Retail Area Manager (Cluster Manager)

Location: Field based in the Midlands

Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week covering a 7-day week operation from 9am-9pm.

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract / Secondment (12 months)

Salary: £36,000 plus bonus of up to £12k per year

Closing Date: 5^th October 2025

Assessment days will be held during the weeks commencing 13th and 20th October 2025. If you are unavailable on any of these dates, please email [email protected].

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we’re harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo.

As a Retail Area / Cluster Manager for Virgin Atlantic Holidays, you’ll be the driving force behind the day-to-day performance of our retail stores. Partnering closely with the Divisional Manager, your mission is to develop, coach, and inspire our teams to deliver standout sales and unforgettable customer experiences.

You’ll be a visible leader across the Midlands region, role-modelling best practice, championing our brand values, and ensuring every store reflects the Virgin Holidays vision. From energising team performance to elevating service standards, you’ll make sure every customer leaves with a smile and a holiday to remember.

• Comprehensive onboarding program. It’s fast-paced and turbulent at times, but we believe it makes things…well, just a bit more exciting.
• Company car with travel expenses covered.
• Company bonus scheme
• Up to seven flights a year to any of Virgin Atlantic’s global destinations (did someone say Vegas?)
• Generous contributory pension scheme
• A high-energy work environment that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages you to bring your whole self to work.
• Access to our employee assistance programme and Digital GP service.
• Continuous mentoring and development through a dedicated development programme to support your career progression.
• Industry-leading Staff Travel benefits

As our Retail Area / Cluster Manager, no two days will ever look the same, but here’s a flavour of what you’ll be doing:

• You’ll be at the heart of the action, spending your time in-store, supporting your team and our guests, spotting opportunities to delight customers and recognising the amazing work of your people.
• You’ll identify development opportunities, give regular feedback, and provide on-the-spot coaching to help your team grow and succeed.
• You’ll lead with precision by overseeing deployment to make sure the right people are in the right place at the right time, keeping everything running smoothly.
• From time to time, you’ll work with our enabling teams to explore fresh ways of working, new ideas to support people and customer engagement, and innovation that enhances both the team and guest experience.
• You’ll drive performance by conducting regular staff reviews, track performance, and provide competitor and market feedback to the wider commercial team to help shape future strategy.
• Build strong relationships and maintain key stakeholder connections across the business, sharing insights and ensuring your store’s voice is heard.
• Explore opportunities to promote Virgin Atlantic Holidays within your local community, showcasing our products and raising awareness of what makes us unique.

You’ll be a natural people leader, confident in managing and inspiring a team of around 15 colleagues across up to 3 locations. With a proven track record in motivating teams, you’ll know how to bring out the best in others and foster a culture where everyone can thrive.

As well as the above, we’re also looking for the following:

• Proven experience (or strong understanding) of performance management, attendance, and recruitment practices, which will be used to drive both individual and team success.
• A collaborative and influential leadership style, with the ability to develop people, coach for growth, and create an environment where continuous improvement is embraced.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and objective in your approach, along with being able to make balanced decisions and keep your team focused even when challenges arise.
• Commercially driven and confident in target-led environments, with the ability to balances business performance with a genuine commitment to developing people and building high-performing teams.
• Demonstrable experience of change management skills, ensuring your team feels supported and engaged through periods of transition.

You’re naturally curious and thrive in dynamic environments. You embrace change and are energised by the possibilities that new technology and innovation bring. Whether it’s streamlining how your team collaborates or enhancing the candidate experience, you’re always looking for smarter, more effective ways to make an impact.

If this sounds like you, and you would like to unlock your potential with us, we would love to hear from you!

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ([email protected]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.

At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here