Online Assistant

Retail; Whitley Bay; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Nightshift premium

Discount card

Free food and hot drinks

Generous holiday entitlement

Pension

Sainsbury's share schemes

Shopping discounts

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Sainsbury's is seeking an Online Assistant in Whitley Bay to pick and prepare online orders for home delivery, including substitutions when items are unavailable. You’ll use a handheld device to plan routes, process orders, and assist with van loading, while delivering high-quality service in a fast-paced environment.

As well as driving duties, you’ll support in-store and online operations, with early starts around 4am, and training across multiple skills to grow and adapt within the team.

Qualifications

• Full, valid UK driving licence.
• Confident driving a van in various conditions.
• Excellent communication with customers and colleagues.
• Physically able to move shopping containers up to 15kg.

Responsibilities

• Pick and select the best quality products for online orders, ready for delivery or substitutions if out of stock.
• Use a route-planning handheld to guide shop actions and time.
• Process orders, handle customer queries, and help load vans for Home Delivery Drivers.
• Assist with safe loading of delivery vans and ensure orders are accurate for dispatch.
• Backup Home Delivery Driver when required, delivering orders safely and professionally.
• Maintain vehicle checks and comply with safety and legal requirements.

Skills

Full UK driving licence

Excellent communication

Flexible / hardworking

Able to lift 15kg

Tools

Handheld device

Delivery systems

Job description

What you’ll be doing:

• Picking and selecting the best quality products on the shop floor that online customers have ordered, ready for delivery to their doorsteps - or providing brilliant substitutions where products are out of stock
• Using a handset that plans your route around the store, what you need to select, and how long you have to complete each shop
• Working behind the scenes dealing with customer queries, processing orders, and helping to load the vans for our Home Delivery Drivers
• Supporting the safe and efficient loading of delivery vans, ensuring orders are organised, accurate, and ready for dispatch
• Acting as a backup Home Delivery Driver when required, completing customer deliveries safely, efficiently, and to a high standard of service
• Carrying out vehicle checks and adhering to all driving, safety, and legal requirements when operating company vehicles
• Providing excellent customer service when delivering orders, acting as a friendly and professional ambassador for the store
• Always ready to serve our customers brilliantly, supporting with any questions and proactively offering help
• Building great knowledge about our products, services and promotions to help provide recommendations
• Working flexibly across the store and online operation as required

What makes a great Sainsbury's Colleague:

• Holds a full, valid UK driving licence with a safe and responsible driving record
• Confident and comfortable driving a van in a variety of conditions and locations
• Happy with early morning starts (as most shifts start at 4am) and working in a fast-paced, physical and high-energy environment, both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently and professionally with customers and colleagues
• Friendly and welcoming with a genuine enthusiasm for helping customers
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, physical and high-energy environment, using initiative to solve problems and taking responsibility for owning tasks
• Always ready to work flexibly and productively to a high standard across the store - you'll be fully trained in a variety of skills, giving you opportunities to learn, develop and try new things
• Comfortable learning to use new digital tools and technology to do your job brilliantly, including handheld devices and delivery systems
• Physically able to move shopping containers up to 15kg and support loading/unloading duties
• Has great attention to detail, helping keep the store and delivery operation safe, accurate, and efficient

Working for us has great rewards:

We truly value our colleagues and provide market-leading benefits and training to reflect that:

• Nightshift premium -in addition to the advertised hourly rate, a further £2.45 nightshift premium is paid for every hour worked between midnight - 5am (where applicable).
• Discount card -10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, Tu, and Habitat after four weeks, increasing to 15% discount at Sainsbury's every Friday and Saturday
• Free food and hot drinks - provided for Colleagues in all our stores
• Generous holiday entitlement - based on the hours you work, plus maternity and paternity leave
• Pension - we’ll match between 4-7.5% of your pension contributions
• Sainsbury's share schemes - buy Sainsbury's shares at discounted prices
• Shopping discounts - special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more
• Wellbeing support - including free access to our Employee Assistance Programme which is a confidential service providing support and guidance on a wide range of issues

Working in our stores:

Our stores are fast-paced environments where no two days are ever the same. They are at the heart of the local community providing outstanding value, quality and great service. As one of our Online Assistants, you’ll be the special ingredient that supports a joyful shopping experience for our online customers, so they get everything they shop at Sainsbury's for.

Eligibility:

• You must be above the school-leaver age in your country School leaving age - GOV.UK
• If the shifts for this role cover hours earlier than 6am or later than 11pm, you will need to be at least 18 years of age.
• You must have Right to Work eligibility in the UK

An inclusive place to work and shop

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential, and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us.

To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range ofenhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleaguesresources to help themunderstand and support their role and theirteam effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek toensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face.

We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a look here.

As part our commitment as a Disability Confident Leader, all candidates will have the opportunity to be offered an interview through our online assessment which will prioritise those candidates who achieve the highest score and therefore most closely match the essential criteria for the role.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.