Area Manager  – Retail

Location – Thames Valley Area  

Salary  - Depending on experience  

Hours  Monday – Friday 40hrs per week with some flexibility  

Lead with heart. Drive with purpose. Grow remarkable retail. 

 Purpose

 To lead an area of shops, supporting Shop Leaders, Franchisees and their teams, with inspiring leadership, people engagement, and operational excellence. Driving sales, retail KPI’s and manging overheads. Always making sure that the ‘Customer’ is at the heart of everything.

What you’ll be doing‿

Leadership & Team Development

*        Support and engage up to 280 team members across your area

• Ensure high standards and engagement across Shop Leaders, Franchisees, and their teams.
• Foster leadership excellence, succession planning, and people growth throughout the region.
• Represent area teams’ perspectives to the wider business.
• Promote a culture of inclusivity, trust, performance, and shared purpose.

Commercial & Operational Responsibility

• Contribute to and deliver COOK’s business strategy.
• Support Shop Leaders in meeting sales, profit, and KPI targets across their areas.
• Own the commercial performance of your direct shop area, ensuring sales targets are met, overheads are managed on the P&L, and retail KPIs are delivered.
• Monitor and analyse regional trends, sharing insights to inform strategy and improvement plans.

Operational & Business Growth Responsibility

• Ensure consistency in shop standards, hospitality, and customer experience across the region.
• Support new shop openings, refits, and relocations.
• Take ownership of people or performance issues within the area.
• Champion operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Adapt area plans and leadership priorities in response to business needs and seasonal peaks.

What You’ll Bring:

*        Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills

*        Passion for hospitality and creating great customer experiences

*        Proven ability to manage performance and deliver commercial results

*        Skilled communicator across in-person, phone, and written platforms

*        Organised, adaptable diary and time management

*        High attention to detail with a shopkeeper's eye for standards

*        Problem-solving mindset with a positive, resilient outlook

*        Full UK Driving Licence and access to a car

If you tick most of these boxes but not all—don’t stress. We’re all about potential. 

This is more than a leadership role. It’s your chance to inspire, grow, and shape the future of COOK retail. Ready to lead something remarkable?

Excellent Benefits including 

• Paid breaks 
• Paid leave on your birthdays, moving house, become grandparent or your child starts school for the first time 
• staff profit share 
• Wellbeing program 
• 30% staff discount 
• Access to CookieJar Smart Spending discounts and free food perks. 
• Team meals , events & away days 
• Be part of a B-Corp-certified business that values sustainability, people, and the community. 

And many more ‿. 

 What Cook is About 

We’re a proudly independent, family-owned B Corp, which basically means we care. A lot. About our food. About our people. And about doing the right thing—even when it’s not the easy thing. 

Our vision for COOK has always been that we are a place where EVERYONE is welcome. We want everyone to feel like they belong at COOK. We all have different roles, different abilities and different personalities. By collaborating we can do remarkable things. Whatever your story, if you would like to grow with COOK please apply. 

INDHP