Assistant Manager

Entertainer; Manchester; On-site; GBP 27,450 - 33,550; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

MyView PayNow

Virtual GP

Birthday Leave

Extra holidays

Pension sacrifice

Life Cover

Toy discount

Parental pay

Discounts

Cycle to Work

Annual Bonus

Job summary

The Entertainer is looking for a passionate, hands-on Assistant Manager to help create the best shopping experience on the high street at the Arndale Centre, Manchester. You’ll thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment and love leading a team to success.

Location is Arndale Centre, Manchester, with a salary of £30,500 and fantastic benefits. Hours are 42.5 per week across 5 days out of 7, offering a rewarding retail career with ongoing training and development for toy lovers.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 months of retail supervisory or managerial experience.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Commercial awareness and ability to react quickly to changes.
• Passion for toys and the retail industry.
• Tech-savvy with Microsoft Office and Teams.

Responsibilities

• Support the Store Manager to drive sales and reduce shrinkage.
• Lead and motivate the team to deliver exceptional customer service.
• Keep the store fully stocked and presentable for shoppers.
• Use reports and data to make smart commercial decisions.
• Manage stock, staffing schedules, and store operations.
• Step up to run the store in the Manager’s absence.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Retail supervision

Commercial awareness

MS Office

Teams

Toys passion

Tools

MS Office

Teams

Job description

At The Entertainer, we're searching for a passionate, hands-on Assistant Manager to help create the best shopping experience on the high street, in The Arndale Centre, Manchester.If you thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment, love working with toys and enjoy leading a team to success, this could be the perfect role for you.

If you're within a 45 to 60-minute commute and ready to bring passion, enthusiasm, and strong leadership to our team, we’d love to hear from you!

Location: Arndale Centre, Manchester

Salary: £30,500 plus fantastic benefits

Hours: 42.5 hours per week across 5 days out of 7

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Supporting the Store Manager in driving sales, smashing targets, and keeping shrinkage to a minimum.
• Leading and motivating your team, ensuring they deliver exceptional customer service.
• Keeping the store looking amazing, fully stocked, and ready to delight shoppers.
• Using reports and data to make smart commercial decisions.
• Managing stock, staffing schedules, and store operations like a pro.
• Stepping up to run the store in the Manager’s absence.

How We’ll Reward You:

We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our teams, which is why we offer amazing benefits, including:

• Flexible access to your pay via MyView PayNow
• Retail Trust benefits, including a Virtual GP.
• Birthday Leave plus 33 days holiday.
• Buy up to 5 extra holiday days a year,ideal for more rest, adventures, or time for you.
• Pension salary sacrifice to help you plan for the future.
• Life Cover for added peace of mind.
• Generous toy discount.
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay.
• High Street & leisure discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme for a healthier commute.
• Annual Bonus Scheme to reward your success.

What We’re Looking For:

• At least 12 months of retail supervisory or management experience.
• A people person with strong communication and leadership skills.
• A commercially aware individual who can adapt and react quickly.
• Someone tech-savvy—comfortable using Microsoft Office and Teams.
• A positive, can-do attitude with a passion for toys and retail

Why Join Us?

• Work in a fun, fast-moving environment where no two days are the same.
• Be part of a supportive, enthusiastic team.
• Unlock your potential with ongoing training and development.
• Enjoy a career where you're valued, supported, and rewarded – every step of the way.

Over 40 Years of Selling Toys!

The Entertainer is the UK’s largest independent toy retailer, with over 150UK stores spanning England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the islands of Jersey and the Isle of Man. Our global presence is growing too, with over 200 international stores across The Entertainer and Early Learning Centre!

Our sister company, Addo Play, designs and creates toys that spark joy in children worldwide, with creative teams based in Amersham, Hong Kong, and a showroom in the USA.

As retail evolves, so do we! Since acquiring Early Learning Centre in 2019, we’ve been committed to offering quality, choice, and value to our customers. We’ve also expanded our reach by partnering with Tesco, Matalan, and Moonpig bringing our fantastic toy ranges to more high street locations and online retailers.

The Entertainer has big ambitions for growth, and we’d love for you to join us on our exciting adventure!

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the published closing date, should we receive sufficient applications for the role, thank you.