Assistant Shop Manager

The Children's Society; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 9,000 - 12,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension match (up to 8%)

Free counselling service

Skill development opportunities

2 paid volunteering days per year

Job summary

The Children’s Society is seeking a passionate Assistant Manager for the Castle Bromwich shop in Birmingham. You will support the shop manager, lead a small team, and focus on delivering excellent customer service, community engagement, and income generation.

Applicants should have retail supervisory experience, strong people skills, and the ability to manage cash and budgets. A driving licence is advantageous, and involvement with volunteers is welcome.

Qualifications

• Retail or similar supervisory experience.
• Excellent people and customer service skills.
• Experience of cash handling and basic understanding of performing to income and expenditure budgets.
• Confidence, positivity and resilience in managing the shop in the Shop Manager's absence.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Understanding of the charity retail sector.

Responsibilities

• Support the Shop Manager to lead the team and deliver excellent customer service.
• Assist in driving shop profits and community engagement to increase income.
• Help manage cash handling and basic budgeting tasks.
• Supervise volunteers and maintain high store standards.

Skills

Retail supervisory experience

Customer service

Cash handling & budgeting

Leadership in absence of manager

Driving licence

Charity retail sector knowledge

Job description

16 hours over 2 days to include Sundays and Bank Holidays

Benefits include but not limited to

• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us

The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

We run over 100 retail shops covering the whole of the UK – every one of these shops play a vital role in our mission to providing support to children and young adults. Every day we’re changing the lives of children in this country for the better – and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more.

About the role

This role sits within our Retail Domain, which transforms donated goods into vital income to support young people across the UK. You’ll play a key part in our Castle Bromwich shop, supporting the shop manager to manage the team to deliver excellent customer service, community engagement, and income generation. As part of this role, you will be required to follow a shift of 2 days to work Sundays and bank holidays.

We’re looking for a passionate and motivated Assistant Manager with the ability to lead people, grow a volunteer team and assist the shop manager to drive shop profits, driving improvements that strengthen the shop’s performance and community impact.

Key Skills and Competencies

The required skills and competencies for this role are:

• Retail or similar supervisory experience,
• Excellent people and customer service skills
• Experience of cash handling and basic understanding of performing to income and expenditure budgets
• Confidence, positivity and resilience in managing the shop and making decisions in the absence of the Shop Manager

It would also be an advantage if you have any of the following skills and competencies:

• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Understanding of the charity retail sector

Closing date

Monday 31st August 2026.

Interviews

Date to be confirmed.

Safeguarding and inclusion

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 2 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.