Commercial Manager (UoB Gift Shop) - Campus Services - 106760 - Grade 6

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Birmingham seeks a Gift Shop Manager to oversee all aspects of shop operations. Responsibilities include product selection, supplier management, and team leadership to ensure an exceptional customer experience. Applicants should have a degree and significant experience in retail, particularly in the fashion or gift shop sector. The role offers a salary range of £33,002 to £35,608, with opportunities for progression. The institution values diversity and inclusivity in its workforce.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Pension scheme

Volunteering day off

Qualifications

• Significant practical experience in the retail or gift shop sector.
• Proven experience in managing online sales and website.
• Strong literacy and numeracy skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and ensure efficient service delivery.
• Design shop layout and maintain merchandising standards.
• Select product ranges and manage supplier relationships.

Skills

People management

Product selection

Supplier relationship management

Financial management

Customer service

Retail trends awareness

Education

Degree level education

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Details

Campus Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906
Grade: 6
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 7th January 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed and celebrate their success. We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to develop your career at the University. We believe diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who we are and how we work. Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important. We offer a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay and a pension scheme, and we have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state‑of‑the‑art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Background

Campus Services (CS) employs over 1000 staff with a turnover exceeding £65m in the last financial year. CS plays a key role in the quality of the student, staff and visitor experience, providing services across diverse areas such as the University’s sporting facilities, food and beverage, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, portering, post, branded and own‑brand retail outlets, visitor services and attractions (e.g., Winterbourne House & Gardens), student housing, transport, waste disposal and recycling. CS is a highly commercial organisation operating within the University context and has an ambitious strategic agenda, in terms of growing our service profile across both our Birmingham and Dubai campuses.

Role Summary

In this role, you will oversee the daily operations of the Gift Shop, managing everything from product selection and pricing strategies to margins, promotions, and supplier relationships. You will also be responsible for the merchandising and layout of the shop, manage the online store, and coordinate click‑and‑collect and online delivery options. Achieving financial goals, enhancing the customer experience and building a motivated, multi‑skilled team will be key focuses. Additionally, you will coordinate the creation of merchandise for graduation events and the Alumni market.

Main Duties

• Oversee daily operations of the Gift Shop, ensuring smooth and efficient service delivery.
• Design and maintain shop layout and merchandising standards to create an engaging and customer‑friendly environment.
• Select and source product ranges that meet the needs of students and alumni, building strong supplier relationships.
• Prepare budgets and sales forecasts, monitoring performance against targets.
• Manage cost and retail pricing strategies to achieve required profit margins.
• Plan and implement seasonal promotions to drive sales during peak periods.
• Ensure seamless fulfilment of web orders, including Click & Collect and home delivery services.
• Develop and maintain strong internal relationships with schools, student services and internal orders support.
• Introduce new product ranges and phase out under‑performing lines to maximise profitability.
• Monitor trends in fashion and gifting markets, ensuring the shop reflects the status of a Top 50 University.
• Oversee the Gift Shop team by inspiring and continuously supporting them, focusing on development, mentoring and training to cultivate a culture of excellent customer service.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, including COSHH and manual handling.
• Promote equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource‑efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Operational Requirements

• Hours as required based on a 37.5‑hour week 7/365 operation on a rota basis, including weekend and evening work activities.
• To participate in the FBR duty management rota (7/365).

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) in a relevant area; significant practical experience in a similar role will be required if no equivalent qualification is held.
• Previous experience in the fashion or gift shop sector as a store manager or in the buying function.
• Experience of managing online sales and website management.
• Experience of profit and loss management, cost control and profit delivery.
• Excellent people management skills with the ability to motivate staff to deliver excellence.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly and analyse information and data.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail trends.
• Ability to plan, organise and develop sales and service plans to grow and advance current business levels.
• Proven experience of managing a broad range of internal and external stakeholder.
• Excellent IT skills, with experience of using Microsoft suite of programs and the ability to quickly learn in‑house systems.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day‑to‑day activity that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Use of AI in applications

We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability

We believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.