At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Centre Management team to ensure exceptional customer experiences and operational excellence.
- Company: Join Savills, a global leader in property management with a commitment to diversity.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth opportunities, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with over 42,000 professionals worldwide.
- Why this job: Shape the future of North Down's largest retail destination and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Senior commercial management experience and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
Role & Location
Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park, Bangor.
Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre is owned by Herbert Property, a major player in the Northern Irish commercial property market, specialising in the retail sector (The Lesley brand currently owns and manages over 1,000,000 Sqft of retail assets).
Lesley Bloomfield occupies an overall estate size of c.31 acres, and represents North Down’s largest concentration of retail space, with c. 425,000 Sqft of retail accommodation across the core shopping centre and adjacent retail park.
The Centre is anchored by Marks & Spencer and Tesco, and includes other notable occupiers such as Next, TK Maxx, JD Sports and Waterstones.
The wider site also includes five external F&B units and offers c.1600 customer car parking spaces.
We are seeking an exceptional candidate to lead this significant estate into its next exciting stage of development.
The successful candidate will have responsibility for all aspects of Centre Management to ensure that Lesley Bloomfield continues to thrive as the dominant retail destination in the catchment with an exceptional and rapidly expanding tenant offer.
Key Responsibilities
- As Centre Manager of Lesley Bloomfield, lead the Centre Management team to manage and operate the Centre to the very highest professional standards, providing excellent customer experience to all stakeholders.
- The Centre Manager, although reporting to the Director of Property Management in Savills, will also be attending regular meetings with the owner of the Centre providing updates and consulting on strategic matters.
- Duty Management for weekends/bank holidays.
- Implement excellent working practices and innovation at Lesley Bloomfield, ensuring that the Centre remains ‘best in class’ and dominant in the catchment.
- Liaise with the landlord / property management team and all related stakeholders to help achieve the required goals and targets for Lesley Bloomfield.
- Be responsible for driving and maximising customer footfall and retail sales opportunities with all tenants.
- Ensure that the Centre is maintained to an excellent standard and contractors are carrying out their work to an appropriate and compliant standard.
- Oversee the Centre Management team and all 3rd party suppliers/ contractors to ensure a joined‑up approach in achieving overall goals.
- Ensure high levels of customer service are always provided by the Centre Management team (and wider supply chain).
- Monitor Centre performance including footfall and retailer sales performance.
- Provide such reports and attend such meetings as required for the purposes of reporting Centre progress and updates.
- In conjunction with the owner and property management team, continually explore ways of operating more efficiently / updating working strategy in conjunction with evolving client, market and legislative demands.
- Have a full understanding and appreciation of the business strategy for the Centre and take responsibility for its implementation within the context of the Centre Management team.
- Manage and have full responsibility for overseeing the annual service charge budget, manage expenditure throughout the service charge period and assist with the reconciliation at year end.
- Working with the Centre marketing team and property management team along with any appointed external agencies, ensure the marketing strategy is effectively developed and executed to drive footfall and sales including ongoing review of return on investment.
- Ensure that the Centre is the dominant retail destination in the wider catchment and is industry recognised as such.
Person Specification
- Minimum
- Senior Commercial Management experience
- Strong leadership skills with a proven track record of managing a large team.
- Service Charge operation within a Shopping Centre environment.
- Excellent communicator at all levels.
- Excellent presentation skills.
- Excellent Financial Management skills.
- Influential.
- Self‑motivated.
- Proficient decision maker.
- Ability to network.
- Previous PR and Marketing exposure at a strategic level.
- Strong operational H&S knowledge.
- Previous real estate, retail, leisure, property/asset management experience.
Desirable
- 5+ years Centre Manager/Director experience
- Industry recognised Shopping Centre Management qualification or working towards it.
- Previous experience of managing operations in a large-scale retail/leisure environment (i. e. in excess of 250,000 sqft).
- Sound knowledge of corporate responsibility and environmental issues.
- Achievement of other professional qualifications/ Awards relevant to the role.
- Practicable construction knowledge.
- P & L Experience.
- Equal Opportunity Employer
Savills Ireland is an equal opportunity employer.
Savills aims to attract, recruit and retain the best people from the widest possible pool of talent.
As such, we are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse working environment for all employees by striving at all times to be an organisation which does not discriminate, values everyone’s talents and abilities and where diversity is positively promoted.
Over 42,000 people work for us in more than 70 countries all over the world.
This breadth of global coverage, combined with specialist services and market insight, means we’ll always have an expert who is local to you.
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StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Centre Manager- Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park in Bangor
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Savills Ireland, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Savills Ireland!
We think you need these skills to ace Centre Manager- Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park in Bangor
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Savills Ireland, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Savills Ireland and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Savills Ireland that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Savills Ireland
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!