Retail Sales Assistant - Keyholder Retail Store Roles · Ilkeston

Retail Sales Assistant – Keyholder

8 hour contract

Why The Works?

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

You sell the paint that turns someone into an artist. You provide the book that unleashes an inner author. You supply the games that help bring families together. You give someone the puzzle book that reconnects them with a late family member’s memory.

You never know who someone will become. So with your passion, and our products, you will help ignite the spark within people, allowing them to unleash their creativity, find new passions, hobbies, or rekindle fond memories.

The unseen possibilities are limitless, and it all starts with you.

Our Perks Are \’The Works\’

• 💪 25% Colleague Discount! – Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!

• 😎 MyWorks – Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more!

• 🏡 Family Friendly Leave – Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.

• 🚀 Holiday – 28 days including bank holidays, or 33 days including bank holidays for Deputy and Store Managers.

• 🎓 Can-Do Academy – Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.

• 💸 Stream – Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them – for when ‘life’ happens!

• 🏬 Share Scheme – Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!

• 💛 24/7 support for you and your family – Through our partnership with Retail Trust Charity, who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!

• 🩺 Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs.

• 🥳 And loads more! – Long service awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work scheme and optional charity giving.

Become a Retail Sales Assistant

As a Sales Assistant, you’re the face of our brand on the shop floor – a true brand ambassador. Every day, you create moments that make our customers smile. They love visiting our stores, and you are a big part of why.

Your mission is to deliver exceptional service, spark brilliant conversations, and help customers with their shopping missions – whether it’s discovering new products they\’ll love, or finding the perfect gifts for someone else. By getting to know their interests or shopping mission, you’ll be ready to recommend things that surprise, delight, and inspire them. You’ll also play a key role in keeping the store well-stocked, tidy, safe, and welcoming. Alongside your teammates, you help create an environment where everything runs smoothly and everyone feels supported and included in the team.

In this role, every interaction, every conversation, and every thoughtful recommendation helps bring our brand purpose, and behaviours to life – and that impact… It all starts with you.

Being a Brand Ambassador

Being a brand ambassador at The Works isn’t your job title. It’s the way you bring our brand to life every day through the moments you create. It’s the smile that puts someone at ease, the warm welcome into the store, the way you support your colleagues with kindness and teamwork, the conversation that helps a child discover their new favourite toy, or the encouragement that inspires someone to reconnect with their creativity or their love of reading. These small interactions – the ones that feel ordinary to you, often become extraordinary memories for the people who walk through our doors.

Whether you’re on the shop floor, in our distribution centre, or at our support centre, you’ll always be representing our products, services, and behaviours in a positive and authentic way. You help build trust, awareness and loyalty simply through how you show up. At The Works, we are all Brand Ambassadors.

Your Mission

• Deliver friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient service to every customer.

• Maintain excellent store standards, including merchandising, cleanliness, and stock replenishment.

• Operate tills accurately and handle transactions with care.

• Support with deliveries, stockroom organisation, and product availability.

• Follow all operational procedures, including health & safety and loss prevention.

• *As a Keyholder (If applicable, see the ‘Keyholder Responsibilities’ section below), you’ll open and close the store securely, and support with cash handling and store security.

• Work collaboratively with your team to meet store targets and KPIs.

• Stay informed about promotions, products, and services to help customers make informed choices.

• Be a brand ambassador—positive, professional, and passionate about what we do.

• The role can be physically demanding and hard work – you\’ll need to be physically comfortable managing stairs and heavy stock, but your supportive team will be there to lend a helping hand!

Skills / Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• A passion for delivering great customer service.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• A team player with a positive, can‑do attitude.

• Reliable, punctual, and flexible to work varied shifts.

• Comfortable using tills and handling cash.

• Previous experience in customer service or hospitality role.

• Experience in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment.

• *For Keyholders: experience with store opening/closing and basic supervisory responsibilities

Keyholder Responsibilities

If you’re over 18, with training and support, you’ll join us as a keyholder, giving you the chance to take on extra responsibility and build valuable experience.

Our store teams can be small, so there will be times when you’re trusted to ‘hold keys’ and take on some management responsibilities when a manager isn’t in store. It’s a great opportunity to grow your confidence and develop the skills that will help you progress in your career.

Whenever you’re holding keys, you’ll receive an enhanced rate of pay to recognise these additional management responsibilities. It also gives you brilliant exposure to what it’s like to run a store – helping you build real examples and experiences you can use as you grow with us.

When you’re assigned keys, you’ll be responsible for:

• Opening and closing the store

• Cashing up

• Carrying out management responsibilities

When you turn 18, we’ll make sure you get the training and support to become a Keyholder to benefit from the development opportunities – and the enhanced pay that comes with the responsibility.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading, learning, creativity and play 💛💙

Our Values

We are Crafty 🎨 | Smart with what we\’ve got.

We are Caring 💛 | Heart in every action.

We are Can‑do 🚀| Energy that gets it done.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments.

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under‑represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non‑binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. And, where possible, we’ll try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview you might attend with us, let us know in your application and we’ll be happy to help!