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We believe everyone deserves a chance at a better future. We help make that a reality.
We focus on meaningful ways to prevent crime through bike repair workshops. We support people to learn different skills, gain valuable experience, and build the resilience and self-belief they need to succeed.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and consideration of any disclosure in relation to the role. A criminal record will not automatically prevent appointment.
Job Purpose
- Maximise income through the sale of donated cycles, bike mechanics, and other products.
- Oversee the development of our Community Bike Shop as a delivery site for and the face of our charitable work.
- Create a safe, welcoming, and commercially effective shop; manage staff and volunteers; deliver excellent customer service; and ensure compliance with organisational policies.
Key Responsibilities
Retail Operations
- Run welcoming, well-presented, and fully staffed retail outlets, including occasional pop-ups.
- Maximise income through effective merchandising, pricing, stock rotation, and customer service.
- Maintain a clean, safe sales environment and oversee cash handling, banking, EPOS, and reporting.
- Monitor performance against agreed targets and use sales and stock data to improve decisions.
- Line manage the Senior Mechanic and Trainer and another Mechanic.
Donations and Stock Management
- Manage donation intake, sorting, pricing, merchandising, and stock movement.
- Catalogue specialist parts and select suitable items for online sale.
- Promote reuse and recycling, disposing responsibly of unsaleable items.
- Ensure all bikes sold are tested and meet current regulations.
Bike Donation, Refurbishment, and Donation
- Decide whether donated bikes are sold, refurbished through prison workshops, or recycled, informed by demand and mechanics' assessments.
- Ensure refurbished bikes are finished, safety checked, priced, and allocated appropriately.
- Develop sources of donated bikes and parts and maintain partner relationships.
- Track selected bikes from donation to sale, donation, or recycling, and gather beneficiary feedback for communications and fundraising.
Staff, Volunteer, and Placement Management
- Recruit, train, supervise, and motivate staff and volunteers, maintaining effective rotas and an inclusive environment.
- Host trainees from Upcycle's prison and community programmes and coach them in retail and employability skills.
- Work with the Senior Mechanic and Trainer to contribute retail content to training.
- Raise safeguarding or wellbeing concerns through agreed channels.
Commercial Development
- Develop local marketing, partnerships, promotions, and events to increase footfall, donations, and sales.
- Identify new retail and social-enterprise opportunities, including targeted online sales.
- Select suitable specialist or higher-value stock for online marketplaces and create accurate listings.
- Manage online enquiries, transactions, collection, or dispatch while promoting Upcycle's charitable aims.
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Compliance and Health & Safety
- Ensure compliance with organisational policies, legal requirements, GDPR, and retail health and safety.
- Maintain accurate sales, donation, Gift Aid, volunteer, and safety records.
- Complete risk assessments, promote safe working, and act as key holder.
- Hold or complete manual handling training and apply it across the team.
Administration
- Report on sales, volunteers, and key performance indicators.
- Monitor expenditure and maintain accurate records using retail systems and Microsoft Office.
- Keep the Senior Leadership Team informed about performance, staffing, and operational issues.
General Responsibilities
- Represent Upcycle and support its charitable mission, fundraising, and community engagement.
- Work collaboratively and undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Experience
- Retail management experience, including supervising staff or volunteers.
- Proven ability to meet sales or income targets.
- Experience of stock control, merchandising, cash handling, and reconciliation.
- Practical experience of online marketplaces, including listings and transactions.
Skills
- Excellent communication, organisation, and time-management skills.
- Ability to motivate, coach, and supervise staff, volunteers, and trainees with varied support needs.
- Sound judgement, problem-solving skills, and ability to manage competing priorities.
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and retail EPOS systems.
Knowledge
- Strong understanding of customer service and retail health and safety.
- Commitment to environmental sustainability.
Personal Attributes
- Friendly, professional, reliable, and adaptable.
- Non-judgmental and able to work with people facing barriers to employment.
- Committed to community engagement and environmental responsibility.
- Comfortable balancing commercial targets with charitable purpose.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience in charity retail or social enterprise.
- Knowledge of safeguarding and confidentiality.
- Knowledge of bicycles and bike mechanics.
- Experience of Gift Aid.
- Experience of social media.
- Experience of community engagement.
- First Aid qualification and/or full UK driving licence.
Success Measures
The Successful Retail Manager Will
- Meet agreed sales and income targets and grow the volume and quality of donations.
- Ensure donated bikes are logged, assessed, and routed appropriately.
- Maintain strong retail presentation, customer service, and compliant operations.
- Manage and develop an effective staff and volunteer team.
- Deliver structured work placements and record trainee achievements.
- Develop targeted online sales for specialist and higher-value stock.
- Provide agreed beneficiary case studies and feedback for fundraising and communications.
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We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every requirement listed above – we value diverse experiences and know that skills and knowledge can be gained in many ways.
Reports to:
Chief Executive
Hours:
Full-time (37.5 hours per week), including at least one Saturday morning a month, with flexibility for business needs. Part-time option: three days per week, pro rata.
Responsible for:
Day-to-day management of the Upcycle Community Bike Shop, including retail staff, volunteers, and placements.
Key Terms
Annual Leave
- Full-time core holiday entitlement is 20 working days per year plus eight Public Holidays.
- This entitlement runs from April 1 to March 30th each year.
- Additional holidays can be awarded over the Christmas period at the discretion of the trustees with permission to carry forward one working week of holidays between each entitlement period.
Pension
- For those eligible, UpCycle offers a contributory pension through the People’s Partnership.
- Further details will be provided with any job offer.
Probation & notice
- The post is subject to a six-month probationary period.
- During this period, you will be entitled to receive and required to give, at least one week’s notice of termination, which must be in writing.
- After successful completion of your probationary period, you are entitled to receive one month’s notice and are required to give at least one month’s notice of termination, which must be in writing.
Additional Information
Equal Opportunities & Diversity
UpCycle is committed to providing equal opportunities for all its staff and volunteers to avoid unlawful discrimination. UpCycle is committed to ensuring that the work environment is free of harassment, bullying, and that everyone involved in organisational activities are treated with dignity and respect. This is an important aspect of ensuring equal opportunities within the charity.
UpCycle strongly believes that to serve the communities we work with effectively, we must reflect them at all levels of our organisation, we welcome applications from anyone with lived experience of the criminal justice system.
Safeguarding
UpCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk, and this is a responsibility shared by all members of staff, volunteers, and trustees throughout the charity. The successful candidate will be subject to reference requests and will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (criminal records) check. Where such checks return concerns, UpCycle may seek additional information before progressing any application.
Data Collection and Protection
We treat personal data collected during the recruitment process in accordance with our data protection policy.
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