Shop assistant jobs

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. In 2024 we embarked on our new 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Our shops generate valuable income to support our services, create opportunities for homeless people to learn new skills and contribute to Crisis’ work in the community. They have a unique contemporary visual identity and are dynamic and creative places to work.

About the role

We are recruiting for an Assistant Shop Manager to join a busy and creative team in Elephant and Castle. You will join an exciting team and collaborate to build a group of volunteers from all walks of life, raising money to fund Crisis’ work ending homelessness. We are bold with a culture of continuous review and improvement, where we try new things, take risks, and sometimes fail. There will be numerous opportunities to improve our team’s effectiveness. Your voice will count!

We also work closely with local artists and universities. We’d love you to bring your own ideas, along with your experience of fashion, retail and current trends, to this role. You will have opportunities to build your own skills and career progression through training and development – many of our shop managers were promoted internally. Ensuring our recruitment practices are as equitable as possible is our number one priority so we are looking for someone who advocates for others and challenges injustice.

You will be primarily based in the Elephant and Castle shop, but you may be required to travel to other shops within London 1 & 2 on a short-term basis.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have retail experience at a supervisory level alongside a genuine interest in charity retail. You will be keen to build your people management skills including working with Crisis members. We are particularly interested in meeting candidates with an interest or background in visual merchandising, although this is not essential. You will be committed to Crisis’s values and mission to end homelessness.

You may have experience in: assistant shop manager, assistant store manager, shop supervisor, store supervisor, charity shop manager, retail manager, charity retail

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.

Working at Crisis

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• A competitive salary. Please note, our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage.
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy.
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
• Flexible working around the core hours 10am-4pm
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly And more! (Full list of benefits available on website)

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Tuesday 27 January 2026 at 23:59.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for my application?

We strongly discourage applicants from using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. This is so we can run a fair, transparent process which gives all applicants an equitable chance of success. We want to hear about your own experience and perspectives in your application and if shortlisted, during the interview too.

Accessibility

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help.

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094