Your Community Shop SupervisorJob Purpose
Location: South Shields
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £26,350
Responsible to: Community Shop Co-ordinator
Purpose
Hospitality and Hope is one of South Tyneside’s leading charities, tackling food insecurity and homelessness and improving community connection and wellbeing. The Community Shop Supervisor will work collaboratively within the Operations Team to manage the day-to-day delivery of one of its Community Shops, contributing directly to the delivery of our vision and two of our priority goals: tackling food insecurity and improving community connection and wellbeing.
H&H’s Community Shops are shops like no other. They provide people experiencing food insecurity with dignified access to affordable food, alongside opportunities for support, connection and participation that help address the wider challenges affecting their financial and emotional wellbeing.
The Community Shop Supervisor will create a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment where people feel valued, connected and able to access the support and opportunities they need.
Key Responsibilities
Shop Management & Income Generation
- Take the lead in the day-to-day running of the Community Shop, ensuring a welcoming, safe, well-organised and positive environment for members, volunteers and visitors is experienced.
- Coordinate the daily activities of the shop and ensure the service operates effectively during opening hours.
- Ensure the shop floor is well stocked inc. timely stock rotation, clean, hygienic, accessible and presented to a consistently high standard.
- Take payments and ensure cash and card transactions are processed accurately and in accordance with Hospitality & Hope’s procedures.
- Check members in and out and register new members accurately on the relevant case management system.
- Maintain appropriate records and contribute to the monitoring of shop activity and outcomes.
- Help maximise income through promotion of additional offers, sales and attraction of new members.
Supporting Our Members
- Build positive and trusting relationships with members, ensuring they are always treated with dignity and respect.
- Create an environment where people feel comfortable asking for help and discussing the challenges they may be experiencing.
- Encourage members to engage with opportunities that can help address the underlying causes of food insecurity and improve their longer-term wellbeing via Hospitality & Hope’s wider services and/or appropriate external organisations.
- Respond appropriately to concerns and challenging situations, seeking additional support from colleagues where required.
Volunteers
- Help create a positive, inclusive and supportive environment for volunteers.
- Support the induction and day-to-day supervision of shop volunteers ensuring that they are trained to be able to undertake their role effectively.
- Allocate appropriate tasks and help volunteers develop confidence and skills.
- Recognise and value the contribution volunteers make to the shop and the wider organisation.
- Help ensure volunteers understand relevant policies, procedures and safe working practices.
- Maintain up to date and accurate volunteer records.
Food, Stock and Shop Standards
- Receive deliveries and donations and ensure goods are checked, recorded and stored appropriately.
- Maintain effective stock control systems and appropriate stock levels to support the smooth running of the shop.
- Ensure food is in date, in good condition and stored, handled and displayed correctly and safely.
- Ensure effective stock rotation to minimise food waste and make the best possible use of available resources.
- Maintain excellent standards of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the shop and food storage areas.
Safety, Safeguarding and Compliance
- Ensure that you, volunteers and others working within the shop maintain the highest standards of Health & Safety and Safeguarding.
- Identify and report safeguarding, health & safety, food safety or maintenance concerns promptly and take appropriate action where required.
- Ensure members, volunteers and visitors use the shop safely and that risks are identified and appropriately managed.
- Maintain confidentiality and handle personal information appropriately and in accordance with Hospitality & Hope’s policies and data protection requirements.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
- Promote the Community Shop within the local community to stimulate the interest and engagement of new members.
- Help ensure potential members and partners understand the purpose of the shop, how the service works and how people can access support.
- Identify and develop positive relationships with local businesses and other partners, identifying opportunities for donations, practical support and wider collaboration.
- Host visits from organisations, supporters and other interested parties as agreed with the Community Shop Coordinator and Operations Director.
- Contribute ideas and feedback to help us continually develop and improve the Community Shop offering.
About You
We are looking for someone who enjoys working with people and who can combine the practical responsibilities of running a busy Community Shop with compassion and an understanding of the challenges people experiencing financial hardship may face.
You will ideally have:
- Experience of retail, customer service or a similar public-facing environment.
- Experience of working with, supporting or supervising volunteers.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
- A friendly, approachable and respectful manner.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a busy environment.
- An understanding of good food hygiene, health & safety practice, safeguarding and the importance of maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
- Confidence handling money and using basic till and electronic payment systems.
- Confidence using IT systems and maintaining accurate records.
- The ability to deal calmly, sensitively and appropriately with difficult or challenging situations.
- A commitment to equality, dignity and inclusion and to treating everyone with respect.
- A commitment to the charity’s values of Compassion, Integrity, Inclusivity and Empowerment.
Flexibility
As part of a small and committed charitable organisation, the Community Shop Supervisor may occasionally be asked to undertake other reasonable duties that contribute to the successful operation of the shop and the wider work of the charity.
Must be flexible on working hours including evening and weekends
How To Apply
Please apply in writing using the attached Job Description and Person Specification to demonstrate that you are the person for this new role and can fulfil the list of skills, experience and attributes sought.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 15th September 2026 at 10am
Interviews will be held on Friday 18th September 2026
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £26,350.00 per year
Work Location: In person
