Reports to:
Area Retail Manager
Location:
Across shops in Dorset and Devon, with regular presence at Church Knowle
Contract:
Permanent, full time
Hours:
37.5 hours per week, including regular Saturdays
Salary:
£29,000 per annum
Other:
Basic DBS check. Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle required.
Purpose of the role
To drive trading performance and profitable growth across the charity’s retail estate and its developing online sales channels, and to deputise for the Area Retail Manager. Retail is one of the two largest levers for generating surplus for the charity and supporting our three centres. The postholder will increase average net contribution per shop, while building the stock flows, systems and team capability needed to scale e-commerce alongside the physical estate.
Key responsibilities
Trading performance
- Deliver the agreed net contribution target for every shop, measured after allocation of central support costs so true profitability is visible.
- Interrogate weekly ePOS and management accounts data to identify underperformance early, and agree and follow through corrective action with shop managers.
- Set and review shop level targets for sales, donation volume, Gift Aid sign up and average transaction value, and lead on pricing, stock density and rate of sale.
E-commerce and multi-channel growth
- Grow online sales across the charity’s chosen platforms, taking responsibility for listing quality, photography, pricing, dispatch, returns and customer service.
- Establish reliable routing of high value donated stock from shops to the online operation, including recognition training for shop teams and volunteers.
- Support updates and adoption of ePOS and e-commerce systems allowing multi platform listing, single stock view and clean financial reconciliation.
- Report online performance separately, covering channel mix, gross margin, fulfilment cost and returns rate, and ensure distance selling compliance under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
Stock, people and estate
- Grow donated stock volume and quality through local partnerships and business relationships, maximise Retail Gift Aid participation, develop partner and end of line stock against clear margin tests, and manage inter shop stock movement tactically.
- Work with the Volunteer Coordinator to support shop managers to attract, onboard and retain shop volunteers.
- Coach shop teams in merchandising, customer service and sales conversion, contribute to an incentive framework rewarding contribution rather than turnover alone, and support business cases and project management for new shops, relocations and refits.
Compliance and standards
- Ensure every shop meets standards for health and safety, fire safety, manual handling and lone working, and for product safety on second hand goods including electrical testing and upholstered furniture fire labelling.
Person specification
Experience and knowledge
Essential
- Substantial experience of managing charity shops, including responsibility for more than one site.
- Demonstrable track record of improving shop level financial contribution, with evidence of actions taken and results achieved.
- Experience of line managing shop managers or equivalent, and of leading volunteer teams.
- Experience of using ePOS and retail reporting to make and defend trading decisions.
- Sound understanding of the charity retail trading model, Retail Gift Aid and HMRC requirements.
- Working knowledge of consumer protection, product safety and health and safety law in a retail setting.
Desirable
- Selling online through charity or commercial marketplaces, for example eBay for Charity, Vinted, Depop or a Shopify storefront.
- Opening, relocating, refitting or closing retail units.
- Specifying, procuring or implementing an ePOS or e-commerce system.
- Sourcing bought in, partner, returns or end of line stock.
- Animal welfare or comparable cause led organisation.
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Strong commercial and numerical ability, comfortable with profit and loss, margin and KPI analysis.
- Confident coach and people manager who develops others rather than directing them.
- Able to explain financial performance clearly to non financial colleagues.
- Confident user of Microsoft 365 and retail systems.
Desirable
- Data visualisation and reporting, for example Power BI.
- Project management of small capital or fit out projects.
Attributes and circumstances
- Commercially minded and values led in equal measure.
- Self directed and resilient, comfortable with pace, ambiguity and organisational change.
- Genuine commitment to animal welfare and to the charity’s mission.
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.
- Able to work regular Saturdays and occasional Sundays and bank holidays, and to travel across Dorset and Devon with occasional overnight stays.
Terms applying to all roles
All colleagues work within the charity’s policies, including health and safety, safeguarding, equality and diversity, data protection and the Code of Fundraising Practice, and model our values: honest, caring and compassionate, dedicated and committed, professional, forward thinking. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and will make reasonable adjustments at any stage. This job description is not exhaustive and does not form part of the contract of employment.
Pay: £29,000.00 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Wareham BH20 5NQ
