Retail Shop Manager (Wantage)

Endless pre-loved items. A crucial source of fundraising. A store that runs your way.

Retail store manager

£27,882 – £32,749

Reports to: Area manager

Department: Trading

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week

Location: Wantage

Closing date: 12th July 2026 23:55 This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications are received or once a suitable candidate is found

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. 

**The internal title for this role is Shop Manager.

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.

We’re looking for a motivating store manager to join Cancer Research UK’s trading team. You’ll be acting as an ambassador for Cancer Research UK, motivating your team to maximise on sales and fundraising targets. Your shop will be a place where your community gets to meet our people, understand our brand, and see some of the great things we do.  

In a lively, vibrant working environment, you’ll discover something new every day, whether it’s a new high street trend, a new community network or a talent you never knew you had.

You’ll also be surrounded by people who are as dedicated to beating cancer as you are.  

What will I be doing?

• Guiding, inspiring and engaging a team of paid staff and volunteers. This includes recruitment, retention and development of a diverse shop team.
• Taking ownership and responsibility for commercial running of your 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.
• Maximising profit through effective cost control and sales.
• Creating relationships with your local community and Cancer Research UK colleagues.
• Organising and running creative fundraising events for your store to achieve fundraising targets.
• Maintaining compliance with health and safety, safeguarding, security, administration and HR policies.

What skills are you looking for?

• Experience of managing and inspiring a diverse team of people.
• Comfort working within targets and motivating others to achieve those targets.  
• The ability to multi-task in a lively environment.
• Working knowledge of what makes great customer service.
• Commercial awareness.
• Knowledge of high street fashion retail.
• Adaptability in changing situations, including being able to work effectively independently.   
• An awareness of the price, value and worth of items.
• And ideally experience of retail management.

[Download the full role profile] 

What will I gain?

Each and every one of our employees contributes to our progress and is supporting our work to beat cancer. We think that’s impressive.

In return, we make sure you are supported by a generous 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 work – from funding cutting-edge research to developing public policy – will change the world. It’s exciting to be part of our team.

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.

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.  

To support your training and development in this role, you will spend 4 weeks in a training shop, learning from a Training Shop Manager, this may be at a different location to the role you applied for.

Owing to the nature of this position, any offer of employment for this role will be subject to a satisfactory basic DBS check.

You can learn more about our fantastic retail teams on our website.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].  

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. 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. Please contact [email protected] or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible. 

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.