Retail Assistant Manager (Reading Broad St)

Cancer Research UK; Reading; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Generous leave allowance

Discounts on travel and technology

Gym membership

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Cancer Research UK is seeking a part-time Retail Assistant Manager in Reading to support the shop manager in driving income, managing staff and volunteers, and delivering excellent customer service. The role involves merchandising, stock control, events support and community engagement, with a focus on fundraising targets and compliant operations.

You will work a 30-hour week on a rota, including some Saturdays and occasional Sundays, and you’ll be part of a dedicated team helping beat cancer

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy retail environment.
• Ability to lead a diverse team of paid staff and volunteers.
• Strong customer and supporter service orientation.
• Adaptability and ability to work on a rota.
• Experience with display, merchandising and stock management.

Responsibilities

• Support the shop manager to guide and engage staff and volunteers.
• Oversee commercial running of the store including display, layout and stock.
• Lead by example with customer and supporter service excellence.
• Work with the manager to meet targets for donated stock, cash, and fundraising metrics.
• Develop relationships with local community and Cancer Research UK colleagues.
• Assist in organising fundraising events to reach targets.
• Maintain health, safety, safeguarding, security and HR compliance.
• Occasionally deputise for the shop manager.

Skills

Customer service

Team leadership

Merchandising

Stock management

Communication

Flexibility

Community outreach

Job description

Retail Assistant Manager £13.36 - £15.61 per annum/per hour plus benefits

Reports to: Shop manager. Department: Trading. Contract: Permanent. Working hours: Part time 30 hours per week (Monday to Saturday occasional Sunday). Location: Reading (Broad Street). Shop Closing date: 13th September 2026 23:55. External: 13th September 2026 23:55. Internal: In line with organisational policy this role will remain open for internal applications until: 13th September 2026 23:55. The internal title for this role is Assistant Shop Manager. Please note: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship. At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That’s why we’re looking for someone talented, someone who shares our vision, someone like you. You’ll be acting as an ambassador for Cancer Research UK, supporting the shop manager and your team to maximise income through people, resources and stock. You’ll also be surrounded by people who are as dedicated to beating cancer as you are.

What will I be doing?

• Supporting the shop manager to guide, inspire and engage a diverse team of paid staff and volunteers.
• Support the commercial running of the store including display and merchandising, stock management, maintaining shop standards, store layout, sales and income.
• Leading by example and providing excellent customer and supporter service.
• Work alongside the shop manager to achieve targets for donated stock, cash, gift aid, average selling price, sell through and stock processing.
• Creating relationships with your local community and Cancer Research UK colleagues.
• Supporting the shop manager in the organisation and delivery of creative fundraising events for your store to achieve fundraising targets.
• Maintaining compliance with health and safety, safeguarding, security, administration and HR policies.
• Deputising for the shop manager in their absence.
• There will be a varied amount of manual handling and physical activity required within the day-to-day duties of the role.

What are you looking for?

• A working knowledge of what makes great customer service.
• Experience of working in a lively and vibrant environment.
• Adaptability in changing situations, including being able to work effectively independently.
• Commercial awareness.
• The ability to create relationships and communicate well.
• Flexibility: our retail teams cover the needs of their stores by working on a rota basis. Whilst a level of flexibility is needed to meet the needs of the business, we don’t forget that you have a life outside of work too.

What will I gain?

• We make sure you are supported by a generous salary and benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools, policies and processes to enable you to do your job well.
• Our benefits package includes a substantial retirement plan, a generous and flexible leave allowance, discounts on anything from travel to technology, gym membership, and much more.
• Our retail teams also have access to confidential wellbeing support from the Retail Trust.
• [Download the Candidate Pack]

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work.

We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen.

Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.

We’re the world’s leading cancer charity, dedicated to saving and improving lives with our research. We work to reduce the impact of cancer on people’s day-to-day lives through our research, influence and information. We are beating cancer – step by step, day by day. Our work means that people with cancer live better lives through earlier diagnosis and kinder, more effective treatments. Find a purposeful career that will empower you to grow and collaborate with like-minded experts.