Department Manager

Founded in 1960, H&G is a building supplies company with a wide variety of products, 6 locations, and is driven to be the possible partner for all builders of the Australian dream.

**We're looking for a Department Manager with middle management experience, ideally within hardware and building supplies retail, specifically in the industrial segment and power tools, to join our Dural location.**

**Job Summary**

The Department Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the department, ensuring operational and organisational standards are maintained, customer needs met, and maximising sales at an agreed gross margin. Duties include motivating team members, participating in recruitment, creating strategies to increase profitability, developing promotional material as needed, and training staff. From time to time the role requires an element of working unsocial hours, including weekend work.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Monitor conversion, sales, profitability and loss of the assigned store.
- Deliver excellent service to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Motivate the sales associate team (counter and floor staff) to meet sales objectives by training and mentoring staff.
- Hire, onboard, train, performance manage, and oversee staff, working in conjunction with the People & Culture team.
- Manage staffing levels and time off to meet service standards, and ensure accurate time recording (in BambooHR or via paper timesheets), approving each week.
- Manages customer queries and authorises additional discounts when necessary, responding to customer complaints and concerns in a professional manner.
- Ensure store compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Develop and arrange promotional material and in-store displays, as required.
- Undertake store administration duties such as managing store budgets, monitoring security, and updating financial records.
- Monitor inventory levels and order new items as required, abiding by guidelines of buying groups and H&G Product Portfolio Managers regarding preferred suppliers.
- Manage inventory and ensure security of merchandise and store.
- Undertake or directs visual merchandising and housekeeping tasks.
- Monitor competitor pricing and ensure optimum profit margins are achieved.
- Process invoices and credit notes on a timely basis.
- Lead stocktake.
- Liaise with any assigned local external sales team in order to: a) Identify local sale opportunities, b) Facilitate quotes and orders for customers, c) Ensure quality and personalised service for customers (whether internal or external).
Build close relationships with members of the assigned business group and external Sales Team to ensure seamless service to customers.
- Conduct dual-call visits with specialist partners with the business and/or preferred company suppliers or the builder’s client, in order to promote sales.
- Facilitate builder and homeowner’s introduction to an internal sales specialists/associates (at store and as required) in order for that customer to receive the personalised service needed.
- Evaluate customers skills, needs and build productive long-lasting relationships with all customers.
- Schedule and monitor pickup and delivery of products, and work with warehouse and delivery staff to ensure timely and accurate deliveries which meet distribution performance goals.
- Analyse existing processes and propose improvements and new methods to control costs and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Direct warehouse operations including delivery, maintenance and order management.
- May be assigned product line or category responsibilities.

**KPIs**
- Store sales budget - KPI: target achieved or exceeded.
- Status and accuracy of monthly sales within the H&G quote register - KPI: quote register updated weekly.
- Team member performance reviews - completed annually.

**Key Requirements**
- High school diploma or equivalent qualification; Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or relevant field preferred.
- A minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a retail or trade environment, and at least 5 years within a managerial role.
- Well-developed leadership and customer management abilities.
- Customer service-oriented with good knowledge of business management processes.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Competent in use of MSOffice365 desirable.
- Team-player who is self-motivated and driven.