Retail Deputy Manager in Grantham

Overview

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play. Because when people spend time doing what they love, it’s Time Well Spent. And with the right passion - It All Starts With You.

Retail Deputy Manager

18 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. With your passion and our products, you will help ignite the spark within people, allowing them to unleash their creativity and find new passions, hobbies, or rekindle fond memories. The unseen possibilities are limitless, and it all starts with you.

Become a Retail Deputy Manager

As a Deputy Manager, you support the Store Manager to lead the team and deliver an exceptional customer experience. You help drive commercial performance, maintain high operational standards, and step up to lead the store in the Store Manager’s absence. You are a role model for the team—motivating, coaching, and ensuring every shift runs smoothly.

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. By getting to know their interests, you’ll be ready to recommend things that surprise, delight, and inspire them. You’ll 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.

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 through everyday moments. 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 love of reading. These small interactions—often ordinary to you—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 represent our products, services, values and behaviours in a positive and authentic way. You help build trust, awareness and loyalty through how you show up. At The Works, we are all Brand Ambassadors.

Your Mission

• Lead the team to deliver excellent customer service and achieve store targets.
• Own key operational areas such as stock management, merchandising, and compliance.
• Lead by example on the shop floor, setting high standards for service, presentation, and teamwork.
• Coach and develop team members, providing feedback and support to help them grow.
• Manage the store in the absence of the Store Manager, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members.
• Monitor store performance and contribute ideas to improve sales and efficiency.
• Ensure health & safety, cash handling, and loss prevention procedures are followed.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.

Skills / Behaviours that will set you apart

• Experience in a supervisory or team leadership role within retail or customer service.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Confident in leading a team and making decisions.
• Organised and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Customer-focused with a passion for delivering great service.
• Flexible and reliable, with a hands-on approach.
• Experience in a high-volume or value retail environment.
• Familiarity with retail systems and reporting tools.
• Experience supporting recruitment, training, or performance management.

Being a great leader

As a great leader with wonderful people skills, you\'ll create a team that\'s more than just co-workers — it\'s a team.

• Inspire and motivate your team in line with our employer brand, values, behaviours and purpose.
• Lead your team to reach their potential and steer your store to break records and get in the spotlight.
• Work collaboratively with support departments and peers. If something\'s not quite right, provide quality constructive feedback so we can work as a team to get it right!
• Prioritize your team\'s well-being and aspirations. You\'ll be their biggest supporter, having everyday conversations about performance and career goals.

Our PERKS

• 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 - Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Holiday – 33 days, including bank holidays. Holiday allowance increases with long service.
• Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with access to further training and development.
• Stream - Early access to a portion of earned wages.
• Share Scheme - Own a piece of The Works.
• 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with Retail Trust Charity and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Healthcare Cash Plan – To support everyday healthcare costs.
• And loads more! – Long service awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

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.

We Listen. We Care

We collect feedback through an anonymous colleague engagement survey to guide improvements and support your development. You\'ll have opportunities to help shape The Works as the best place you\'ve ever worked.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

We are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups. We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview, let us know in your application and we\'ll help.