Team Leader

Co‑operation is central to making sure our stores thrive in their communities. At the very heart of great teamwork are great leaders: people like you that support, develop and manage an exceptional team. With great leadership comes great responsibility. As a role model of the behaviours and expected standards you want to see in your teams, you’ll help to communicate and lead our ways of working for new colleagues and provide them with the growth to be brilliant. Our customers, members and our communities are really at the centre of everything we do. You’ll go above and beyond to provide every customer with the best experience, at any time they need it. You’ll help to continue the great rapport our colleagues have with the members in our communities.

In a truly varied role, you’ll be working closely as part of the management team and will help lead and support with the day‑to‑day running of the store. Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Managing performance including conducting reviews and challenging poor performance
• Ensuring colleagues adhere to Society policies and procedures
• Taking responsibility for the store’s financial performance and compliance
• Managing absence including back‑to‑work interviews and improvement meetings
• Understanding of scheduling and productivity
• Ensuring colleagues are trained and records maintained
• Communicating key messages and priorities with the team
• Prioritising tasks to maximise sales opportunities and meet customer expectations
• Leading change
• Ensuring all colleagues work within health and safety guidelines
• Ensuring colleague safety

Training: as you step into your new role, you’ll begin with a comprehensive training period at one of our Difference Maker Academies. This program, lasting up to 4 weeks based on your prior experience, pairs you with an experienced Academy Mentor who leads high‑performing teams and is dedicated to helping colleagues grow and reach their full potential. This immersive environment is designed to equip you with the essential skills for your new role and set you up for long‑term success. Our Difference Maker Academies are stores located around our trading area which have excellent operating standards, along with management teams in place that have a real passion for helping colleagues develop and reach their potential. You’ll be able to claim expenses for any additional travel incurred whilst you’re attending an Academy store.

How will I know if I am right for this role?

• Previous Supervisor, Team Leader, or Duty Manager experience within a customer‑service environment
• Enthusiastic, shows real initiative and the ability to work with pace and flexibility
• Passion for customer service and a love for talking with customers
• Capability to take ownership of development, identifying and growing great talent within the team through coaching
• Open‑mindful and curious, aware of current and future promotions, and able to identify opportunities for growth that benefit the store’s commercial success
• Great team player who builds relationships through respect, support, and empathy
• Ability to guide the team, support future progress within the store, and celebrate team successes
• Dedication to making a difference in the community and igniting passion for a more engaged and motivated team
• Willingness to have reasonable adjustments made so that all candidates can demonstrate their performance; we will do our best to support you through our recruitment process

What benefits are available to you?

• Fantastic colleague discount – reward ££’s and discounts across our Retail and Funeral businesses
• Retail discounts – our hub offers colleagues access to hundreds of exclusive retail discounts, savings on days out and holiday discounts
• Colleague Dividend – we pay a share of our profits to eligible colleagues as a thank you for their contribution to our success
• Colleague recognition – we celebrate our colleague’s achievements both personally and professionally
• Personalised learning and development – with easy access to a wide range of training programmes
• Paid time for volunteering – we encourage our colleagues to spend three days per year taking part in volunteering, fully paid for by us
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies – to help you feel fully supported during any significant life events
• Annual health check kit and virtual GP – finger‑prick blood test kit, sent to Square Healthcare for your personal healthcare report, and access to a virtual GP 7 days a week 8 am to 8 pm for you and your family
• Colleague assistance programme – to support you and your family when you need it the most
• Healthcare Cashplan – voluntary plan that helps pay towards a range of healthcare expenses
• Company sick pay – we offer company sick pay so that you can focus on getting better and returning to work in full health
• Life Assurance – after an initial qualifying period, you’ll get free life assurance cover, paying the nominated beneficiary if you die while you’re working for us
• We’ve got you – our colleague wellbeing campaign, making wellbeing benefits and resources accessible and relevant to your role
• Give as you earn – helping you support charities that mean something to you
• Financial Wellbeing iTrent Financial Wellbeing (Wagestream) – offers something for all our colleagues, whether you want to track your finances, save some money, or access up to 50 % of your earned pay flexibly in a way that suits you
• The Money Co‑op – free access to support all aspects of your financial wellbeing, such as savings and loans at competitive rates
• Salary Sacrifice schemes: Electric Vehicle scheme – option to purchase your EV through salary sacrifice
• Share Incentive Plan (SIP) – option to buy shares within the Society, attracting interest and £10 worth of matching shares
• Cycle to Work scheme – option to purchase your bicycle and accessories through salary sacrifice
• Holiday buy – colleagues can buy up to a week extra of annual leave each year
• Company Pension – you can access a company pension scheme with us as well as information on pension wellbeing
• Nous – a smart assistant that can save you money and time on managing your household bills

To find out more about all of these and many more reasons to join us, please visit Rewards and benefits – Central Coop (careers.coop).

Who are we? OurCoop is the UK’s largest independent co‑operative Society, with more than one million Members and 13,000 colleagues operating in communities nationwide. It was formed by bringing together Central Co‑op, The Midcounties Co‑operative, and Chelmsford Star Co‑op to create a stronger, member‑owned organisation rooted in shared co‑operative values.