Shop Assistant - Shirley (6254)

The Children's Society; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

36 days' annual leave incl. bank hols

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension match up to 8%

Free counselling service

Skills development opportunities

2 days volunteering time per year

Job summary

The Children's Society Shirley shop in Solihull is seeking a Shop Assistant to join our Retail Domain. You will support the shop manager, deliver excellent customer service, engage with the local community, and help generate income, including online selling.

This permanent, full-time role requires a confident, proactive person who can work weekends and Bank Holidays as part of a small team, contributing to the shop's ongoing success and impact.

Qualifications

• Retail experience and a can-do positive approach.
• Excellent people skills and customer service ability.
• Good IT skills and comfortable using basic software.

Responsibilities

• Support the shop manager and team to deliver excellent customer service.
• Drive shop profits and community engagement, including online selling.
• Supervise team as required to ensure smooth shop operations.

Skills

Retail experience

Customer service

IT skills

Job description

Permanent
Hours: 37 hours (5 out of 7 days - including weekends)
Salary: £24,454 per annum
Location: Shirley Shop - Solihull

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days' annual leave inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• 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 Shirley shop, supporting the shop manager and the team to deliver excellent customer service, community engagement, and income generation (including some online selling). As part of this role, you will be required to work as and when required and this will include Sundays and Bank Holidays.

We're looking for a confident and motivated Shop Assistant with the ability to supervise people, 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 experience, and a 'can do', positive approach
• Excellent people skills & customer service
• Good IT skills

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

• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Experience of working with volunteers

Interviews:

To be confirmed

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.