Lifeline Darling Downs & South West Queensland Limited (LDDSWQL) is seeking an accomplished and commercially astute Manager, Retail Growth & Sustainabilityto lead our network of 13 retail stores across Toowoomba, the Darling Downs and South West Queensland.

This is a key leadership chance for an experienced multi-site retail professional who can modernise our stores, improve performance and establish a clear pathway to long-term viability, without losing sight of why our stores exist.

Our retail operations generate essential income to support community services, provide affordable goods, reduce waste and create meaningful opportunities for hundreds of volunteers. We need a leader who understands that strong commercial performance and genuine social impact must work together.

The opportunity

Reporting to the CEO, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our retail network. You will be responsible for strengthening store performance, developing our team including volunteers, improving the customer experience and implementing practical, sustainable improvements.

You will bring the discipline and insight of an experienced retail leader, combined with the resourcefulness required in a charity environment. This is not a role for someone who believes improved performance depends on significant expenditure. We are looking for a leader who can carefully assess what is working, address what is not and make smart, evidence-based decisions within clearly defined budgets.

Your challenge will be to lead the next phase of our retail development by strengthening our culture, operational practices and financial sustainability across the network.

Key responsibilities In this role, you will:

- Lead the performance and continuous improvement of 13 retail stores across a large regional and remote footprint.
- Develop and implement a clear retail strategy focused on financial viability, sustainable growth and community impact.
- Recognise and build upon our existing volunteer workforce to ensure growth and retention into the future.
- Strengthen budgeting, forecasting, cost control and store-level accountability.
- Analyse sales, wages, stock, productivity and other performance data to identify opportunities and guide decisions.
- Modernise store operations, presentation, merchandising, pricing,



stock management and the customer experience.
- Establish consistent standards, systems and expectations across the retail network while recognising the needs of individual communities.
- Build the capability and accountability of store leaders through visible, practical and supportive leadership.
- Foster a positive, inclusive and performance-focused culture across geographically dispersed teams.
- Recognise, respect and strengthen the contribution of our volunteer workforce, ensuring volunteers feel valued, connected and well supported.
- Work collaboratively with our Distribution Centre and broader Business Division to improve stock flow, quality, responsiveness and efficiency.
- Balance commercial priorities with LDDSWQL’s vision, values and responsibilities as a community-based charity.
- Provide the CEO and Strategic Leadership Team with clear reporting, sound advice and practical recommendations.

About you You will be an experienced retail leader with a demonstrated ability to improve multi-site performance, equally comfortable setting strategy, interpreting financial information and working alongside store teams to embed change.

Importantly, you will understand that leadership in a charity retail environment requires more than conventional retail expertise. You will appreciate and foster the extraordinary value contributed by volunteers and know how to build a culture in which paid employees and volunteers work together with shared purpose and mutual respect.

You will bring

- Extensive retail management experience, including leadership of multiple stores or locations.
- A demonstrated record of improving retail performance, profitability or financial sustainability.
- Strong commercial acumen, including experience with budgets, labour costs, sales analysis, stock management and performance reporting.
- Experience leading organisational or operational change and embedding consistent practices.




- The ability to modernise a retail network through disciplined planning, innovation and effective use of existing resources.
- Strong people leadership skills and the ability to build capable, accountable and engaged teams.
- A practical, visible and hands-on leadership style.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.
- Sound judgement, resilience and the confidence to make difficult decisions when required.
- An understanding of the charity, not-for-profit or volunteer sector, ideally gained through direct experience.
- A genuine respect for volunteers and an understanding of how to build, engage, recognise and retain a diverse volunteer workforce.
- A willingness and capacity to travel regularly throughout the Darling Downs and South West Queensland.

Why join LDDSWQL? LDDSWQL is a purpose-driven organisation supporting individuals, families and communities across one of Queensland’s largest and most diverse service regions.

Our retail stores are an important part of our organisation and the communities in which we operate. They provide affordable goods, volunteering and employment opportunities, environmental benefits and vital revenue that helps support our community services.

This role offers the opportunity to lead meaningful change and build a contemporary, financially sustainable retail network that delivers both commercial and community outcomes.

If you are an experienced retail leader who is commercially disciplined, culturally aware and motivated by the opportunity to create lasting social impact, we would welcome your application.

Please submit your résumé and a cover letter outlining your experience leading multi-site retail operations, improving financial performance and working with or supporting volunteer-based teams.

Apply without delay as applications will be assessed as received and the vacancy may be filled before the closing date!

Successful applicants must be able to gain a National Coordinated Criminal History Check clearance prior to commencing.

LDDSWQL Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) promotes a diverse workforce and encourage applications from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples and applicants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

📌 Manager - Retail Growth & Sustainability (Toowoomba)
🏢 Lifeline Darling Downs u0026 South West Qld
📍 Toowoomba