Festival Store General Manager

Festival Store General Manager
£40,800 - £48,000 plus great benefits (work level 6A) 
39 hours per week (you’ll need to work flexibly during festival events where there will be up to 10 consecutive working days spent on site)
Secondment from 27th April to 11th September 2026 (20 weeks)

Successful candidates will need to be available for weekly onboarding calls from March until the secondment starts (supplementary store hours provided)

3 opportunities available covering the following festivals: 
Team 1 Festivals: Download, Belladrum, Leeds 
Team 2 Festivals: Isle of Wight, Latitude, Reading 
Team 3 Festivals: Kendal Calling, Creamfields (includes set up of Download store with property)

We’re looking for three Festival Store General Managers to join Co-op and help bring our festival stores to life at some of the UK’s biggest events. It’s a chance to lead in a fast paced, high profile environment while building skills you won’t find anywhere else in retail.

Why this role matters

Our festival stores do more than just sell essentials. They show thousands of festival goers what Co op stands for. You’ll make sure each store runs safely and smoothly, supporting your teams to thrive, and delivering brilliant experiences that leave a lasting impression.

What you’ll do

• Interview, select and lead your festival management team
• Recruit and support colleagues, co-ordinating the required pre-training, travel, and welfare checks
• Plan and organise everything needed to open and run a busy festival store
• Keep trading safe, legal, and efficient, adapting quickly when things change
• Work closely with a range of shareholders to maximise availability and sales
• Solve problems on the ground and influence decisions that keep the operation moving
• Look for smarter ways to work so we exceed our goals
• Manage expenses, colleague conduct, and stock exit confidently and professionally

You can find more information and a detailed role description here:
Festival management roles

What you’ll bring

• A proactive, hands on approach and confidence to lead in a fast paced setting
• Experience of running store operations and supporting large, diverse teams
• Strong communication skills and the ability to keep people motivated
• Great organisation and basic project management know how
• A desire to grow as a leader and help others develop too

Please note: Candidates who make the interview stage will be asked to prepare a short presentation as part of their application to this role.

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:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme at Disability Confident Scheme - Co-op Colleagues and more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion at Diversity and Inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

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.