Purpose of the Role

The Centre Manager is to ensure the smooth and effective commercial and operational running of the centre, with a focus on the delivery of excellent service to our customers and consumers. Responsible for driving the turnover performance of the centre in liaising with retailers and key stakeholders to achieve this. Responsible for the management, recruitment and training of all staff and maintaining a safe and pleasant environment for our customers and consumers through the management of Health and Safety systems and the promotion of best practice throughout all areas of operation.

Key Responsibilities

Core Tasks

• Manage, market and operate the centre to the very highest of professional standards.
• Develop strong relationships with all Customers.
• Drive and maximise consumer footfall and retail sales opportunities with all Customers.
• Manage retail turnover collection targets, monitoring and highlighting – in particular – any under or over-performance to the Property Manager and Asset Manager.
• Collating and monitoring footfall statistics.
• Adhere to all key performance indicators.
• Be the ‘face’ of the Centre with key stakeholders and within the local community and to develop strong community links, demonstrating added value to the community within which the Centre operates.
• Ensure that the Centre is maintained to an excellent standard and contractors are carrying out their work to an appropriate standard.
• Ensure that those working on site are carrying out work in a safe manner.
• Lead by example.
• Manage and lead the Management team to achieve the objectives as specified in the Centres business plan.
• Develop excellent lines of communication with all Centre Management staff, the Customers, contractors and the owners and Asset Managers of Eastgate
• Motivate and facilitate the Centre’s customers to perform to the best of their abilities, providing support where feasible.
• Run and attend regular customer meetings with minutes of the meeting to be distributed to each staff member, the Surveyor and Asset Manager.
• Work with the Surveyor to ensure that works are planned in accordance with the Maintenance Action Plan (both fabric and M&E) in line with service charge budgeting.
• Customer liaison ensuring that the Centre Manager walks the Centre prior to opening up in the morning.
• Maximise commercial income from the Centres Car Parks and malls
• Prepare service charge, marketing, car park and commercialisation budgets in accordance with timescales set out by the client for approval by the client
• Manage the service charge budget for the site and report on expenditure and any key variances monthly at management meetings.
• Ensure all services are delivered in line with the budgets set
• Authorise and check coding of invoices within agreed timescales.
• Provide duty management cover
• Oversee the financial and operational management of the Car parks
• Prepare management reports for Surveyor for submission to Asset Manager on a monthly basis in advance of asset meetings and monthly updates for letting meetings.
• Contribute to other adhoc reporting requirements as requested.
• Input into the Asset Manager annual business plan in a timely manner

Staff Training and Development

• Working with all property management staff and contractors to strengthen centre team and enable them to be more joined up in achieving overall goals
• Conduct staff appraisals in accordance with the Savills appraisal policy. Identifying and implementing training and development programmes and pursuing suitable training solutions. Ensure training and development plan for all staff is in place.
• Mentor staff as deemed necessary and in accordance with the Savills policy.
• Ensure that both in house staff and contractors are smart and well presented at all times adhering to the centre presentation and uniform policy.
• To regularly consider action needed to improve job performance, staff morale and the development of the team, and put actions into place.
• Attend all Management meetings and any other meeting as requested by the Asset Manager/Surveyor.
• Attendance at cluster meetings, annual conference and the Asset Manager’s annual conference.

Specific Management Responsibilities

• Keep Savills/Surveyor fully informed of all management, marketing, leasing and operational activities.
• Maximise opportunities to generate additional income through commercialisation and any other means, managing the income line and ensuring any activity is appropriately documented
• Work with Surveyor and Asset Manager to oversee, drive and manage short term lets and licences (storage, parking and retail units).
• Ensure high levels of customer service are provided at all times by the dedicated centre team (and wider supply chain)
• Maintain accurate records of correspondence, lease information, contractors on site, retailer meeting information and any other relevant information that should be maintained to provide a proper audit trail.
• Support the Surveyor to ensure that each occupier adheres to their lease obligations and centre regulations.
• Be fully conversant with all relevant health and safety legislation, and any other legislation that will affect the day to day running of the centre, including RICS Service Charge Code.

Marketing and Commercialisation

• Responsibility for development of the annual marketing strategy.
• Responsibility for the overall management of the marketing service charge budget.
• Lead on the evolution of the marketing service charge budget in line with RICS code and best practice.
• Management of onsite marketing team/ agency team.
• Be fully conversant with the demographics and socio-economics of the development’s catchment area, through understanding onsite consumer research, talking to customers, the Asset Manager and leasing teams.
• Meet with the customers on a regular basis to gain a deeper insight of their business and discuss their marketing, promotional and advertising requirements.
• Stay abreast of market trends and the changing consumer landscape by actively networking and keeping up with all industry journals.
• Ensure that all promotional activities are carried out with due care and attention to the health safety and welfare of staff, customers and consumers.
• Responsibility for all third party event and promotion agencies carrying out consumer events and marketing promotions on site. Ensure Event Safety Plans are fully completed and all supporting documents are provided and RAMS approved.
• Working in partnership with the asset team and the wider Savills management team (and any appointed agencies) work to support in the management of day to day commercialisation and income generation.
• Lead in setting and maintaining standards of commercialised mall space, and managing traders to ensure this is documented appropriately. Support in sourcing local commercialisation operators where possible.

Operations, Safety and Security

• Implement all operational systems and procedures in accordance with the Standard Savills Operational Procedures and Systems Manual and TCE processes and procedures
• Maintain the centre to the very highest of standards.
• Minimise the Liability Risk exposure of the Owner.
• Maintain all plant and equipment to the very highest of standards.
• Ensure that all contractors satisfy the insurance requirements as required under the Savills Public Liability Policy.
• Ensure that all insurance risk control requirements and, where appropriate, recommendations, are undertaken.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory requirements and codes of practice and Health & Safety legislative requirements.
• Ensure that all operations and maintenance undertaken at the Centre conform with any other relevant legislative requirement applicable to those tasks.
• Ensure that all operations and maintenance undertaken by the Centre’s contractors conforms to the specifications as agreed to between the Centre and the contractor.
• Keep up to date any Program Maintenance Schedule.
• Ensure that there is a process in place for managing any void properties from a H&S and rates perspective
• Where possible, seek opportunities to minimise void costs.
• To develop, implement and support an industry best practice Security strategy for site, including business continuity and counter terrorism objectives
• Ensure that the day-to-day running of the Centre is carried out effectively and efficiently, that the personnel working for the site are discharging their duties and provide assistance where necessary.
• Ensure all accidents and near misses are recorded and serious incidents that occur.
• Maintain overall control of the security operations, paying particular regards to incident response and customer care.
• Liaise with tenants and the Police in all matters of security affecting the Centre, tenants, public safety and security.
• Ensure that all health and safety and insurance details are updated and kept on site in respect of the retained contractors.
• Control and monitor the keys to the site where necessary.
• Check, review, prepare and issue RAMS as required.

PR and Media Relations

• Work with Savills/Asset Manager’s PR Team where applicable, to support with B2B and trade media engagement, and Brand & Marketing team to source local consumer media stories.
• Lead as local asset spokesperson with press and broadcast media in accordance with agreed Savills and Asset Manager media and PR protocol.
• Responsibility for applying asset level crisis communication protocol in partnership with the Savills and Asset Manager’s PR and asset teams.

Stakeholder Relationships

• Establish, develop and maintain purposeful relationships and meaningful partnerships with the local business community and council/government authorities notably:

• local authority

• BID

• emergency services

• Public transport providers

• Licensing department within relevant local agency/ council department

• Local businesses and community partners

• Chamber of Commerce

Customer engagement

• Work with the Surveyor and Marketing Executive to co-ordinate ongoing communication to customers i.e. monthly newsletters
• Periodically update the tenant handbook for distribution to the occupiers
• Run and attend frequent tenants meetings with minutes of the meeting to be distributed to each customer, the Surveyor and Asset Manager.
• Manage retail turnover collection targets, monitoring and highlighting – in particular – any under or over-performance to the Surveyor and Asset manager.
• Assist with undertaking projects directed by Surveyor/Asset Manager from time to time including customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shop etc.

Enquiries

• Deal with enquiries by telephone, personal visits from customers, contractors, the public, or whoever may have reason to make contact
• Follow up on any complaints in line with the Owners complaints reporting protocol.

Sustainability

• To co-ordinate a Focus Group with the occupiers to ascertain their Green initiatives/ company policies.
• Benchmarking using consumption data for the whole property
• Ensure public information boards displaying good news stories on sustainability goals etc.
• Oversee the site specific Sustainability Action Plan liaising with Savills Sustainability lead
• Be pro-active in reviewing sustainability initiatives, taking into consideration the landlords objectives, seeking opportunities to promote these positive messages through on site marketing and PR.
• To assist the owner in the delivery of any other owner led initiatives such as community employment projects, electric car charging points etc.

Confidentiality

• All Centre Management matters pertaining to the development and its customers must at all times be kept confidential. Under no circumstances should confidential information be discussed with any party other than with the party directly involved with the issue.
• The Centre Manager must also at all times exercise discretion with disclosure of sensitive information to staff and it is preferable, where possible to apply the “need to know” principle.

Hours

• Attendance will be based on a 40 per week but hours / days will be variable to suit the needs and demands of the Centre, to include the extended leisure and retail trading hours, including weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis

Additional Duties

• The post holder will be expected to demonstrate that SMR and Asset Manager / Owner Values are at the centre of all they do.

• The post holder will be expected to undertake training and development deemed necessary for the pursuance of the post.

• The post holder will be expected to have a good standard of I.T. competence to be able to use company electronic systems effectively.

• The post holder will be expected to ensure that Health and Safety is observed in the course of employment.

It may be necessary from time to time, for the company to change duties on a temporary or permanent basis to meet the needs of the business and the company reserves the right to do so. If significant permanent changes to duties are required, these will not be made without prior consultation.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Education/ Qualifications

Desirable:

• Relevant degree or professional qualifications or working towards
• Project Management qualification
• IOSH, NEBOSH or similar qualification

Experience/ Training

• Previous retail/leisure/property experience
• Report writing skills
• People Management experience
• Verbal and Written Presentation Skills
• Experience of managing services to an agreed budget
• To be able to evidence an understanding and practical application of the use of IT and electronic communications, including the use of Microsoft Office.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of current Health and Safety legislation

Desirable:

• Knowledge of Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Issues

Personal Qualities

• Excellent leadership Skills
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Self motivated and able to work on own initiative
• Ability to communicate effectively to a range of individuals

Miscellaneous

• Ability and willingness to work flexibly including duty management, weekend, early morning and evening work as required.

Working Hours - 40 hrs per week. Hours / Days will be variable to suit the needs/demands of the Centre. Weekend working on a rotational basis. 

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Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.