Head of Retail and E-Commerce – Crisis, London

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on us 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Location: Based at our London office, E1 with frequent travel to shops across London and occasional national travel.

About the role

As Head of Retail and e-Commerce, you will l take the lead across Crisis’ retail shops and growing online store, shaping a robust, high-performing operation that drives real income for our mission to end homelessness. Reporting to the Executive Director of Commerce and Enterprise, you will bring creativity, bold, ambitious thinking to how we grow sales, explore new shop locations and expand our digital reach, building strong commercial foundations without ever losing sight of who we’re doing this for.

This is a genuine opportunity to grow with us: over time, the role is designed to develop into a director-level position, moving from supporting our Executive Director’s vision to shaping and owning the strategic direction of retail and e-commerce yourself.

You will lead and develop high-performing, collaborative teams across our shops, warehouse and e-commerce functions, creating a culture where people are supported to grow and do their best work. We’re equitable in everything we do, so inclusive, people-first leadership matters here as much as commercial results. If you’re an impactful retail leader with the ambition to grow into a senior leadership role, and a genuine passion for ending homelessness, we’d love to hear from you.

Before you apply, please email jobs@crisis.org.uk to arrange a chat with someone from our Talent Acquisition team about the role.

About you

• Experience leading multi-site retail, e-commerce or commercial operations, ideally within a complex or purpose-led organisation.

• A strong track record of delivering income growth, commercial performance and profitability targets.

• Experience leading change or business transformation, turning strategic ambitions into practical, on-the-ground delivery.

• A confident people leader, with experience developing large, geographically dispersed teams.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budget management and using data to inform decisions.

• A genuine passion for our mission to end homelessness, with the ambition and drive to grow into a senior leadership role.

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds. 

Working at Crisis 

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including: 

• A competitive salary. Please note our salaries are fixed to counter inequity, and we do not negotiate at offer stage.

• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy. 

• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5% 

• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave.

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.

• Flexible working around the core hours 10am-4pm 

• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly 

• And more! (Full list of benefits available on website) 

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career. 

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Sunday 11 October 2026 at 23:55

Stakeholder panel interview date and location: Tuesday 20 October 2026 at one of our London shops

Main panel interview date and location: Friday 23 October 2026 at our London offices, E1

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility 

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email jobs@crisis.org.uk and our Talent Acquisition team will contact you to discuss how we can help. 

For more information about our work please visit

https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/ 

To see our work in action please visit: 

youtube.com/user/crisishomelessness 

https://x.com/crisis_uk

www.facebook.com/crisis.homeless   

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094