Assistant Manager

Elgin Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnstons of Elgin is seeking an Assistant Manager to lead a luxury retail team in a high-end environment. You will support the Store Manager, drive sales, and coach staff to deliver the finest customer experience while maintaining premium merchandising standards.

The role involves training, relationship building with clients, and ensuring stock accuracy. Based in Greater London, this permanent, full-time position requires 37.5 hours per week across 5 days.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of luxury client experience standards.
• Strong coaching and training abilities for developing a team.
• Experience in luxury retail or hospitality preferred.
• Proven track record in driving sales and delivering exceptional customer service.
• Ability to build and nurture client relationships and a local network.

Responsibilities

• Support Store Manager in daily operations.
• Maintain a luxury shop floor environment and visual merchandising standards.
• Lead and develop the store team to achieve targets and deliver exceptional service.
• Ensure stock management and inventory accuracy.
• Advise customers on product fit and styles, particularly cashmere products.

Skills

Luxury retail

Team leadership

Customer service

Coaching/training

Networking

Job description

About the Role:

We expect our Assistant Managers to be future business leaders, taking a proactive and entrepreneurial approach to supporting the running their location. We are looking for creative, collaborative, but also independent thinkers who understand the true essence of luxury retail service and environment.

We want only dedicated retailers who have ambition to grow with the brand in their department as we expand our physical network globally.

Be a passionate ambassador for the Johnstons of Elgin brand, run the store to exceed customer expectations and meet targets. Motivate and develop your team to deliver the highest level of customer experience and store performance.

This is a permanent, full-time opportunity working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days from 7.

Competitive salary based on experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Supporting our Store Manager at one of our retail stores, you will:

Customer focus:

• Have a deep understanding of luxury client experience standards and be able to coach this in your team.
• Be a shop floor focused individual who has a passion for driving sales and setting an example to your team with your energy, knowledge and hosting standards.
• Be a strong relationship builder and natural connector.
• Enjoy networking and seeking beneficial B2B relationships in the area.
• Work with your Store Manager and Head of Retail to develop client retention initiatives and store awareness actions.
• Have a strong understanding of client retention strategy and be able to develop this understanding and skills in your team.

People

• Develop a culture of success and ambition within your team.
• Ensure the highest standards of behaviour and teamwork by dealing directly with any issues immediately and setting the standard in line with the company values.
• Organise weekly training sessions to improve the team’s knowledge of brand/product and develop confidence with client interactions.
• A true coach who can inspire the team to grow both professionally and personally.
• Spot, nurture and retain talent.

Delivery

• Support your Store Manager with all operational tasks and requests.
• Maintain a luxury environment on the shop floor, driving and implementing visual merchandising standards and running all store operations.
• Keep an immaculate BOH stock area with a keen eye on product care and storage standards. Ensure stock management and inventory accuracy is always maintained to the highest level.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the company processes involved in both woven and knitted cashmere product and ensure the store team are fully confident styling and advising customers on fit and styles.

About You

• Be a passionate retailer who loves the role and brings an infectious energy to the team.
• A true leader, who cares for the team and prioritises their development.
• An experienced salesperson who loves hosting and bringing joy to our guests.
• Can coach the team to hit the same service standards you display.
• Be confident in your ability, but open to learning new skills and ways of working.
• Have experience working within a luxury retail or hospitality.
• Be an effective communicator with the ability to build and maintain relationships with those at all levels.
• Have an extensive network of clients and build strong relationships with returning and regular customers to encourage repeat sales.
• Show exemplary customer service skills and an understanding of a luxury retail environment.
• Demonstrate a keen interest in craftmanship and authentic Scottish textile manufacturing
• Show genuine passion for our brand and confidently share our rich history & heritage with customers
• Be commercially aware, keeping up to date with fashion trends
• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills with all levels of colleagues and customers.

About Us

Founded in 1797, Johnstons of Elgin is an innovative, luxury clothing brand celebrating over 225 years of experience in working with the world’s finest fibres. Across three centuries, our family-owned company has carefully sources cashmere and fine woollen fibres from around the world, applying the latest technology and highest quality craft expertise in our very own vertical Scottish mills. Employing over 1,000 staff, our valued employees and communities are at the heart of everything we do, producing unique, high-quality designs that are made to last. Our brand is focused on sustainability, working with natural, renewable, and biodegradable fibres and we are committed to maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.

Johnstons of Elgin is proud to be an equal opportunity employer wholeheartedly supporting the principles of equality and diversity to build an inclusive workforce. Our aim is to embed diversity and inclusion in everything we do to create an environment where our employees feel safe to be their whole authentic self without having to downplay or change parts of their identity. We celebrate diversity in all its forms, which goes beyond those characteristics protected by law to include everything that makes us unique, from our backgrounds and experiences to our personalities and ways of thinking.

We endeavour to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and encourage any candidate who requires assistance to contact us at [e-mail].

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement or qualification. At Johnstons of Elgin, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but think your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Please note all applicants must be able to provide evidence of their right to remain and take up paid employment in country job is based.

Closing date - 30th October 2026