Head of Retail Operations, Full Time – Wakefield

Overview

Salary Details: Competitive salary and benefits package

Location: Century House Brunel Road Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate

Job Reference: cardfac/TP/1411087/30675

If you’re excited by the idea of shaping how a retail business truly operates, this could be your next big move. We’re looking for a Head of Retail Operations who can bring clarity, direction and energy to the way our stores run every day. You’ll lead the specialist teams who make retail tick — from change delivery and communications to policies, routines and our retail helpdesk — ensuring every store has what it needs to succeed.

You’ll turn big‑picture strategy into simple, store‑ready delivery, championing operational excellence and making change feel seamless for colleagues. It’s a role with real influence: you’ll drive value for customers and teams, build a culture of accountability and keep Retail Operations future‑fit, agile and ready for whatever comes next. If you thrive on shaping strategy, elevating standards and enabling teams to deliver their best, you’ll make a significant impact here.

This is a hybrid role, with 2–3 days each week spent at our Wakefield head office.

What you will be doing

You’ll shape how Retail Operations runs today and how it evolves for the future. Working closely with the Central Operations Senior Leadership Team, you’ll turn long‑term strategy into a clear, deliverable plan that aligns teams behind the right priorities. You’ll set the roadmap, define the measures that matter and create a culture where people understand what they’re here to deliver and feel empowered to do it well.

You’ll lead operational excellence across the estate, ensuring everything we ask stores to do is practical, aligned to capacity and genuinely adds value. From activity planning and communications to policies, routines and process simplification, you’ll make sure stores receive clear guidance, simple ways of working and change that lands smoothly. You’ll collaborate across the business to keep operations efficient, future‑fit and responsive to the needs of colleagues and customers.

You’ll sponsor major change programmes, ensuring they’re store‑ready, well‑tested and deliver the benefits they promise. You’ll also oversee our Retail Helpdesk, ensuring stores receive fast, effective support and that insights from issues help us continually improve.

As a senior leader, you’ll build and develop a high‑performing Retail Operations team, champion collaboration and create opportunities for colleagues to grow across both central and field roles. You’ll set high standards, celebrate success and help shape an operation that enables stores to deliver brilliantly every day.

What we’re looking for

• Significant senior leadership experience in multi‑site retail or retail operations, with a strong track record of leading cross‑functional teams.
• Proven accountability for P&L and operational budgets, with experience delivering large‑scale change in a fast‑paced retail environment.
• Demonstrated ability to drive measurable improvements in efficiency, store execution and colleague experience.
• Strong strategic planning capability, with confidence in capacity planning, budgeting and commercial decision‑making.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to simplify complexity and make clear, timely decisions.
• Technologically confident, with a continuous‑improvement mindset and a focus on smarter, more efficient ways of working.
• An enterprise‑first thinker who champions store success, brings future‑focused and commercially astute thinking and stays composed under pressure.
• A visible, decisive leader who builds trust, drives momentum and develops high‑performing teams through coaching, support and clear accountability.
• Someone who brings energy, simplicity and strategic clarity to complex challenges, unlocking potential in others and elevating team performance.

Step into a role where your impact is felt across our stores — it’s a brilliant moment to be part of our journey. 

Card Factory is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of greetings cards, dressings, and gifts with over one thousand stores across the UK and Ireland.  In 2020 we launched our exciting 5-year business strategy including our vision of becoming a true Omni-channel retailer.  This strategy sees significant investment into our colleagues across the business creating multiple opportunities to join a fast-paced environment and be part of our exciting journey.  

In return, we offer a wide range of benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.

Benefits

• Pension
• 15% Card Factory colleague discount in-store and online
• Save As You Earn scheme
• Financial Wellbeing Support
  • Financial Education Tools
  • Salary Advance
• Seasonal incentive schemes
• Retail Management Apprenticeship Programmes with local providers with access to a virtual internal network for learning together
• Discounted gym membership, mobile phone contracts, and car leasing
• Discounts across 100’s of UK retailers
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to tools to support mental, physical, and financial wellbeing
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption leave

This is an exciting role with genuine prospects for the right candidate. If this role describes you and your career aspirations, click apply now.

For any questions email: vacancies@cardfactory.co.uk (we do not accept CVs/Applications via email) 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once sufficient suitable applications have been received. We advise applying early to avoid disappointment as applications will be reviewed regularly. 

No agencies, please.

IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.