Store Detective

Mitie Group; South Ockendon; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Guaranteed 45-hour contract

Company pension scheme

Role-specific training and ongoing dev

Support from experienced management

Opportunities to develop investigative

Career progression within security

Diverse and varied working environment

Work with a major national retailer

Job summary

Mitie Group plc. in the United Kingdom is seeking a professional Store Detective to join our retail security team.

Working mainly in plain clothes, you will use observation, communication and investigative skills to help identify suspicious activity, prevent retail crime and create a safer environment for customers and colleagues. The role offers independence within a supportive team, a guaranteed 45-hour contract, and progression opportunities, with a focus on incident reporting, liaising with

Qualifications

• Valid SIA Security Guarding or Door Supervisor licence.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Access to a reliable vehicle.
• Flexible to travel across the local area.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence to work independently and manage your working day.
• Professional, respectful and inclusive approach.

Responsibilities

• Work discreetly in plain clothes within retail stores.
• Identify suspicious behaviour and potential theft.
• Gather information and intelligence relating to retail crime.
• Identify patterns and repeat offenders.
• Produce clear and accurate incident reports.
• Communicate with store colleagues, security teams and operational management.
• Support stores experiencing increased levels of theft or criminal activity.
• Share intelligence to help prevent future incidents.
• Liaise with the Police when required.

Skills

SIA Licence

Driving Licence

Vehicle access

Communication skills

Independent worker

Professional attitude

Travel flexibility

Job description

We're looking for a professional and motivated Store Detective to join our retail security team, supporting one of the UK's leading retailers.

Working mainly in plain clothes, you'll use your observation, communication and investigative skills to help identify suspicious activity, prevent retail crime and create a safer environment for customers and colleagues.

This is a varied role where you'll have the opportunity to work independently while still being part of a supportive and experienced team.

What You'll Be Doing

No two days will be exactly the same.

Your role will include:

• Working discreetly in plain clothes within retail stores.
• Using your observational skills to identify suspicious behaviour and potential theft.
• Gathering information and intelligence relating to retail crime.
• Identifying patterns and repeat offenders.
• Producing clear and accurate incident reports.
• Communicating with store colleagues, security teams and operational management.
• Supporting stores experiencing increased levels of theft or criminal activity.
• Sharing intelligence that can help prevent future incidents.
• Liaising professionally with the Police when required.
• Making calm, considered and proportionate decisions when dealing with incidents.
• Helping maintain a safe and welcoming environment for customers and colleagues.

What Makes a Great Store Detective?

You don't have to be the loudest person in the room.

Being a successful Store Detective is about being aware of your surroundings, understanding people, noticing changes in behaviour and knowing how to communicate effectively.

Some of the most important qualities for this role are being observant, confident, approachable, a good communicator and able to remain calm when situations become challenging., Observant and naturally notice things others might miss.

• A confident communicator who can speak comfortably with different people.
• Professional and approachable in the way you deal with customers and colleagues.
• Curious and analytical, with an interest in understanding behaviour and identifying patterns.
• Good at building relationships with colleagues and store teams.
• Calm under pressure and able to think clearly in challenging situations.
• Comfortable using technology, mobile apps and reporting systems.
• Able to produce clear and accurate written reports.
• Comfortable making decisions and using your own initiative.
• Passionate about helping create a safe environment for others.

Do I Need Previous Store Detective Experience?

Not necessarily.

While previous Store Detective, security or loss prevention experience would be an advantage, we're also interested in people who can bring transferable skills and a fresh perspective to the role.

Your experience might come from:

• Retail
• Customer service
• Hospitality
• Security
• Loss prevention
• Investigations
• Customer-facing environments
• Other roles where communication, observation and decision-making are important

If you don't meet every desirable requirement, please don't let that stop you from applying.

If you have the right attitude, transferable skills and willingness to learn, we'd still love to hear from you.

What You'll Need

• A valid SIA Security Guarding or Door Supervisor Licence.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Access to a reliable vehicle.
• Flexibility to travel across the local area.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• The confidence to work independently and manage your working day effectively.
• A professional, respectful and inclusive approach., We're looking for people with the right attitude, strong people skills, good judgement and willingness to learn.

Hours: 45 hours per week

Pay: £15.00ph+

Could This Be Your Next Career Move?

You don't need to fit the traditional image of security to make a great Store Detective.

Your Safety Matters

We want our Store Detectives to make safe, considered and proportionate decisions.

You will receive clear guidance on how incidents should be managed and when situations should be escalated.

The role isn't about putting yourself unnecessarily at risk. It's about using observation, communication, intelligence and good judgement to prevent and respond to retail crime professionally.

What We’ll Offer You

• Guaranteed 45-hour contract.
• Competitive hourly pay.
• Company pension scheme.
• Role-specific training and ongoing development.
• Support from an experienced operational management team.
• Opportunities to develop your investigative and loss prevention skills.
• Career progression within security and operational management.
• A varied working environment where every day can be different.
• The opportunity to work with a major national retailer.
• The chance to make a genuine difference to the safety of stores, colleagues and customers.

Build Your Career With Us

A career in security can offer much more than you might expect.

Store Detectives develop valuable skills in communication, investigation, intelligence gathering, decision-making, conflict management and crime prevention.

Whether you're already working within security or considering taking your career in a different direction, we'll give you the support and opportunity to develop.

Think You Could Be Great at This?

We'd love to hear from you.