Location: Tiverton
Working Hours: Part-Time (30 hours per week to be worked over 4 days on a shift rota to include alternate Saturdays)
Reports to: Head of Retail
Salary: £13.46 per hour
Role Overview:
Reporting to the Head of Retail, the Shop Manager is responsible for the effective day-to-day management of the shop, ensuring a high standard of retail operations, customer service, and volunteer engagement. The postholder will lead all aspects of shop performance, including maximising sales and profitability, controlling expenditure in line with agreed budgets, and ensuring the shop operates efficiently and safely at all times.
The Shop Manager will recruit, train, motivate, and retain a dedicated team of volunteers, creating a positive and inclusive environment that reflects the values and mission of the charity. They will promote the work and ideals of the RSPCA Little Valley Devon Branch, ensuring compliance with all charity retail policies, procedures, and relevant legislation.
Through effective stock management, merchandising, and community engagement, the Manager will drive income generation to support the charity's objectives. All profits generated by the branch's shops directly contribute to the operation of Little Valley Animal Shelter, which currently costs in excess of £1 million per year to run.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
- To maximise shop sales by achieving agreed targets through proactive stock generation, optimum pricing, processing stock to agreed amounts and stock planning/valuation. To manage any agreed stock collection
- To achieve sales targets and control direct shop expenses through effective cost control of weekly expenses. To recognise and implement opportunities for additional income
- To ensure minimum losses of both stock and cash by following bank and till procedures, and safeguarding the property of the Branch at all times
- To be a keyholder and be responsible for opening and closing the shop at the agreed times, and ensuring opening hours are strictly adhered to
- To ensure a high standard of merchandising, presentation, display and good housekeeping within the shop to agreed standards
- To provide excellent customer care through quality of service, dealing with complaints both efficiently and effectively and have full working knowledge of the Branch
- To comply with all current legislation and Branch policy, including: Health and Safety, Trading Standards, Inland Revenue, VAT and Retail Law
- To recruit, support and retain a team of competent volunteer staff by selective recruitment and training in the following areas:
- stock density and rotation
- stock processing; sorting, hanging, ticketing, pricing, cubing and steaming
- customer service – serving and assisting customers courteously
- till operating, cash handling and administration
- merchandising, presentation, and window display
- housekeeping
Person Specification:
Qualifications:
- Educated to a minimum GCSEs with Maths and English at Grade C equivalent or above
Essential:
- Must be able to work on own initiative and find solutions to problems
- Excellent communication skills both written & oral
- Excellent planning and organisational skills, ability to prioritise work
- Computer literate
- Good customer service skills
- Well presented
- A flexible and adaptable approach
- Willingness to learn and acquire new skills
- Enjoy working as part of a team
- Honest, trustworthy and reliable and be an excellent timekeeper
- Ability to relate well to people from all backgrounds
- A genuine desire to help achieve the aims of the Branch and a commitment to animal welfare
- Willingness to travel to training courses as and when required
- Willing and able to work longer than the contracted hours when required, including providing holiday cover if required
- Post holders need to be aware that the role is physically challenging and demanding
- Post holders need to be aware that there may be a requirement to work on their own
- Must be able to work alternate Saturdays
Desirable:
- Charity shop and/or retail experience at a supervisory level
- Knowledge of Gift Aid System within the charity retail sector
- Knowledge of Retail Laws, Trading Standards and Health & Safety Regulations
- Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers
- Full UK driving license
Benefits:
Annual leave: 29 days annual leave (including bank holidays); increasing to 31 days per annum after 5 years continuous service and 34 days after 10 years continuous service (pro-rata for part-time staff)
Pension: We contribute to the NEST pension scheme. (Employer contribution 5%, employee contribution 5%)
- Support for training relevant to this role
- Supply of Little Valley uniform
- Occupational Sick Pay
- Access to our Health Assured wellbeing scheme
- Discounted rates with PetPlan pet insurance
To apply, please send CV and covering letter to [email protected]
Closing Date is 31 July 2026
Provisional Interview date: 6th August 2026 (in person)
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: £13.46 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Application question(s):
- Please provide a detailed statement explaining why you would be the perfect fit for the role
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (required)
Experience:
- Retail sales: 2 years (required)
- Customer service: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person
