Department Manager For Running And Fitness in Stevenage

As a Department Manager, you'll combine your love for sports with your leadership skills to create a thriving environment for both your team and our customers. You'll be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to enhance the customer experience, drive sales performance, and foster a passionate and collaborative team environment within your sport department.

What You'll Do:

• Drive Omnichannel Performance and Growth
• Develop a Winning Strategy: Create and implement a localised omnichannel strategy that aligns with overall store goals and maximises sales performance across all channels (in-store, online, and beyond).
• Build Customer Loyalty: Provide exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint to foster long-term relationships and encourage repeat business.
• Optimise Retail Spaces: Continuously improve the physical and digital store layouts to enhance customer experience and product discovery, and drive sales conversions.
• Champion Safety and Circularity: Lead the implementation of safety and circularity initiatives, ensuring compliance with company standards and promoting sustainability practices.
• Achieve Performance Targets: Set, monitor, and achieve commercial objectives and profitability targets across all sales channels.
• Build a High-Performing Team: Develop and manage a skilled and adaptable team to support business needs, drive growth, and achieve efficiency targets.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team
• Foster a Positive Work Environment: Cultivate a positive and engaging workplace where Decathlon's values and culture are embraced and celebrated.
• Empower Teammates: Inspire, mentor, and empower team members to develop their skills, autonomy, and entrepreneurial spirit through personalised development plans and regular feedback.
• Drive Customer Excellence: Ensure all team members are equipped with the knowledge and skills to exceed customer expectations and contribute to strategic goals.
• Ensure a Fair and Inclusive Workplace: Uphold and enforce company policies and legal regulations to create a fair, inclusive, and respectful work environment for all team members.
• Plan for Future Success: Design and implement staffing plans that align with current and future commercial objectives, economic activities, and organisational changes.
• Oversee Daily Store Operations Performance
• Maintain Store Security: Ensure a safe and secure environment for both customers and teammates by implementing and upholding security measures.
• Optimise Team Availability: Manage team schedules and resources to effectively meet customer demands and provide exceptional service throughout the day.
• Ensure Product Availability: Manage inventory levels, coordinate supply chain operations, and ensure seamless product availability to meet customer needs.

Who You Are:

We're seeking a passionate and driven leader who embodies our values and is excited to inspire their team to achieve outstanding results. You are:

• A Sports Enthusiast and Leader: You're passionate about sports and dedicated to fostering a thriving team environment. You prioritise tasks effectively, are organised, and excel at collaboration and knowledge sharing. You actively listen, communicate persuasively, adapt to challenges, and demonstrate efficiency and emotional intelligence.
• Customer-Centric: You're dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences and building strong relationships with the community.
• A Strategic Thinker: You possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, enabling you to develop and implement effective strategies to drive business growth and achieve key performance indicators.
• An Effective Communicator: You communicate clearly and persuasively, actively listen to understand diverse perspectives, and provide constructive feedback to foster growth and development.

Key Skills and Abilities:

In addition to the above qualities, you possess the following skills and abilities or demonstrate the capacity to quickly learn and effectively apply them:

• Planning & Forecasting: Develop and implement action plans to ensure your team is prepared for key periods throughout the year, promoting relevant products and services to meet customer needs.
• Performance Management: Manage the performance of your department, including layout optimisation, product promotion, and stock availability, to maximise sales and profitability.
• Sales Force Management: Lead and motivate your team to achieve sales targets and develop business opportunities.
• Stock Management: Ensure stock reliability, optimise stock performance, and maintain profitability through effective inventory management practices.
• Commercial Strategy: Analyse market trends, define target audiences, and develop and implement commercial strategies to achieve business objectives.
• Product Range Selection: Curate a product range that meets the needs of your customers and aligns with seasonal demands.
• Financial Management: Understand and manage the department's profit and loss statement (P&L), ensuring economic viability and profitability.
• Activity Management: Lead and debrief team activities, implement action plans, and monitor progress towards objectives.
• Circular Economy Promotion: Promote and encourage the use of circular services, such as product trade-ins, second-life options, repairs, and rentals, to support sustainability initiatives.
• Safety & Security: Ensure a safe and secure environment for customers, teammates, and products, upholding safety regulations and protecting customer data.
• Team Development: Foster team cohesion, collective intelligence, and a shared vision to achieve common goals.
• Staff Management: Develop and mentor teammates through performance reviews, identify individual needs, and provide opportunities for growth and development.
• Recruitment & Onboarding: Define recruitment needs, attract and recruit talented individuals, and ensure smooth onboarding and integration of new teammates.
• Human Resources Management: Oversee the legal framework for staff management, define organisational structure, and coordinate team flexibility to meet business needs.
• Scheduling & Operations: Manage daily store operations, including scheduling, task allocation, and resource management, to ensure efficient and effective workflow.

In addition to these skills and abilities, you're comfortable working in a dynamic retail environment, including weekends and holidays, and are excited to contribute to the success of our team.