General manager jobs

JOB TITLE: Retail Manager

LOCATION: Alderley Edge

DATE WRITTEN: May 2026

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Retail Area Manager

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

To manage an Age UK Cheshire Charity Shop located in the Cheshire area, ensuring efficient and effective management of colleagues, volunteers, premises, sales, and stock to provide a high-quality retail service in relation to agreed performance targets. 

To achieve the maximum potential of funds for Age UK Cheshire by achieving charity retail standards and community engagement.

To ensure all appropriate standards of security and health and safety are met. To organise and manage the day-to-day operations of the store including effective communication with the Head of Retail and reporting of relevant data.

Main Duties:

1. To ensure that the Age UK Cheshire Charity Shop achieves required standards of performance and agreed sales targets:

§  Maximisation of sales through stock rotation, correct pricing, brand awareness and merchandising, to use the full potential of the stock available to you.

§  To gain Gift Aid on eligible donations to Age UK Cheshire to maximise funds for the charity in line with HMRC guidelines. This includes signing up new donors to the scheme and selling stock accordingly.

§  Responsible for managing, training, and developing the Assistant Retail Manager to achieve pre-set objectives.

§  Support, train, and coordinate the work of volunteers in the shop as required.

§  Working with the Assistant Retail Manager to ensure that the shop complies with all the relevant legislation, trading standards and health and safety.

§  Ensuring stock from donors is correctly received and stored within the shop. Working with the Area Retail Manager to make certain of timely collections and suitable deliveries to merchandise appropriately and safely.

§  Administrative systems and working practices to include daily and weekly sales reports, charity log and financial information.

§  Identify stock which can maximise income when sold via e-commerce, auctions, or other sales opportunities.

§  To plan and prioritise special promotions, seasonal adjustments, and sale events.

§  Ensuring professional signage throughout the shop; to be clear and on brand.

§  Engage with the Retail Operations Manager regularly to create a cohesive working relationship with the wider retail team in order to gain support and advice

2. Maintain a high level of commercial awareness by staying informed of sales trends, stock position and local competition.

3. To work as a member of the wider retail team to ensure that all shops across the region are covered appropriately. Have a flexible approach to days worked and location, to provide support to other colleagues and providing holiday cover for the Assistant Retail Manager.

4. To participate in recruitment, induction, training and deployment of colleagues and volunteers. To work with other organisations when necessary to ensure compliance with all legislation and good practice.

5. To develop and manage “designated volunteers” through appropriate training and development, to ensure that they can take responsibility for the running of the shop in the absence of paid colleagues, including holiday cover if necessary.

6. Implement the highest standards of customer care and service.

7. To maximise income by participating in fundraising and trading opportunities.

8. To take responsibility for the shop to implement shop procedures, as follows: -

§  To act as a key holder at an assigned location

§  To prepare the shop for opening by the correct time

§  To close the shop at the correct time and ensuring the shop is secure before leaving

§  To assist in the acquisition of donations including furniture and to liaise with the Area Retail Manager on collection and delivery procedures

§  To sort, prepare and price stock to in line with charity retail processes.

§  To present stock in the sales area to the agreed standard

§  To recruit, train, organise, supervise, and care for the welfare of colleagues and volunteer helpers

§  To reconcile the cash register, banking and to work to Age UK Cheshire’s financial policies and procedures

§  To complete paperwork as necessary, to include use of information technology on computerised systems

§  To carry out Age UK Cheshire’s policy on Health and Safety of colleagues and customers, including all manual handling policies and procedures for goods and furniture, emergency and accident procedures, trading standard policy, refunds and exchange policy.

9. To use initiative to ensure any issues in the shop are resolved quickly and effectively. To follow the correct reporting procedure to inform the Health & Safety Manager of any problems or concerns.

10. To understand and achieve daily/weekly/monthly/annual targets which will be reviewed regularly with the job holder. To undertake performance related reviews with Assistant Retail Managers as required.

11. To be a role model for Age UK’s mission statement and values and to understand how the role of a Retail Manager complements this.

12. To undertake such duties as may from time to time be reasonably requested by management within the flexible definition of the post.

AGE UK CHESHIRE

RETAIL MANAGER - PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria:

- strong communicator with the ability to deliver team messages, deal with customer issues and resolve problems with firmness and fairness.

- ability to understand and interpret financial information in order to manage shop performance outcomes.

- good administrative and organisational skills with the ability to undertake banking tasks, keep basic records and organise resources in a busy environment.

- the ability to recognise stock potential in order to generate income and the importance of attractive presentation.

- supervisory experience with the ability to motivate, inspire and lead a team.

- IT literate

- ability to travel freely between shops (ideally full driving licence and use of a properly insured vehicle during work hours).

Desirable Criteria:

- basic knowledge of Health & Safety and Fire regulations and ability to identify potential risks to include items that sold under Health & Safety regulations.

- proven retail experience

- experience of working with volunteers.

- general understanding/empathy with the aims of the organisation.

Processing stock deliveries will regularly involve carrying and moving heavy stock.  You will also be on your feet for long periods of time.  On occasions you may be required to work on your own within the shop.

AGE UK CHESHIRE

RETAIL MANAGER - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The organisation currently operates 9 charity shops and has ambitious plans to open more charity shops which all help to provide funds for the charity to deliver its services for older people in Cheshire, as well as being a location to promote Age UK Cheshire services.

All Age UK Cheshire shops sell unwanted household and personal goods donated by the public and other commercial companies. The success of the shops is dependent upon achieving a regular adequate supply of donations.  Age UK Cheshire shops have established a reputation for selling good quality items, well presented and at reasonable prices. 

The shop staffing structure is supported by volunteer helpers.  They do not receive any payment other than the reimbursement of their exact travel costs from their home to the shop. 

The shops are all expected to trade profitably. Their function is to provide income to the organisation. Each shop is given a weekly sales target to achieve to produce a targeted net profit once rents and other costs have been deducted.

Each shop has a mixture of staff and volunteers covering a 6- or 7-day working period.  The Retail Manager will be supported by an Assistant Retail Manager working flexibly to provide cover at the shop. At times you might be asked to cover other shops depending on staffing issues, so flexibility is a must. Volunteer support is key to the success of the operation and development of “designated volunteers” who can take responsibility for the shop, during some periods of staff absence. 

Location: Shop Base – Alderley Edge. You may be required to cover other shops on an ad hoc basis.

Hours: 36.25 hours per week, worked over 5 days Monday to Sunday.  Hours are required to be flexible to ensure that the shop is staffed appropriately.  There may be a requirement to travel between shops.  In exceptional circumstances you may be required to work 6 days per week. The role will require working over the Christmas period and potentially all bank holidays.

Salary:  £25452.03 per annum (£13.50 per hour).  Overtime payments can be paid for exceptional circumstances where additional days have been worked.

Pension: Age UK Cheshire has an automatic enrolment workplace pension scheme in place for eligible employees.

Leave: 25 days’ leave per annum (plus Bank Holidays) rising after 5 years’ continuous service by one day per year (pro rata) to a maximum of 30 days’ leave after 10 years.

Contract: All new staff are subject to a three-month probationary period. 4 weeks’ notice is required to terminate employment by either side i.e., the employee or Age UK Cheshire. During the probationary period, one week’s notice is required by either side.

Health Care: All staff will automatically join the Age UK Cheshire’s Health Care Cash Plan and will be entitled to receive healthcare benefits.

Criminal Disclosure:  Basic DBS Check applicable for this post.

Age UK Cheshire is a Mindful Employer and positive actions will be taken to ensure that people will not be excluded from working for Age UK Cheshire because of their age, race, ethnicity, faith, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, physical or mental health.

Registered charity no. 1091608

We’re looking for a hands-on and adaptable IT professional who combines strong technical expertise with a commitment to social impact. This role blends operational IT leadership with vocational training support.

You will take ownership of technical quality across our charitable refurbishment programme while working alongside teaching staff to support vulnerable adults in developing practical industry standard IT skills. Your contribution will directly support our mission to reduce the digital divide and create pathways into employment through technology.

Key Responsibilities

1. Refurbishment, Training & Technical Quality

• Act as the technical lead for all refurbished devices, ensuring consistently high standards for resale or donation
• Support teachers in delivering hands-on training, guiding learners through disassembly, diagnostics, repair, and software installation
• Carry out final quality control checks before devices enter the sales or donation pipeline
• Identify faults early and ensure devices are fully functional to minimise post-sale issues
• Evaluate incoming donations from corporate partners to determine refurbishment viability and processing requirements.
• Manage software installation and licensing (Windows/Office) across refurbished and internal machines

2. eCommerce & Sales Support

· Work closely with the Multi-Channel Sales Executive to support online sales activity

• Provide accurate technical specifications and condition assessments for listings
• Advise on pricing based on performance, battery health, and hardware configuration
• Help identify which devices are suitable for eBay versus community distribution
• Liaise with donor should there be any technical issues with devices
• Develop and implement ‘after-sales’ support for sold and donated devices.

3. Systems, Data & Infrastructure

• Oversee secure data wiping processes, ensuring full compliance with GDPR and data protection standards
• Manage the flow of devices through our CRM and inventory systems from donation to final use
• Maintain internal IT infrastructure, including network (Unifi Wi-Fi, LAN/WAN), patch panels, and server environment (IIS)
• Support hardware and systems including AWS environment, desktops, CCTV and display equipment
• Manage user accounts, backups, and disaster recovery processes to ensure continuity
• Provide general internal IT support across our systems

What We’re Looking For

Technical Skills & Experience

• Strong hands-on experience with Hardware to include laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphone hardware repair, diagnostics, and refurbishment
• Experience managing small networks (Unifi, LAN/WAN, patch panels)
• Familiarity with server environments and server management (IIS, SQL), CRM systems, and business tools such as Xero
• Solid understanding of data security, GDPR, and secure data sanitisation
• Comfortable managing both infrastructure and day-to-day IT support

Soft Skills

• Patient and approachable, with the ability to support individuals in a learning environment
• Able to explain technical concepts in a clear, simple way 
• Practical problem-solver with a hands-on mindset within the charity

Personal Attributes

• Proactive and self-sufficient – takes ownership of technical standards and systems
• Strong attention to detail, particularly around quality control and data security
• Positive, supportive, and a team player
• Motivated by social impact, sustainability, and community development

The Hainault Forest Visitor Centre Assistant is an integral part of the team delivering a welcoming and memorable experience for visitors to Hainault Forest. Working in the Woodland Trust’s visitor centre, the role will assist with retail operations, provide excellent customer service, support various visitor engagement activities, and promote ways that visitors can support our cause - including Woodland Trust membership. This role contributes to enhancing the visitor experience while supporting the Woodland Trust’s mission. Our work at Hainault Forest is delivered in partnership with London Borough of Redbridge and Vision RCL.

The Role:

• Provide a warm, welcoming experience for visitors by sharing information about the forest, facilities, activities, and key site features, and responding to general enquiries.
• Promote the Trust’s membership offer and actively encourage sign-ups as part of the visitor experience.
• Support the delivery of events such as local walks workshops, often with children on an occasional basis.
• Work as part of the Visitor Centre team to manage building operations, including opening and closing procedures, upkeep of shared spaces, and handling financial transactions and cashing up.
• Deliver high-quality retail service, including operating the till efficiently, maintaining the retail area to a high standard, restocking and rotating stock, and ensuring strong visual merchandising.
• Contribute to retail performance by supporting stock selection and stock level decisions, monitoring sales, and helping to develop the retail offer to maximise income generation at the forest.
• Provide occasional support with social media by creating content and posting on relevant platforms to help promote the site and its activities.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, volunteers, and external partners, while following all health and safety procedures and adhering to data protection regulations when handling personal information
• This role will be based in the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre. You would be expected to live locally or within a reasonable travelling distance.

The Candidate:

• Experience working in a retail and/or customer-facing environment, with knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems, visual merchandising and stock management processes.
• Ability to manage your own time effectively within agreed working hours, balancing multiple tasks and priorities.
• Comfortable working independently using your own initiative, while also being a reliable and collaborative team member.
• Strong communication skills, able to engage confidently and appropriately with a range of audiences including children and young people.
• A basic understanding of health and safety practices relevant to public-facing environments.
• Confident using MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
• A welcoming, organised, reliable, and passionate approach, with a genuine enthusiasm for nature and a desire to connect people with Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust’s mission.
• Willingness to learn about Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust, and subject to pre-employment checks including right-to-work, references and an enhanced DBS check.
• The successful candidate will be required to be over the age of 18 and required to undertake an Enhanced Background Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
• Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.  We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.

People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.

Application Advice:

For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role. Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools. 

Apply Now:

If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.

Interviews will take place at the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre.