At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a vibrant team of volunteers and manage a busy charity shop.
- Company: Join Save the Children UK, making a real difference for children in need.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, generous holidays, and employee discounts.
- Other info: Flexible work environment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Shape a community space while empowering others and driving positive change.
- Qualifications: Retail or volunteer management experience and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 24650 - 27500 £ per year.
Save the Children UK has an exciting opportunity for a collaborative and influential leader with strong retail and people-management experience to join us as our Store Manager on Byres Road, Glasgow, where you will lead a vibrant, high-performing volunteer team to create an inspiring community retail space that maximises income and champions our brand.
About Us: Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.
About the role: As Store Manager, you will lead the day-to-day running of our Byres Road shop – one of our busiest locations with a large, diverse volunteer base and a vibrant student customer demographic. You will build and develop a motivated volunteer team, champion retail excellence, and deliver a shop offer that reflects both Save the Children’s brand and the local community. You’ll be responsible for creating an inclusive, welcoming environment, managing a fast-paced operation across a large shop floor and basement sorting area, and driving commercial performance through excellent merchandising, strong local engagement, and a focus on income growth.
In this role, you will:
- Build, inspire and support a large team of volunteers (currently 40+), ensuring they feel valued, motivated and empowered to deliver excellent service.
- Lead ongoing volunteer recruitment in a location with high application volumes, ensuring the right skills and roles are in place to support the shop’s ambitions.
- Deliver retail excellence through effective operational management, including stock flow, merchandising, use of guidance/tools, and maintaining our shop proposition.
- Drive commercial performance by understanding key financial indicators, maximising every area of the business, and ensuring the product mix (vintage, new goods, plants and core categories) meets local demand.
- Engage proactively with the Byres Road community and act as a Save the Children ambassador, ensuring our shop stands out amid strong local charity retail competition.
- Maintain high standards of safeguarding, compliance and risk management, ensuring all policies and procedures are followed.
About you: To be successful, it is important that you have:
- Proven leadership experience within a retail or volunteer-led environment, with the ability to build trusted, positive relationships.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage a busy shop and a constant flow of new volunteers.
- Confident IT capability, including MS Office, email, Teams and management systems.
- Excellent customer service skills and the ability to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for volunteers and customers alike.
- A self-motivated, flexible and resilient approach, able to work at pace and adapt to change.
- A commitment to Save the Children’s vision, mission, and values.
What we offer you: Working for a charity provides one of the best benefits there is – a sense of purpose and reward for helping others. However, we understand the importance of giving back to our employees to ensure a happy and healthy working environment and work/life balance. We focus on flexibility, inclusion, collaboration, health and wellbeing both in and outside of work. We provide a wide range of benefits which will reward your hard work, motivate you, and inspire you to work to improve the lives of children every day.
To learn more about the position, please review the Job Description in the attached Documents on our website. Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications. This role will be based on-site in the Byres Road shop. We’re looking for someone able to work 5 days (35 hours) per week to include some weekend working.
Our benefits package is extensive and generous, including:
- Competitive Pay – Our transparent pay policy ensures fair and equitable compensation.
- Generous Holidays – Start with 27 days off per year (pro rata for part-timers) and enjoy up to 32 days after 10 years.
- Pension & Life Assurance – Secure your future with excellent contributions.
- Employee Discounts – Save on groceries, high-street brands, home, tech, gyms, holidays, and more! Over 6,000 deals are available through our benefits platform.
- Maternity/Adoption Benefits – Get 21 weeks of full pay after just six months of employment.
- Paternity/Adoption Leave – Enjoy 10 weeks of full pay (plus statutory 2 weeks) after six months with us.
- Additional benefits: include cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme, eye care, flu jabs, season ticket loan.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be "Free to Be Me". We are not looking for just one type of person - we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think. We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences - of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT+ or in an LGBT+ family or living with (or with someone with) a disability - help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here.
Store Manager in Glasgow employer: Save the Children UK
Save the Children is an exceptional employer that prioritises flexibility, inclusion, and employee wellbeing, making it a rewarding place to work for those passionate about advocacy and children's rights. With generous annual leave, comprehensive family leave policies, and a strong commitment to professional development, employees are empowered to make a meaningful impact while enjoying a supportive work culture. Based on the island of Ireland, this role offers the unique opportunity to engage with key stakeholders and contribute to vital humanitarian efforts, all while benefiting from a collaborative and dynamic team environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Store Manager in Glasgow
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Save the Children UK, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Save the Children UK!
We think you need these skills to ace Store Manager in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Save the Children UK, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Save the Children UK and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Save the Children UK that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Save the Children UK
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
