Regional Operations Manager
Red Ember Recruitment is seeking a Regional Operations Manager on behalf of our client based in Kempton Park within the retail sector.
This is a senior commercial leadership role responsible for driving performance, profitability, and operational excellence across multiple retail stores within a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
The successful candidate will act as a strategic business partner to leadership, taking full ownership of regional performance, including P&L, team leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Commercial & Financial Management
- Full ownership of regional P&L, including revenue, costs, and margins
- Analyse store performance and identify revenue growth opportunities
- Drive sales performance and maximise revenue per square meter
- Manage budgets including staffing, stock, and operational costs
- Prepare and present monthly performance reports
Operational Leadership:
- Oversee daily operations across multiple retail stores
- Monitor KPIs and implement corrective action where needed
- Ensure optimal staffing and scheduling in a 24/7 environment
- Maintain compliance with health, safety, and operational standards
- Oversee stock control, inventory management, and shrinkage prevention
Stakeholder Management:
- Act as the main operational contact with key stakeholders
- Ensure compliance with lease agreements and operational requirements
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners
People Management:
- Lead and develop a team of Store Managers
- Drive a high-performance, accountable team culture
- Manage IR processes in line with labour legislation
- Support talent development and succession planning
Customer Experience:
- Ensure consistent, high-quality customer experience across all stores
- Drive visual merchandising and brand standards
- Address and act on customer feedback
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Work closely with HR, Finance, Buying, and Marketing teams
- Support business initiatives, promotions, and operational improvements
Requirements
- Relevant tertiary qualification in Retail Management, Business Administration, or similar
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in multi-site retail management
- Proven track record managing P&L and driving commercial performance
- Strong experience in stock management and inventory control
- Solid understanding of labour legislation (LRA, BCEA) and IR processes
- Experience in high-volume or complex retail environments
- Exposure to airport or concession-based retail environments is advantageous
- Strong systems knowledge (POS, reporting, inventory systems)
Key Competencies:
- Strong commercial acumen
- Assertive leadership and decision-making ability
- High resilience in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
- Excellent stakeholder management skills
- Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Customer-focused mindset