Assistant Store Manager (Ashington)

Salary: £35,625 - £43,440 per year

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Ashington

Full job description

Are you looking for an opportunity to lead, inspire, and manage within a dynamic retail environment? Join us as an Assistant Store Manager and become an integral part of the management team in a multi-million-pound retail operation. This role isn’t just about supporting the Store Manager – it’s about taking ownership of the day-to-day operations, driving results, and leading a diverse team toward success.

Role Overview

As an Assistant Store Manager, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the store operates efficiently while motivating and developing a talented and diverse team. This position is ideal for individuals who thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment and are looking for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Each day in this role is different and presents a variety of challenges and responsibilities. One day, you might be sorting out deliveries, placing stock orders, or handling customer inquiries. The next day, you could be focusing on people management, performance reviews, or organizing holiday rotas for your team. Throughout, you will also help drive the store’s strategic goals—maximizing sales, minimizing costs, improving operational efficiency, and delivering outstanding customer service.

With ample opportunities for personal growth, you’ll be more than prepared to step into the Store Manager’s role whenever needed, ensuring smooth operations even in their absence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supporting Store Operations

As an Assistant Store Manager, your primary responsibility will be to ensure that the store runs smoothly on a daily basis. You will work closely with the Store Manager to oversee and manage operational tasks, which include:

• Managing Deliveries and Inventory: It will be your responsibility to ensure that deliveries are properly handled, stock is accurately sorted, and the shelves are fully stocked with the right products. You will work with suppliers to monitor stock levels and place orders as needed, making sure popular items are always available.

• Handling Customer Queries: You’ll be at the forefront of customer interaction, resolving any queries or complaints quickly and efficiently. Providing excellent customer service is paramount, and you will play a key role in maintaining the store’s reputation for delivering exceptional shopping experiences.

• Overseeing Compliance and Safety: You will ensure that the store adheres to company policies, as well as health and safety regulations. Compliance is vital to both the customer experience and operational efficiency, so attention to detail is key.

2. People Management and Leadership

Your ability to manage and inspire a diverse team will be one of your most important tasks. In this role, you will need to:

• Motivate and Develop the Team: You will work closely with each team member to help them reach their potential. This includes providing regular feedback, setting performance goals, and offering development opportunities. By fostering a positive and supportive environment, you’ll ensure that your team stays motivated and engaged.

• Create Schedules and Manage Rotas: It will be your responsibility to organize team rotas, ensuring that the store is always adequately staffed while taking into account employee holidays, peak periods, and operational needs.

• Lead by Example: You will set the tone for the store’s work culture. By demonstrating a strong work ethic, a customer-focused attitude, and excellent leadership skills, you will inspire your team to follow suit.

3. Operational Efficiency and Cost Control

A critical part of your role as Assistant Store Manager will be optimizing the store’s operational efficiency while keeping costs under control. This includes:

• Boosting Operational Efficiency: You’ll be constantly on the lookout for ways to improve how the store operates. Whether it’s reorganizing stockrooms, streamlining checkout processes, or reducing waste, operational efficiency is key to reducing costs and improving profitability.

• Time Management: Strong organizational and time-management skills are essential in this fast-paced environment. You will be juggling various responsibilities, so prioritizing tasks and delegating appropriately will help ensure smooth operations.

• Minimizing Costs: You’ll be tasked with finding ways to reduce operational costs without sacrificing the quality of service or products. From managing stock levels more efficiently to negotiating with suppliers, your focus on cost control will play a significant role in the store’s overall profitability.

4. Sales and Customer Satisfaction

Driving sales and ensuring a positive customer experience are core aspects of this role. You will be expected to:

• Maximise Sales: You’ll work to consistently meet and exceed the store’s sales targets. This could involve managing promotional campaigns, ensuring stock levels are optimal, and motivating the team to hit key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Drive Customer Satisfaction: As the face of the store, you’ll ensure that customers leave happy, whether by providing product recommendations, resolving complaints, or improving the overall shopping environment. Customer satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do.

• Analyse Sales Data: You’ll be expected to regularly review sales data, customer feedback, and performance metrics to identify opportunities for growth and improvement. Understanding these trends will help you make informed decisions that positively impact the store’s performance.

5. Stepping into the Store Manager’s Role

A key aspect of your role as Assistant Store Manager is being prepared to step into the Store Manager’s position whenever necessary. This means being fully capable of:

• Taking Charge of Store Operations: In the absence of the Store Manager, you’ll be responsible for overseeing all store operations, ensuring that sales targets are met and that the team continues to perform at its best.

• Making Critical Decisions: From handling staff issues to resolving customer complaints or making budgetary decisions, you’ll need to act swiftly and confidently in the Store Manager’s absence.

• Managing Budgets and Financials: You’ll gain experience in controlling the store’s budget, managing payroll, and overseeing financial aspects, making sure that the store remains profitable.

This part of your role is crucial for your professional development, as it prepares you to potentially take on a full Store Manager role in the future.

Skills and Qualifications Required

To excel as an Assistant Store Manager, you’ll need to bring a range of skills and experience to the table, including:

1. Strong Leadership and People Management

You must have prior experience managing people in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment. Your leadership style should focus on motivation, development, and fostering a positive working culture. Your ability to engage and lead a diverse team is key to your success.

2. Excellent Time Management and Organisational Skills

Given the breadth of responsibilities, strong organizational skills are a must. You’ll need to be able to prioritize tasks effectively, manage time well, and delegate responsibilities to your team to ensure everything runs smoothly.

3. Experience in Driving Operational Efficiency

You should have a solid understanding of how to optimize store operations, from streamlining stock processes to managing costs and increasing productivity. You’ll need to be proactive in identifying inefficiencies and implementing improvements.

4. A Customer-Focused Attitude

Providing excellent customer service is at the heart of this role. You must be passionate about delivering a great customer experience and be able to lead your team in doing the same.

5. Sales and Target-Oriented Mindset

You will need to be highly motivated to achieve sales targets and ensure that the store consistently performs well. A results-oriented attitude, combined with strong analytical skills, will help you meet and exceed performance expectations.

Contact Details

This role offers a salary range of £35,625 - £43,440 per year based on a 45-hour workweek. Additionally, Aldi offers flexible contract options, including 32, 36, and 40-hour contracts, with the salary pro-rated accordingly to reflect the different working hours. This flexibility allows for a better work-life balance while still providing competitive pay and benefits.

Why Join Aldi?

Aldi is known for offering competitive salaries and opportunities for career progression. As an Assistant Store Manager, you’ll have the chance to develop your leadership skills, take on significant responsibility, and make a real impact on the store’s success. Aldi’s commitment to employee development means you’ll have access to ongoing training and opportunities to grow within the company.

Apply Now:

Join Aldi as an Assistant Store Manager, helping to run a high-performing multi-million-pound store. You'll lead and develop a diverse team, handle day-to-day operations, and drive sales, all while delivering excellent customer service. This role offers competitive pay, career growth opportunities, and flexible contract options. Ideal for an experienced leader with strong time management skills and a passion for exceeding targets in a fast-paced environment.

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