Retail Relief Manager in Hatfield

Reporting to: Area Manager

Hours: 30 hours per week (4 days) which may include Saturdays

Locations: Biggleswade, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City

Other Requirements: The jobholder must be mobile and have a car. All travelling expenses will be reimbursed.

Key Responsibilities:

• To assist and cover for the Area Manager during periods of annual leave or absence.
• To provide cover in Willow retail shops, managing Assistant Manager(s) and Volunteers, including the recruitment and retention of a motivated team of volunteers.
• To ensure income and profit maximisation through maximising donations, preparation of items for sale, sales and disposals of un-saleable items to trade merchants.
• Achieve sales and profit targets in order that we are able to increase the number of Special Days for seriously ill young adults.
• To achieve the optimum price for all donated stock.
• To maximise sign-ups for Retail Gift Aid and ensuring full records are maintained for donations under this scheme.
• To control shop expenditure in line with budget, applying Willow policies for purchasing at all times.
• To manage customer and donor engagement ensuring the best possible relationship with Willow.
• To manage the physical appearance of the shop maintaining high standards of shop merchandising and visual layout, controlling stock density and rotation systems, ensuring that it is inviting to customers and safe for customers, staff and volunteers at all times.
• To contribute to the development of retail through innovation, ideas and creativity, feeding back all team ideas to the Area Manager and Head of Retail.
• To demonstrate understanding of Willow’s purpose and activities striving to improve brand awareness and communicate key messages in order to raise the charity’s profile.
• To complete all shop administration including cash handling and banking functions accurately and to deadline, ensuring company policies and procedures are adhered to.
• To plan and organise daily workload for team, encouraging effective communication, setting objectives and fostering a positive team spirit.
• To ensure that trading standard regulations are adhered to at all times.

Generic responsibilities:

• To ensure all duties are carried out in a manner which promotes Willow’s equality and diversity policies.
• To promote a health and safety culture within the workplace, observing all health and safety rules and procedures and all attend training courses as required.
• To ensure that essential information of a sensitive or personal nature is not disclosed to or discussed with inappropriate persons.
• To ensure all information is maintained in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
• To manage personal resources and own professional development.
• To undertake other duties, commensurate with the post, as required.

Travel requirements:

To attend Shop Managers’ meetings and training sessions as required.

Unsocial hours requirement:

To work on Saturdays (and by prior agreement Sundays) as required within normal rota’d duties.

Person Specification:

Knowledge:

• An appreciation of the value of things.
• Understanding of stock management.
• Ability to use word and email.
• Ability to plan and organise own and teams work load.
• An affinity with Willow’s objectives and activities.

Skills and abilities:

• Accurate, Conscientious and self-motivated.
• Ability to work on own and use initiative and make decision.
• Good communication skills at all levels.
• An artistic streak, eg flair for display.

Experience & qualifications:

• GCSE Maths and English or equivalent literacy and numeracy skills.
• Experience of managing a team in a retail or charity sector.
• Experience of working within the voluntary sector.
• Understanding of health and safety and trading standards.