Shop manager and assistant shop manager jobs in Haywards heath, east sussex
Join our retail team as an Assistant Shop Manager at our Dorking shop and support the Shop Manager to maximise shop profit by achieving budgeted income, controlling shop expenditure in line with the shop's budget, and by recruiting and retaining a motivated team of volunteers. You will support the promotion of sustainable shopping and the shop’s social media to increase audience reach, attract customers, donors and volunteer supporters to deliver the Retail Strategy.
Income generation
- To support the Shop Manager to manage the Retail budget to achieve agreed targets:
- Help maximise shop sales by achieving agreed targets both through donated stock and bought in/new goods. This involves proactive stock generation, optimum pricing, processing stock to agreed amounts and stock planning.
- Achieve Gift Aid sales conversion target through maximising new donor sign up and encouraging repeat donations.
- Achieve the shops additional fundraising activities i.e., Christmas appeal sales targets through involving the shops team.
- Maintain high levels of shop presentation by merchandising and housekeeping to agreed standards as set out in the Shops Operations manual.
- Managing the stock levels of bought in/new goods, to include ordering of more stock as and when necessary.
- Assist in holding and attending Fundraising events to promote the awareness of The Children’s Trust.
- Source links with local communities to promote Retail in the community via media and other sources.
- Role involves a degree of manual handling in the sorting and lifting of stock.
- Job Purpose
- Job Description
- Duties and Responsibilities
Administration and compliance
- To ensure adherence to The Children’s Trust policies and procedures, in particular ensuring full compliance of the shops in line with all Health & Safety legislation, Trading Standards, Risk Assessments, Gift Aid, Lottery and all other legal or statutory requirements:
- Assist in controlling shop expenditure through effective cost control of weekly expenses.
- Ensure minimum losses of both stock and cash by following bank and till procedures and safeguarding the property of The Children’s Trust at all times.
- Adhere to all Policies and Procedures including those relating to the compliance with Health and Safety responsibilities, Gift Aid and Lottery.
- Complete all administration to meet the requirements, standard and deadlines for whom this work is produced.
- Embrace the change and development of new technology in the shop, for example The Loop (internal intranet) and Chariot (EPOS till system).
- Timely efficient responses to requests for information including voice and email messages.
- To fulfil any other agreed duties that may at times be reasonably required.
Personnel and Training
- To support the Shop Manager to ensure the Shop’s team are recruited, retained and developed:
- Led by the Shop Manager - provides positive, visible and proactive leadership to the Shops team.
- Assist in managing all employees and volunteers within the Shop in accordance with the aims and values of The Children’s Trust.
- Deputise and be accountable for all Shop Manager duties as and when necessary, in their absence due to sickness, holiday or recruitment.
- Assist the Shop Manager to recruit, induct, support, train and retain team of shop volunteers.
- Attend where appropriate, training courses relevant to the development of the role and Retail Sales meetings if required and cascade information to team as appropriate.
- Assist at other shops if requested and where reasonable.
- Carry out duties in accordance with Trust #Promises.
Customer Service
- To ensure customer care and quality of service.
- Provide excellent customer care through quality of service, dealing with complaints both efficiently and effectively, and having a good understanding of what The Children’s Trust does.
- Support other shops and fundraising colleagues as and when necessary.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Assistant Director of Operations
Salary: £72,000 per annum
Work Pattern: This is a permanent contract, working full time, Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours a week.
Location: Your base can be at any of the 6 mainland UK Discovery Sites: Arundel BN18, Llanelli SA14, London SW13, Martin Mere L40, Slimbridge GL2 or Washington NE38. The 7th site is Castle Espie.
For this role we can offer the opportunity for hybrid working. It is expected the role will need you to be present at each of your sites on a regular basis, at least once per month.
About The Role
WWT is the charity for wetlands.
This is a critical role in the recently restructured Operations Directorate at WWT. As Assistant Director, you will be directly responsible for the performance of our 7 Wetland Discovery sites. You will provide inspiring and professional leadership to your teams, whilst proactively collaborating cross organisation and externally.
Your focus will be on driving meaningful improvements at sites across our three ambitions of Restore, Inspire and Thrive, with emphasis on financial performance driven by visitor experiences. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will directly manage two Heads of Operations, a Head of Retail and Head of Catering. You will indirectly lead more than 400 staff and volunteers across Living Collections, Reserve Management, Visitor Experience, Trading, Marketing, Facilities and Grounds.
You will work closely with Health & Safety and Sustainability leads to ensure good governance and compliance at sites and across the Operations Directorate.
You will have a background working in visitor attractions or a very similar sector, coupled with a passion for purpose-led organisations and a keen interest in the environment. You will be an inspiring leader with high levels of emotional intelligence and values & behaviours that align with WWT.
About You
To join as our Assistant Director of Operations, you will need to evidence:
- Experience in a senior position(s) held in the visitor attraction/events management sectors, directly accountable for site operations and visitor experience throughout the visitor journey.
- Strong skills in leading business planning, financial analysis, budget development and management, and delivery of significant capital projects across £multi-million business unit(s).
- Demonstrable ability to recruit, performance manage and motivate large (>100) diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
- The ability to develop, communicate and implement strategic change, turning organisational vision into improvements at scale.
- An inspirational and empathetic leadership style, able to role model an organisation’s values and behaviours, and to evidence strong emotional intelligence. Able to prioritise effectively, to collaborate, network and influence internally and externally at a senior level.
- A highly creative and inquisitive mindset, able to spot and exploit potential opportunities, keen to explore, test and learn as a means of driving continual improvement and excellence in the visitor experience.
- Experience of working collaboratively with insight, marketing and communications teams to deliver strong brand and marketing campaigns which drive footfall.
About Us
We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.
Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.
Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?
Why you’ll love working at WWT
- Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
- Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
- 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
- Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
- Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
- Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
- Cycle to work scheme
- Contributory pension scheme
- Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
- Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme
Closing Date: 23rd February 2026
N.B. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications from candidates who meet the required skills and experience. We therefore encourage early applications.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.
No agencies please.
Restore Wetlands and Unlock their Power



