Aldi, the UK’s 5th largest supermarket, is providing a welcome boost with the creation of 16 Area Manager roles across North West England, Merseyside and North Wales for 2021. The discount supermarket’s competitive Area Manager Programme is looking for applicants from new graduates, as well as people in managerial positions looking for a career change.
Aldi has over 890 Stores and more than 34,000 employees across the UK. As it plans to open its 1,200th store by 2025, it is looking to support its growth by recruiting ambitious, enthusiastic and driven candidates with a passion for retail management.
Aldi Area Managers are responsible for managing and maintaining multiple stores and are involved in every aspect of the business; from managing and developing stores and their teams, to ensuring each store is meeting sales targets, while also liaising with the wider business to execute new initiatives. The role is fast-paced and varied, so it’s important that candidates are hardworking, driven and eager to learn.
Those coming straight from University who possess a 2:1 degree in any subject can apply for the Graduate Area Manager Programme and will receive a starting salary of £44,000 rising to £77,870 after four years. Those looking for a change of career can apply for the programme if they have a 2:1 degree and previous experience of managing a team in a fast-paced environment. Aldi recognises the experience these candidates bring to the role by starting them on a year two salary of £53,485, which rises to £77,870 after three years.
The Area Manager Programme involves 12 months of intense training required to successfully manage a regional workforce, during which colleagues are given unparalleled exposure to every aspect of the Aldi business, from working together with store and Regional Distribution Centre teams, to being immersed in Head Office operations. At the end of the year-long training programme, Area Managers are then given the keys to their very own area and take responsibility of up to four stores.
Callum Day, who has been an Aldi Area Manager for five years, says that in order to secure the dream job potential candidates should:
· “Show willing – as an Area Manager no day will be the same, so you need to demonstrate that you’re adaptable and able to turn your hand to any challenge.”
· “You also need to show how you can motivate yourself and your team. With four stores to look after you’re likely to have a workforce of around 90, so a motivational, approachable and professional manner is key.”
Caitlin Bailey, an Aldi Area Manager in the Neston region, adds:
· “Aldi welcomes colleagues from all walks of life and sees it as a huge advantage when they receive applications from candidates with something different, interesting and exciting on their CV, seeing this as extra experience and new skills being brought to the table.
· “Of course it’s tough to talk about the Area Manager programme without mentioning the fantastic salary and impressive benefits. However, it really was the amount of responsibility and progression opportunities that made me determined to follow this career path, having seen how colleagues have worked up the Aldi career ladder – the current CEO even started their own career as an Aldi Area Manager!
Commenting on the vacancies, Jon Wilson, Regional Managing Director at Aldi, says: “Aldi is an award-winning employer and we really make our people our focus to ensure that everyone has what they need to succeed. We offer our Area Managers fantastic benefits, from competitive pay and a BMW 3 Series, to opportunities to progress in their roles through initiatives such as international or national secondments. We’re fortunate, during this time to still be recruiting, and we are looking for candidates with strong communication and management skills to support stores across the area, ensuring that they are working effectively, efficiently and providing the best possible experience to our customers.”
Applications and more information on all of Aldi’s positions can be found on Aldi’s recruitment website: www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/graduates
