Retail Experience Manager

We’re looking for an exceptional retail leader to shape and elevate our retail environments at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. At the heart of the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this is an opportunity to lead vibrant retail spaces that inspire curiosity, deliver memorable visitor experiences, and bring the Kew brand to life through exceptional service, retail theatre, and commercial excellence.

As Retail Experience Manager, you’ll lead and develop a large multi-site team, creating engaging, beautifully executed retail environments that connect visitors to the stories, seasons, and spirit of Kew. From immersive visual merchandising and experiential pop-ups to operational excellence and team culture, you’ll play a key role in shaping how hundreds of thousands of visitors experience retail across the gardens each year. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in fast-paced, customer-focused environments and is passionate about creating inspiring experiences, developing people, and driving high standards across every detail of the shop floor.

We’re looking for an exceptional retail leader to shape and elevate our retail environments at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. At the heart of the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this is an opportunity to lead vibrant retail spaces that inspire curiosity, deliver memorable visitor experiences, and bring the Kew brand to life through exceptional service, retail theatre, and commercial excellence.

As Retail Experience Manager, you’ll lead and develop a large multi-site team, creating engaging, beautifully executed retail environments that connect visitors to the stories, seasons, and spirit of Kew. From immersive visual merchandising and experiential pop-ups to operational excellence and team culture, you’ll play a key role in shaping how hundreds of thousands of visitors experience retail across the gardens each year. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in fast-paced, customer-focused environments and is passionate about creating inspiring experiences, developing people, and driving high standards across every detail of the shop floor.

Retail Experience Manager

More details

You will have strong retail experience within a visitor attraction or commercial environment, with proven expertise in visual merchandising, multi-site retail management, and leading high-performing teams. Commercially aware and highly organised, you will use data, customer insight, and analytical skills to drive performance, efficiency, and excellent customer service standards. You will demonstrate excellent communication and IT skills, confidence in managing staff performance, and a keen eye for detail. Experience within a high-footfall environment and knowledge of EPoS or Microsoft D365 systems would be advantageous.

This role is based at Kew with the option of regular home working, subject to operational requirements.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a leading plant science institute, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and major visitor attraction. Our mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

We are working to end the unprecedented extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. We will achieve these goals by drawing on our leading scientific research, unrivalled collections of plants and fungi, global network of partners, inspirational gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and our 260 years of history.

Join us on our journey as protectors of the world’s plants and fungi.

The salary for this position is £44,479 per annum [Grade 5]

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application through the online portal, by clicking “Apply for this job”.

At Kew, our strength lies in the diversity of our people and the insights they bring. When you join us, you will find an organisation that values your perspective and lived experience. You will receive support to achieve your full potential and access opportunities to develop and progress. Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is ongoing, shaped by the people who work here and the communities we serve.

As a disability confident employer, we are breaking down barriers to be an inclusive workplace for everyone.

No agencies please.