Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager

Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager Hours: 42.5 hours per week (alternate weekends) Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience We are recruiting a Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager for a high-performing garden centre located in the North West, within easy reach of major towns and transport links. This is an urgent hire for a busy site with strong footfall and significant commercial opportunity. The centre forms part of a successful and fast-growing Garden Centre Group, recognised for its high retail standards, customer service, and commitment to developing its management teams. About the Role This is a highly seasonal and commercially focused management role. For approximately 7 months of the year, you will lead the Outdoor Leisure department, covering furniture, BBQs, patio heating, and associated categories. The remaining 5 months will be dedicated to the Christmas department, where visual merchandising, space planning, and peak-season trading are critical. You will have full ownership of department performance, balancing creative visual impact with strong commercial and P&L accountability, ensuring sales, margin, and stock are maximised during key trading periods. Key Responsibilities Full management of the Outdoor Leisure and Christmas departments Driving sales, margin, and profit through effective commercial decision-making Ownership of departmental P&L, budgets, and performance reporting Forecasting sales, managing stock intake, and controlling inventory levels Delivering high-impact visual merchandising that drives customer engagement Leading, training, and motivating the team to maintain excellent retail standards Ensuring exceptional customer service during both peak and non-peak seasons Maintaining strong retail discipline, stock control, and operational efficiency The Ideal Candidate Proven experience in a fast-paced retail environment, ideally with strong seasonal trading Garden centre experience is desirable but not essential Demonstrable experience managing departments with seasonality and peak trading cycles Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing sales, margin, and P&L Passionate about visual merchandising, space planning, and high retail standards Confident, hands-on leader with the ability to develop and motivate teams Comfortable using retail systems, data, and KPIs to drive performance Perks & Benefits Competitive salary (dependent on experience) Staff discount Paid holidays Pension scheme Career development opportunities within a growing group Free on-site parking Interested? Send your CV today, or for more information, contact Leo at or call 01780 480530 . TPBN1_UKTJ

Created: 2026-01-08