is maximised and any slow-moving lines are cleared efficiently.
• Prepare regular sales and stock reports, as well as retail insights and trends overviews for the Chief Operating Officer and the Board.
• Influence and drive the digital growth of Nottingham Forest – in our commercial operations and process and our brand.
• Operate as an effective partner to all other Nottingham Forest departments and operations to aid the flow of communication, delivery and support colleagues.
• Develop and report on KPI’s and operational data to ensure colleagues are informed and involved on progress and key information, as appropriate.
• Operate as a champion within our EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) and sustainability working groups; participate in transformation programmes, facilitate discussion, and lead education workshops within the team to embed new working practices.
  
  

Skills, Experience and Knowledge:

• A solid background in commercial growth of a fast-moving multi-channel retail operation, ideally within football or elite sports.
• Experience of creating product ranges and range development.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on operational delivery as needed.
• Adept at developing and delivering robust annual and longer-term strategies across e-commerce, merchandising, trading, supply chain, and in-store operation sales.
• A natural leader of people and experience in growing a diverse and thriving team.
• Solid understanding of retail customer acquisition and journey.
• A data-driven approach, adept at collating, reading and reporting on retail data.
• Experience of setting and working to deadlines, sales targets and KPIs.
• Experience of process development and continuous improvement programmes.
• Confident and articulate communicator capable of inspiring strong collaboration.
• Well organised, able to prioritise and a keen eye for attention to detail.
• Ability to create, monitor and update sales budgets, stock analyses and forecasts.
• A self-starting work ethic, with the ability to problem-solve quickly and effectively.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.
  
  

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital / civil partnership status, pregnancy / maternity leave, race, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is a signatory of the FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code. We are committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities and diversity within our workforce. To monitor our progress against these commitments, we require all applicants to provide accurate diversity data during the application process.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

As part of the Club’s commitment to safeguarding, the successful applicant may be required to undergo a Disclosure Barring Service (“DBS”) check or an enhanced DBS check. The results of a DBS check will be considered on an individual basis, and the Club will act in a proportionate manner when deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.

An FA Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for all relevant new appointments to the Club. Individuals will be asked to declare any convictions, cautions or reprimands, warnings or bind-overs that may have been incurred. The Club reserves the right to carry out risk assessments where content has been disclosed on a DBS disclosure if it feels that it is relevant to the job requirements. Failure to satisfy the Club and the PL's safeguarding requirements may lead to the job offer being withdrawn or, if they have already started employment, summary termination of the employment.