Job title: Shop Manager
Department: Shop
Reporting to: Commercial Operations Director
Location: Cathedral Shop
Salary: £17,911 per annum. The salary will be reviewed after the first 3 months.
Contract length: Fixed-term contract of employment to cover the maternity leave of the permanent postholder.
Hours: Part-time, 23.94 hours per week on average worked according to a seasonal rota pattern (some weekend working required)
Job Purpose
The Cathedral is seeking a dedicated, efficient and reliable Shop Manager employed on a fixed-term contract of employment to cover the maternity leave of the permanent postholder. Job sharing with another Shop Manager, the postholder will be responsible for the successful running of the Cathedral Shop, ensuring an excellent customer experience and managing all aspects of the store operation.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
· Leading the Shop team to ensure customer service is at the forefront of all customer interactions.
· Being responsible for achieving retail sales and performance KPIs
· Liaising with existing suppliers and identifying new opportunities to maximise the appeal of the retail offer
· Effectively merchandising the range to optimum display and planning and executing seasonal range changes
· Managing all aspects of the retail operation (e.g. staff scheduling and management, stock take and stock management, invoicing)
· Being accountable for cash management processes, keeping the procedure and process under constant review
· Assisting the Commercial Operations Director with devising and implementing retail business plans and identifying opportunities for growth
· Liaising with the Finance team for discrepancy and query management
· Ensuring all health and safety policies are adhered to and any maintenance issues are appropriately reported on and escalated when necessary.
· Collaborating with the wider Enterprise and Cathedral teams to ensure both the visitor experience and retail potential are maximised for all ventures.
· Ensuring all retail team training is completed in a timely manner.
· Being flexible to cover a range of shift patterns which may fall outside of usual working hours to support Cathedral activities.
· Ensuring all requests for information are responded to in a timely and professional manner.
· Attending and participating in training courses as directed, including safeguarding training
· Upholding the Cathedral’s values and Code of Conduct
· Adhering to the Cathedral’s policies and procedures, treating any safeguarding issues with the highest priority
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
· Minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) grade C and above, including English and Math
· Experience of managing a retail operation with knowledge of retail best practice (including, but not limited to, sales, cash handling, merchandising and space management, stock control, risk, EPOS system management)
· Experience of coaching, developing and supervising teams – managing schedules, staff absence and conducting appraisals
· Experience in ensuring a retail outlet maximises its sales potential.
Desirable
· Educated to a degree level
Skills and Abilities
Essential
· Good organisational and interpersonal skills
· Excellent team working skills, with the ability to work collaboratively
· Good attention to detail with high levels of accuracy
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to communicate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
· Good computer skills, including Word, Excel and EPOS software
Work-related Personal Qualities
Essential
· Self-motivated with a positive outlook and integrity to see tasks through to completion
· A person who is stimulated by the high expectations of those around them.
· Flexibility in response to changing circumstances and a positive approach to innovation, actively looking to make improvements to processes and procedures
· Able to work collaboratively within a team and across boundaries where necessary
· Approachable, open and honest
· A person who takes responsibility for their own personal development.
· Calm under pressure
· Able and willing to work in sympathy with the aims and ethos of the Church of England
· Demonstrating commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults
Other Terms and Conditions
Discount: A discount of 10% is available from the Cathedral Shop and The Loft Café.
Parking: Limited parking is available in the Cathedral car park. Cars are parked at the risk of the owner.
Pension: Defined Contribution Scheme. Contributions as % of salary:
Age Employee Employer
<50 3% 5%
50–55 4% 8%
>55 5% 10%
Expenses: All reasonable working expenses will be met in line with Cathedral policy.
Holiday (inclusive of bank holidays): 6.8 weeks per holiday year. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
Probation: This post will be subject to a probationary period of 3 months.
How to Apply
Closing date and time: 9am 1 July 2026
A completed Application Form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form available on our website (https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/your-cathedral/vacancies) should be returned to the Human Resources Department by email to: [email protected].
Shortlisting date: 3 July 2026
To ensure the fairness of the selection process, shortlisting will be based upon the information which applicants provide in their application and assumptions will not be made about their experience or skills. We will look for demonstrable evidence that candidates meet the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Information provided on the Application Form will be viewed by HR, the recruiting manager and interview panel. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the shortlisting process.
Interview date: 8 July 2026
Further details about the selection process will be provided to shortlisted candidates.
The appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of all compliance checks, including references and a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
Safeguarding
We are committed to the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults, and the care and nurture of children within church communities. We will carefully select, train and support all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles.
This means that we will:
· Ensure that our recruitment and selection processes are inclusive, fair, consistent and transparent.
· Take all reasonable steps to prevent those who might harm children or adults from taking up positions of respect, responsibility or authority where they are trusted by others.
· Adhere to Safer Recruitment legislation, guidance and standards.
Further information can be found in our Safeguarding Policy available on the Cathedral website at www.wellscathedral.org.uk.
The successful candidate will be required to complete a Confidential Declaration Form as part of our recruitment process when an offer of employment is made. This form is strictly confidential and, except under compulsion of law, will be seen only by those involved in the recruitment process. All forms will be kept securely in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Pay: £17,911.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
