Retail Operations & Business Manager

Paper Plus Coastlands is one of the top performing stores in the group and the leading store in the Wellington region.

We are recruiting a commercially capable Retail Operations & Business Manager to take full operational ownership of the store across Books, Stationery, NZ Post, Toys, Gifts, Cards, Magazines and all seasonal categories.

This is a senior leadership role with direct accountability for stock, margin, cashflow and team performance.

This is a commercial leadership role inside a high-volume independent business.

What You Will Own:

• Sales growth and gross margin across all departments
• Open to Buy management and budget discipline
• Inventory turns and aged stock control
• Weekly supplier returns completed on time
• Accurate stock receipting and inventory integrity
• Shrink control and stocktake execution

Departmental Leadership:

• Books (frontlist, backlist, range depth, sell-through)
• Stationery (core range, seasonal BTS planning)
• NZ Post counter operations and compliance
• Gifts, Toys, Cards and Magazine category performance
• Seasonal execution (Christmas, Back to School, Mother’s Day etc.)

Operations & People:

• Rostering within wage budget
• Hiring, onboarding, performance management and terminations
• Daily task management and team accountability
• Maintaining merchandising and presentation standards
• Leading from the shop floor while maintaining authority
• Planning and executing author events and local marketing initiatives

Reporting:

• Short, concise weekly performance reporting to owners transitioning to additional ventures.

What You Must Bring:

• Minimum 5+ years retail leadership experience with full department or store accountability
• Demonstrated experience managing stock budgets or Open to Buy
• Proven ability to manage multiple categories with different margin profiles
• Experience controlling returns and protecting cashflow
• Strong understanding of gross margin, sell-through, stock turn and wage % control
• Confidence making hiring and performance decisions
• High personal standards and strong commercial judgement

If you have not been accountable for stock performance or worked within a buying budget, this role will not suit you.

• This role includes a structured performance-based incentive aligned to EBIT growth, stock turn improvement and wage control.
• For the right candidate, there is a defined pathway toward profit participation and potential equity involvement after sustained performance.
• This opportunity is designed for a commercially driven retail leader seeking long-term business impact, not a short-term supervisory role.

To Apply

Please submit:

• Your CV
• A cover letter outlining:
• The highest annual sales turnover you have been accountable for
• The largest stock budget you have managed
• An example of how you improved stock turn or reduced aged inventory
• How you ensure weekly returns are completed and why that matters
• An example of improving performance across multiple departments
• How you manage wage % during seasonal peaks

Applications that do not address these points will not be reviewed.

We operate at pace and expect measurable performance improvement across all departments.