Job Description

Retail Development Manager

Up to £50,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 5)

South Midlands (Field-based)

Please note: You’ll regularly travel to our wholesale partner sites across your region, and you’ll visit our Scunthorpe head office once a month to connect with the team

Co-op Wholesale is growing, and we’re looking for talented people who want to shape what comes next. As a Retail Development Manager, you’ll look after a portfolio of independent retailer sites across the South Midlands (plus some surrounding areas). You’ll be a trusted partner to our retailers, offering practical support, sharing your expertise, and helping them make the most of everything our market-leading wholesale proposition offers.

You’ll spend plenty of time out in the field. From checking store standards to offering operational guidance and spotting new opportunities for commercial success, you’ll be right there with retailers helping them succeed. And you’ll work closely with colleagues across our support teams, too, making sure issues are resolved quickly and our partners get a seamless service.

Why this role matters

Exciting things are happening at Co-op Wholesale. We’re growing fast, strengthening our offer for retailers, key accounts, and corporate partners, and we need great people to be part of our journey.

To make this offer the best it can be, we need people who can help our partners thrive, working closely with them to improve their retail offer and bring positive changes to life. That’s where you come in.

What you’ll do

• Build positive, productive relationships and help our retailers spot opportunities to grow their business
• Create great experiences by understanding issues, getting to the root cause, and supporting retailers with practical solutions
• Manage your own schedule and carry-out regular visits across your region
• Coach, challenge and guide your retailers to drive improvements and help them get the best from their stores
• Take ownership of your own performance and deliver against agreed KPIs
• Act as the link between our head office and retailers, working with teams across IT, logistics, and operations to resolve issues quickly

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• A strong track record in field sales, convenience or FMCG
• Experience building partnerships that drive commercial results
• Great communication skills, with the ability to influence and support a broad range of partners
• Strong organisational skills and the confidence to manage a busy workload independently
• Good IT skills, with the ability to understand, interpret and present data clearly
• A full UK driver’s licence

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• Private healthcare
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.