Warehouse assistant jobs in romford, greater london

Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight. In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:

· Can this be stopped?

· How will I live my life?

Currently, research into preventing and treating sight loss is chronically underfunded, receiving a mere 1.2% of publicly funded health research grants: people who are blind or vision impaired are three times more likely to experience loneliness and isolation than the general population.

We find and fund the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight. Our researchers are at the forefront, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will prevent, treat and cure eye disease. The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people.

We are Fight for Sight: we won’t stop until we: Save Sight. Change Lives.

We have a clear ambition, led by our CEO, Keith Valentine, who has valuable lived experience of sight loss. We’ve secured well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors, such as Sir John Major and Frances Segelman.

We are now looking for experienced, committed, and creative individuals to join our dynamic team to help realise a new five-year growth strategy. You’ll be part of something impactful, we’d love to hear from you.                                                                           

As Assistant Donation Hub Manager, your primary purpose is to support the efficient and effective operation of our Donations Hub, ensuring that all incoming stock is sorted, processed, and distributed in line with the needs of our retail and ecommerce operations.

You will work closely with the Operations Manager to manage a complex and varied stock flow coming from multiple sources - including in-store donations, house clearances, home collections, corporate and community events, and direct drop-offs from the public. A key part of your role will be to ensure these donations are processed efficiently, assessed for maximum value, and appropriately segmented to drive income across our 14 shops and online platforms.

This is a highly practical and physical role that requires strong organisational skills and a deep understanding of operational logistics. You’ll be responsible for ensuring timely fulfilment of shop orders, maintaining high standards of stock quality by both sorting incoming donations from shops, allocating corporate donations and supporting the movement and dispatch of goods in a way that maximises efficiency and minimises waste.

You’ll lead day-to-day activities in the hub, supervising volunteers and working collaboratively with drivers to deliver an excellent internal service to shop teams. You will also act as a key support for community-facing donation activity - helping to deliver excellent service during home collections, managing local donor interactions at the warehouse, and assisting with the logistics of house clearances.

Flexibility will be vital, as the role will operate across a seven-day rota and may require you to deputise for the Operations Manager or drivers when needed. Experience in a charity retail setting, excellent customer service and relationship-building skills, and a general understanding of charity retail would be a distinct advantage. A full UK driving licence is also highly desirable.

This role offers the opportunity to play a key part in the growth and success of our retail network and the wider mission of Fight for Sight: to Save Sight. Change Lives.

Responsible to

Operations Manager

Direct reports

None

Working hours and contract

35 hours per week, working across a flexible seven-day rota

Salary

£25,207 per annum (London Living Wage)

Location

Attending to all the shops around London, from Hampton Hill in the West to Crouch End in the north. Our Donations Hub is currently located within West Norwood, with a second small warehouse attached to our West Norwood Shop.

How to Apply 

Please submit your CV and an up to two page supporting statement which evidences the specification with subject header - Assistant Donation Hub Manage

Role Responsibilities

· Support the day-to-day running of the donation hub, ensuring a smooth, accurate and timely flow of donations through the hub

· Oversee and participate in the physical sorting, quality checking, and categorising of stock in line with stock standards and retail priorities

· Prepare and fulfil stock requests from shops and ecommerce channels, ensuring timely and accurate dispatch

· Maintain clear, efficient systems for inventory tracking and stock distribution

· Deputise for the Operations Manager as required, supporting wider operational priorities

· Ensure all machinery and warehouse equipment is fit for purpose, reporting faults and maintaining safety standards

· Coordinate with drivers and retail staff to organise timely deliveries, collections, and transfers between locations

· Step in to cover driving duties as required (subject to driving licence)

· Load vans safely and efficiently, ensuring optimal routing for stock movement

· Maintain roadworthiness and cleanliness of retail vehicles, completing regular checks and liaising on repairs or servicing

· Support waste management processes to reduce landfill and maximise recycling or resale potential

· Supervise, train, and support volunteers in daily warehouse activities, including sorting and logistics

· Create a positive, inclusive environment where volunteers are valued, recognised, and supported

· Define clear volunteer tasks and responsibilities in line with operational needs

· Assist in volunteer recruitment and onboarding in partnership with the Volunteer Engagement Manager

· Deliver excellent internal service to retail shops and ecommerce, responding to stock needs and changes with flexibility

· Provide a professional and friendly experience for public donors during drop-offs, collections, or house clearances

· Support and represent Fight for Sight during home collections and local engagement initiatives

· Promote and encourage donations through strong community-facing presence and service

· Ensure the Donations Hub operates in line with all health and safety standards, including proper manual handling, use of equipment and fire safety

· Carry out regular H&S checks, reporting hazards and ensuring safe working practices

· Adhere to data protection, safeguarding, and secure stock handling procedures

· Ensure all practices within the hub are in line with Fight for Sight’s Safe, Legal & Secure requirements

· Contribute to data tracking on stock volumes, processing times, and donation sources to help drive improvement

· Contribute to achieving KPIs related to stock value, waste reduction, ecommerce contribution, and volunteer hours

· Work with the Operations Manager to identify opportunities to improve donation hub processes, stock handling efficiency, and volunteer engagement

· Provide feedback and insights to the Operations Manager to support continuous improvement

Other

· Keep up to date with developments in the sector and key new initiatives in our field. 

· To work at all times in compliance with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Practice and data protection legislation.

Person specification

Desirable skills, knowledge & experience

· Previous experience in a warehouse, stockroom, logistics or charity retail environment

· Demonstrated experience in leading or supervising volunteers or small teams

· Excellent organisational and time management skills

· Ability to prioritise workload in a busy environment with changing demands

· Comfortable with physical work including lifting, sorting and operating equipment

· Strong IT skills (Microsoft Excel, Word, ability to learn existing systems)

· Managing multiple workstreams and deadlines.

Qualifications

· Full UK manual driving licence

· GCSE C or equivalent in Mathematics and English

Personal qualities  

· An understanding of and commitment to the sight loss community

· Strong verbal and written communication skills

· Flexible, motivated, and able to manage a varied workload with a practical, can-do attitude

· Personable, with excellent listening skills

· Calm under pressure and solution-oriented

· Commitment to excellent customer service and volunteer experience

· Excellent accuracy and attention to detail

· Highly organised with ability to plan effectively and allocate resources appropriately. 

Flexibility

The role description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and may be amended as we grow. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

Employee benefits

We value our staff and volunteers and want to make sure that they are supported in their work. Other benefits we also offer are:

· A great team and a supportive culture

· Employer pension contributions matching up to 10%, and death in service cover

· Generous parental leave

· Apprenticeships scheme, study leave and financial support for training & development

· Cycle to work scheme, eye test vouchers, and a staff loan scheme, access to an Employee Assistance Program

· An active Social Committee and staff events

Application & Interview process

See above for How to Apply. Please note that we value the authenticity and individuality of our applicants and believe that your CV and cover letter should reflect your unique skills, experiences, and personality. Therefore, please refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT, to produce your application materials. Applications drafted with the assistance of AI will be automatically rejected.

Successfully shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview TBC

The interview process is planned as follows: TBC

· 1st Interview: TBC

· 2nd Interview and an informal meeting with trustees and colleagues: TBC

Accessibility

We believe in fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, feel supported and valued. If you have any accessibility requirements or specific needs that you would like us to accommodate during the application process, please let us know. If you are unfamiliar with MS Teams and would like to familiarise yourself with the platform before the interview, we are more than happy to arrange a tech run-through to ensure your comfort and confidence.

Equal opportunities, diversity & inclusion 

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every item in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles that we have.

We have an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, including any adjustments required to support people from diverse community groups.