Operations Director

Salary: £48k, Bonus Scheme, Company Car, Incentive Package and Benefits
Based: Harwell, Oxfordshire


Retail Active is one of the fastest growing customer  intelligence companies in the UK. We work with some of the world's best known brands and are now looking to implement our aggressive growth plans in the UK and overseas.

We currently have a vacancy for an Operations Director, based at our office in Harwell, Oxfordshire. This is a pivotal role and vital to the company's future success. Reporting to the Managing Director you will be directly responsible for executing the company's business plan and daily operational activity. You will work closely with the Commercial Director and be responsible for the Operations Teams, ensuring flawless execution of the Retail Active proposition to complete client satisfaction.

Prior experience in customer research programmes is essential, coupled with an excellent understanding of customer experience in retail and hospitality environments. You will also have proven senior management (operational) experience in a high pressure environment.

You will have outstanding interpersonal and presentation skills, be commercially astute with an aptitude for strategic business development. Key to this role is your ability to drive growth by adding real value to both existing and new clients.

As Operations Director you will be responsible for leading your teams by example, forging strong high-level relationships with clients and for meeting demanding business targets.

This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic business at an influential level with potential to reap substantial rewards and success.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Delivery of the company business plan and financial objectives
• Management of the Completion Team, Quality Assurance Team, Account Management and IT Teams to ensure flawless execution of the Retail Active proposition
• Communication and delivery of agreed company KPI's weekly, monthly and quarterly and annually
• Attending high level meetings to ensure complete client satisfaction, representing the companies range of services whilst making a meaningful difference to client businesses
• Understanding client objectives and continually qualifying client needs through communicating to and meeting with clients at strategic and head office levels
• Compare revenue performance with market opportunity by product
• Fulfill ad hoc reporting requests as needed
• Maintain a well informed understanding of competitors activity, products and objectives
• Work with the Managing Director and Sales Director on relevant client acquisition projects, participate in company marketing and sales efforts where appropriate
• Seek every opportunity to represent Retail Active, its products and business interests with third party organisations and business partners
• Interact and foster outstanding working relationships with clients, be fully conversant with Retail Active products in order to help drive sales - and specifically on large, cross-discipline pitches and RFPs
• Delivering an agreed increase in overall productivity by focusing on streamlining current processes and implementing industry best practices
• Lead large national and international projects, from initial costing through logistical delivery and quality assurance
• Deliver business to grow at +30% per year while decreasing operating costs through process re-engineering and supply chain and people management
• To attend monthly Business Planning meetings and agree points of further action to deliver the company plan

Required Skills and Experience:

• Degree in communications, market research, business, or related field
• Extensive experience managing operations for a qualitative market research organisation
• Experience in leading and motivating teams to deliver outstanding results in a demanding environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, being used to present complex data in an interesting and easy to comprehend way
• Outstanding project management skills with the ability to establish priorities, manage multiple projects, establish time lines manage and appraise team leaders and employees to achieve objectives
• Experience working with top clients across multiple industries, including FMCG, Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Hospitality, Automotive and Technology
• Experience in successfully implementing new product innovation to the market place
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact professionally and effectively with all levels of employees and senior leadership
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure of deadlines. Ability to adapt quickly to change
• Leadership experience as demonstrated by successfully managing an organisation of at least 15 team members
• A commitment to maintain confidentiality of employee, client and business data 
• Strong strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills
• Good knowledge of PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Experience managing large, complex domestic and multi-national projects across cultures
• Experience working with senior management to drive and implement key business strategies

Closing date for applications is 24th August 2012.

Retail Active is one of the fastest growing brand audit and mystery shopping companies in the UK. We work with some of the world's best known brands sending specially trained mystery shoppers to assess the quality of service at client's premises. Mystery Shopping is a fast growing market research technique and we are actively recruiting secret shoppers of all demographic profiles. Those wishing to apply for mystery shopping jobs should apply at www.retailactive.com. Alternatively applicants will find us by searching mystery shopper on Google.

European Queue Survey

Members of MSPA Europe have conducted a major, pan-European, survey of queues. This is the fourth survey of its kind conducted by MSPA Mystery Shopping Companies, with the results giving valuable insight and an interesting picture of the way customers experience service.

Mystery Shoppers from 23 countries joined queues in a range of retail types including grocery stores, banks, fast food outlets and travel ticket offices. Secret Shoppers reported on the time taken to reach the front of the queue and on the response of the member of staff to the queuing customer. Nearly 3000 mystery shopper queue reports were submitted, making this the largest survey of its kind.

Julian Chamberlain, MD of Retail Active Mystery Shopping and Brand Audits said "Frustratingly mystery shoppers could see ways in which the queue could be shortened, by opening more available tills, or bringing extra staff to assist, but noted that this very rarely happened.

"The research shows that Russia has the longest and slowest queues and Post Offices have the longest queues.

"Customers appear resigned to staying in the queue, but one in three was dissatisfied about the experience."

The surveys show that on average it takes almost 9 minutes to reach the front of the queue, 1 minute less than 2 years ago and still about the time taken in 2008, indicating that cost cutting changes made because of the recession may be having a real impact on customer experiences.

Retail active is a leading mystery shopping company providing research throughout Europe. Mystery Shopping is a valuable way to help organisations measure exactly how well, or badly, their customers are treated.

Become a Retail Active Account Manager

Retail Active the leading UK based Brand Audit & Mystery Shopping Company is actively seeking an experienced Account Manager to join them at their Oxfordshire based headquarters.

You will be responsible for promoting Retail Active through presentations and analysis, whilst proactively identifying further new business opportunities. Over the next few months we have several high profile clients joining us and there are exciting new opportunities ahead.

The primary purpose of a Retail Active Account Manager is to manage the commercial relationship with existing and new Mystery Shopping clients. This will involve regularly meetings with clients to give feedback, share best practice and recommend improvements to their programmes. Our clients look for well informed and proactive challenge to help them improve their proposition, therefore having the confidence to present compelling commercial information is essential.

Working with the Operations Team you will ensure that client programme requirements are understood and implemented to an exacting standard.

You will have previous relevant experience as an Account Manager, be willing to travel extensively and looking for a challenge to develop your career in a growing organisation. It is highly likely that you will work closely with our clients, possibly at least one day a week at their headquarters.

Applicants will need to be confident individuals with the abilities to communicate effectively at all levels. This is a challenging and rewarding job requiring excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects.

Julian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Retail Active commented: 'This is a crucial role and we are looking for the very best and brightest Account Managers to join us. We offer excellent opportunities those able to make an engaging and meaningful difference to clients and brand performance. We have exciting plans for the future and it is essential the right team in place to make Retail Active the secret shopper company of choice.

If you would like to apply for this position please send your CV to info@retailactive.com, together with a covering letter, detailing why you believe you should be considered.

Retail Active is one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping Companies, sending thousands of mystery shoppers each week to conduct assignments.

Salary, circa £34,000 pa including car allowance and benefits.

Companies Look to Retail Active Mystery Shopping

More and more companies are increasingly turning to mystery shopping to give them a commercial advantage over their competitors.

Tough market conditions mean companies from sectors are having to fight for every pound and the standard of customer service is a vital ingredient in winning and holding on to business.

Julian Chamberlain, managing director of one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping companies, Retail Active, says there has been a dramatic increase in approaches from national and international brands looking for help in improving their levels of customer service.

Our carefully selected mystery shoppers give businesses essential feedback on the performance of their staff and collect other important market related information.

Julian Chamberlain said: "Retail Active is growing fast. More and more companies are turning to Retail Active for advice on how to improve their customer advocacy. Clearly, the importance of customer service has an increased relevance in the current market and big international household names are taking it very seriously indeed.

"Good customer service can hold the key to a company's success or even survival in these trying times."

"Our highly experienced mystery shoppers give rapid and accurate assessments of customer service and produce reports which can be acted upon within 24 hours."

"Understanding customers and their needs has never been more important, in a market where they hold the upper hand."

Retail Active has major clients in the automotive, retail, leisure, food and drink and public service sectors.

British Consumers Complain More

Leading Mystery Shopping Company 'Retail Active' has repeated its survey of high street consumers to identify consumer's propensity to complain about shoddy goods and service.

Retail Active conducts an annual survey to track the performance of customer service and 2,781 people have participated in the survey over the past three months.

More than half of the High Street shoppers say customer service has worsened significantly across all sectors of high street retailing and reports a further decline in service compared to a year ago.

This major new survey concludes that 64 percent of British consumers believe service in the UK has worsened considerably over the past year.

Retail Active mystery shopping say more and more people are prepared to complain about shoddy service than ever before. Four out of five people polled in the survey said they will not suffer in silence any more - and will stand up to sloppy staff.

Retail Active Managing Director, Julian Chamberlain said: "Retailers are having to fight for every pound in tough conditions and just can't afford to let standards of service slip any further. The survey shows that customers think the deterioration in service is due to lack of staff, de-motivation, lack of training and staff being unhappy. "Nearly a third, 38 percent, of shoppers polled said they complain more now than they did before the credit crunch in 2008!

Retail Active is one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping Companies and conducts Brand Audits, Secret Shopping and customer satisfaction surveys to over 170 companies in the UK and Europe.

The company is always looking for new secret shoppes and assessors to help with Mystery Shopping and Brand Auditing.

New Exciting Assignments

Over the next two months we will be releasing a whole range of exciting new assignments. We are looking for people just like you to join us to assess customer service throughout Europe. You could be eating in fine restaurants, having a pint (or two) at your local or going to the cinema as a Retail Active mystery shopping professional.

Retail Active conducts secret shopping throughout Europe, sending thousands of secret shoppers each month to test service and quality. We are always looking for new mystery shoppers to join us in our quest to be one of the world's top Mystery Shopping Companies.

We are a growing company and are very loyal to our team; we always give those that do a great job the opportunity to do some of the best assignments. This could be staying in a five star hotel or on a funded shopping trip where you can keep luxury purchases.

If you are not a Mystery Shopper with us currently, please apply online at www.retailactive.com and go through our Shopper Academy. From time to time we are also looking for Auditors to help us conduct Brand Audits as well as Customer Service Interviewers.

Retail Active is a leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Company with significant growth plans.

Join us and help make a real difference to customer service, everywhere!

Customer Service Interviewer Vacancies

Retail Active the leading British Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Company is currently recruiting experienced customer service 'Exit Interviewers' to work with us on an exciting new project.

This could be an ideal part time job with likely earnings of £200 for working over a Saturday and Sunday.

Opportunities exist throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.

You will need to be confident, well mannered and approachable as it will involve speaking with shoppers as they leave a store. Our clients are leading retail businesses and expect the most diligent and professional service to be provided by our team members. You will be filling in short questionnaires with them, which then need to be entered on the Retail Active online portal. Having an iPad or tablet would be helpful but is not essential.

Having Field Marketing, Exit Survey or Brand Auditing experience is a definite plus, however honesty, reliability and wanting to deliver a great job is equally important.

Register your interest by email to shoppersupport@retailactive.com and please include your Shopper Number on the email.

If you are not a Mystery Shopper with us currently, please apply online at www.retailactive.com and go through our Shopper Academy. Please be advised that you need to be a Mystery Shopper with us to accept Exit Interviewer work.

Retail Active conducts secret shopping throughout Europe sending thousands of secret shoppers each month to test service and quality. We are always looking for mystery shoppers to join us in our quest to be one of the world's top Mystery Shopping Companies offering outstanding mystery shopping services.