Retail Operations Manager

Two thirds of the population wear spectacles. Half wear them every day. But the optical industry hasn’t changed in three centuries, products have become tired, and standards have become poor. Now we’re looking to change the spectacles industry for the better. We’re looking for a brilliantly organised, detail‑obsessed and commercially minded Retail Operations Manager to be the engine room behind a world class store experience.

In this role you will build the systems, processes and tools that allow our store teams to do their best work, removing friction, raising standards, and making sure every store runs beautifully day in, day out. You’ll sit at the heart of the connection between stores and HQ, turning strategy into smooth, repeatable operations.

The role

Reporting into the Head of Retail, you will own the operational backbone of our store portfolio across the UK, 18 stores in total and two stores in NYC, ensuring every store has the processes, tools and support to deliver consistently and efficiently. Design, document and continuously improve store operating procedures, ensuring standards are clear, consistent and lived across the entire estate. Own the day‑to‑day operational rhythm of retail, store communications, task management, openings and closings, compliance, and health & safety, so that teams always know what good looks like and how to get there. Act as the operational bridge between stores and HQ, coordinating with functions including Brand, Product, Inventory, People and Finance to ensure initiatives land smoothly in store.

Lead stock and inventory operations; stock takes, cycle counts, transfers and shrinkage control, protecting the financial assets held within our stores. Coordinate the operational side of visual merchandising, ensuring product launches, floor plans, window changes and seasonal resets land accurately and on time across every store. Optimise stock availability and allocation across the network, working with Product and Inventory so the right product is in the right store at the right time to support sales. Bring commercial acumen to operational decisions, understanding the levers behind sales, margin, labour and cost, and using them to protect and improve store profitability. Manage retail systems and tooling (POS, scheduling, task and communications platforms), acting as the first point of contact for issues and championing improvements that make store life easier. Build and maintain labour scheduling models, ensuring stores are appropriately staffed against footfall and trade patterns while controlling payroll cost. Support new store openings end to end, from operational set‑up and fit‑out coordination to systems, stock and team readiness on launch day. Provide clear operational reporting and analysis to the Head of Retail and wider leadership, including: Sales and trade reporting, Labour and scheduling efficiency, Opex tracking and store cost control.

Manage relationships with suppliers and contractors for maintenance, facilities and store consumables, ensuring stores are always presentable and fully operational. Deal with escalated operational issues calmly and quickly, always demonstrating customer‑first thinking.

Driving efficiency through technology

A core part of this role is using technology and automation to make our stores run more efficiently, freeing up store teams to focus on customers rather than admin. Identify repetitive, manual or time‑consuming tasks across the store network and design smarter, automated ways of working in their place. Build and maintain automations and workflows across our retail systems; connecting POS, scheduling, task management, stock and communications tools so data flows without manual re‑keying. Create self‑serve dashboards and automated reporting so stores and leadership get accurate, real‑time information without pulling reports by hand. Evaluate, trial and roll out new tools and technologies that improve store productivity, measuring the impact and return on every change. Champion a culture of continuous improvement, turning operational pain points into well‑designed, scalable solutions. Partner with internal teams and partners to ensure retail technology is reliable, well‑integrated and genuinely makes store life easier.

Goals

• Build the operational foundations that allow store teams to deliver exceptional service consistently.
• 100% of stores operating to documented standards and procedures.
• 90+ NPS rating supported by reliable, friction‑free store operations.
• Protect the commercial performance of the portfolio through tight operational control.
• Maintain stock variance below 0.5% across all stores.
• Deliver labour and operating costs within budget every period.
• New store openings delivered on time and operationally ready, right first time.

Our Values

• Pioneers: We try to improve things, by doing things better or more simply celebrating both innovation and failure.
• Proud: We take pride in doing things properly, even when we’re exhausted.
• For All: We treat everyone with the same warmth and respect, and without ego.

Who you are

• Brilliantly organised, with an obsessive eye for detail and process.
• Calm under pressure and able to act quickly to keep stores running.
• Hands on, values being in store more than the office.
• Excellent communicator able to build relationships with internal stakeholders and positively influence.
• Understands the operational side of merchandising and stock presentation, and how it drives both the customer experience and sales.
• Confident with data, systems and reporting; you turn numbers into clear actions.
• A natural problem‑solver who instinctively looks for ways to automate, streamline and remove manual effort.
• Comfortable building and configuring tools, workflows and automations and excited by new technology that drives efficiency.
• Able to delegate and empower teams for greater accountability.
• Agile and flexible to meet the needs of the business.
• Experienced in multi‑site retail operations, including stock control and labour planning.
• Experience supporting new store openings — set‑up, systems and operational readiness.
• Aligned and energised by our core values; Proud, Pioneering and For All.

Some nice things you’ll get

• Complimentary spectacles, eye examinations and generous discounts
• Option to buy and sell holiday
• Paid time away for the important moments in life
• Annual season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life assurance
• Aviva Digicare+

At Cubitts we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community where employees, customers, and partners all feel respected, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and recognise that different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences enrich our community. Inclusion is at the heart of our operations, we work actively to remove barriers, ensure equitable opportunities, and create a space where everyone belongs.

Contract

• Hours: 40 hours per week
• Contract type: Permanent
• Location: Cubitts HQ, King's Cross London + Cubitts Stores (minimum 3 days per week)
• Salary: £42,147.33
• Job grade: Manager, Level 3
• Reporting to: Head of Retail