Head of Retail Development

Zachary Daniels are proud to be supporting a leading organic and sustainable food business in launching their first owned retail stores with the ambition to grow into a national cluster.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly entrepreneurial Head of Retail Development who has a passion for fresh food to lead the full end-to-end launch of new stores. The successful candidate will be personally responsible for delivering every aspect of the store rollout, from site acquisition and property negotiations, to shop fit, ranging, merchandising and marketing.

You will be building processes as you go and shaping the retail model from the ground up. There is no large corporate support team success depends on your ability to get things done, think commercially and problem-solve on the fly.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, secure and negotiate leases for new retail sites

• Manage store design, shop fit and operational setup from start to finish

• Develop ranging and merchandising strategies, particularly for fresh and perishable products

• Plan and execute store launch marketing and customer engagement

• Oversee budgets, timelines and KPIs for all development activities

• Work closely with supply chain, operations and commercial teams in a practical, solution-focused way

• Build and lead a small core team as the store cluster grows

This role of Head of Retail Development requires someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and can lead from the front, managing both strategy and execution.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate for the Head of Retail Development will be:

• Experienced in fresh food retail or grocery, ideally with hands-on store development experience

• Proven ability to launch new stores independently without relying on large support structures

• Highly practical and solutions-oriented, comfortable problem-solving on site

• Commercially astute, with experience managing budgets, timelines, and performance KPIs

• Confident making strategic and operational decisions in a small, agile team

• Passionate about sustainable, organic or ethical retail

Typical backgrounds include:

• Senior Retail Development Manager or Head of Retail at grocery or specialty food brands

• Operations leads with experience in store openings

• Entrepreneurs or consultants with hands-on retail rollout experience

Package

• Salary: £75,000 - £100,000, based on experience

• Performance-based bonus

• Potential involvement in future store expansion and cluster strategy

This confidential position as Head of Retail Development represents a rare opportunity to shape the retail presence of a growing and successful organic brand from the ground up.

BH35769