Retail Director - Excel London NEW Levy Posted today £90,000 per year London Operations

Salary - up to £90,000 per annum plus benefits.

We are seeking an exceptional Retail Director to shape, lead and deliver the retail food and beverage strategy, driving premium, branded and franchised concepts that elevate the guest experience and maximise commercial performance.

Role Purpose

Levy UK is the food and drink partner for Excel London, managing and operating all food and beverage activity throughout the venues retail operation. This is a high‑profile, senior leadership role requiring a dynamic, innovative and people‑focused leader with a strong track record in premium food and beverage operations, large‑scale logistics and stakeholder partnership management. The successful candidate will be instrumental in evolving the retail offer, challenging the status quo, and delivering sustainable growth in revenue, margin and reputation across one of the UK’s most important event destinations.

Excel Retail Services – Scope

• 24 boulevard retail units (branded and unbranded)
• Frictionless automated retail store
• In‑hall retail operations (coffee shops, street food and bars)
• Immerse London, including:
• High‑street coffee brand
• Premium street food and bar
• Small plates & wine bar
• Destination restaurant concept

The operation delivers circa £20m annual turnover, with an ambition to grow revenue and net profit over the next five years. Excel London and Immerse London attract over 5.5 million visitors annually hosting over 400 events per year.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver the retail food and beverage strategy, including franchises and premium brand partnerships.
• Lead innovation across food, beverage and technology to maintain Excel’s world‑class positioning.
• Build and sustain strong, transparent partnerships with Excel London, Levy leadership and external stakeholders.
• Develop, agree and lead delivery of annual and quarterly Strategic Aims with the Excel Retail Board, providing regular progress updates and impact reporting.
• Champion internal coordination, communication and collaboration across the ELH SLT.
• Lead, inspire and align large fixed and variable teams around clear priorities, performance goals and continuous improvement.

Operations Excellence

• Own day‑to‑day operational delivery, ensuring consistent, high‑quality food, service and guest experience.
• Drive operational performance against agreed Excel Retail KPIs, reporting monthly to ELH Food & Drink Operations.
• Ensure operational readiness for all events, activations and trading periods.
• Maintain brand standards, food quality, presentation and service consistency across all retail areas.
• Lead health & safety culture and compliance across the venue.
• Champion sustainability initiatives in partnership with Levy and Excel stakeholders.
• Actively capture, analyse and respond to guest and client feedback to enhance experience.

People & Culture

• Create a high‑performance, values‑led culture aligned to Levy and client expectations.
• Develop engaged, energized and collaborative teams proud to deliver legendary hospitality.
• Work closely with the General Manager to ensure operational consistency and leadership capability.
• Mentor and coach the General Manager and senior leaders for succession and progression.
• Embed open communication, accountability and transparency across teams.

Business Performance & Data

• Ensure excellence in data accuracy across venue systems to maximise E15 Insights value.
• Utilise E15 modelling to drive operational efficiency, performance improvement and growth.
• Partner with Business Transformation, Finance, Culinary, People, BUILT and Sales functions to optimise performance.
• Regularly review Growth Performance Scores and implement targeted action plans.
• Full P&L ownership, working closely with Finance to deliver accurate budgets, forecasts and results.
• Maintain tight control of operating costs while driving revenue growth and margin improvement.
• Build strong commercial understanding and accountability across line managers and teams.
• Use insight‑led decision‑making to identify growth opportunities and improve profitability.

Person Specification

• A passionate hospitality leader with a relentless focus on guest experience and quality.
• Proven innovator, comfortable challenging convention and leading change at scale.
• Inspirational people leader with strong emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• Strong track record in strategic planning, change management and operational delivery.
• Commercially and financially astute, with a data‑driven approach to performance improvement.
• Confident influencer and negotiator with credibility across senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Agile, resilient and adaptable, able to act with pace while maintaining quality.
• Minimum 10 years’ senior leadership experience within a complex, quality‑driven food, drink or hospitality environment.