Retail Senior Customer Assistant at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Job Description


Royal Voluntary Service has an opportunity available for a Retail Senior Customer Assistant to join our team at Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Rd, Sunderland SR4 7TP. You will join us on a part-time, permanent basis, and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £12.96 per hour (FTE £23,599 per annum).

About the Retail Senior Customer Assistant role:

Royal Voluntary Service hospital cafes, shops and trolleys are part of the fabric of the NHS and a real asset in their own right. Staffed by employees and volunteers, we provide an outstanding range of beverages and healthy food choices. Our customers love the fact that the money they spend with us pays for volunteer action in hospitals and the community.

Working alongside a friendly team of employees and volunteers, to support the day-to-day management of our busy retail Shop at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Providing friendly, helpful and efficient service at all times
• Welcoming customers, informing them about specials or new products, answering questions and accepting orders and payments
• Operating the till and cashing up
• Maintaining a high level of cleanliness complying with Health and Safety and food hygiene standards and ensuring all areas of the site remain tidy
• Ensuring that all stock and displays are replenished regularly and ordering supplies if required
• Engage with volunteers to direct & lead by example to ensure they have a great volunteer experience. Have a positive & motivated attitude
• Supervise the site and the team in the absence of the Retail Service Manager and supporting the manger to achieve KPI’s set & be able to direct, train & support your team to deliver

Hours: 30 hours per week. Working 5 day's flexible between Monday - Sunday.

Our retail sites are open every day, including weekends and all bank holidays.

There may also be opportunities for paid overtime during busy periods or to cover absences.

What you'll bring as our Senior Retail Customer Assistant:

Working in a hospital requires a special kind of customer service. Your ability to communicate with a variety of people in a friendly and cheerful way will make a real difference to someone’s day. The key is to adapt your approach to each person to ensure their needs are met.



Job Requirements

This is what we're looking for:

• Previous experience in a retail or cafe environment with experience of managing people
• Knowledge of EPOS systems would be advantageous.
• Knowledge and experience of general administrative processes.
• Knowledge in Food Safety & Health & Safety procedures would be advantageous but full training will be given
• Excellent communications skills
• Skilled at Organising, Delegating & Prioritising
• Can remain calm & professional in fast paced environment
• The ability to deliver excellent customer service
• Experience with email and internet is required
• Enjoy working within a passionate team as well as working on your own on occasions
• Flexible to the needs of the business & can attend out of hours training if required
  
  

Job Responsibilities

This is what you'll be doing:

You will Supervise the effective operation of the retail outlet/s in maintaining outstanding store standards, whilst providing friendly, helpful, and excellent customer service to all customers, maximising a great shopping experience. To Support the manager to deliver set KPI’s by directing, developing & supervising a team to achieve set goals. Ensuring that all policy & procedures are followed at all times.

• Provide friendly, helpful, and efficient customer service at all times with excellent product knowledge.
• Supervising of a team ensuring that preparation of hot & cold food is to legal food safety standards & be able to assist at peak trade.
• Operating the till and undertake cash reconciliation as required & will be required to perform an open & close of a service.
• To receive incoming deliveries, distribute, maintain, and date rotate stock as appropriate. Assist in the accurate completion of regular stock takes.
• Engage with volunteers to direct & lead by example to ensure they have a great volunteer experience. Have a positive & motivated attitude.
• Maintaining a high level of cleanliness complying with Health and Safety and food hygiene standards and ensuring all areas of the site remain tidy.
• Support the manager to achieve KPI’s set & be able to direct, train & support your team to deliver.

• Be able to communicate & feedback to your team & your manger on good performance but be able to challenge when you see there is an improvement required.
• Flexible to the needs of the business & be available to work any day of the week including weekends. You may be required to work out of hours to assist in training or stock takes.

This is how you'll be doing it:

Service Delivery Focussed

Identifies and focuses on the individual needs and concerns of the customer or client. Engages and responds accordingly with a professional and high-quality service. Is committed to keeping people safe from harm.

Delivers Objectives

Strives to deliver what is expected or required of them and consistently meets objectives and deadlines. Is dependable and does not like abandoned tasks without seeing them through to the end. Work is often conducted in a thorough and methodical manner.

Enable Volunteers

Is able to demonstrate an understanding of how their role impacts and supports volunteers and their experience within the charity. Is ready to collaborate with the Volunteering Team and is willing to accept responsibility and accountability of their volunteer’s journey and experience. Is not afraid to implement changes to their approach to volunteering.

Supporting & Managing Others

Enjoys supporting other people by getting involved and trying to help them when they have problems. Is comfortable to contribute to joint activities and enjoys teamwork. Is approachable, collaborative and dependable.

Quality Orientation
Pays attention, is precise, checks, and completes things Focuses on getting things right and seeks to ensure that decisions and solutions minimise risk. Adheres to policy and standards.

Leadership
Likes to take charge of, empowers and directs people and activities. Clearly sees the way ahead, inspires and motivates others to follow their lead in order to achieve goals.

Following Directions
Is motivated to accept and comply with standards and instructions and delivers accurately on what is promised or expected. Works productively in co-operation with, and support of, others.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Values difference and sets a positive example of inclusive behaviour in all interactions and promotes practices that celebrate equality and diversity in the workplace and the communities we serve. Is an active participant and encourages others to engage effectively with charity wide inclusion activities.

Job Benefits


This is all the other great stuff you'll be getting:

• Salary of £12.96 per hour (FTE £23,599 per annum)
• The kudos of growing GoVo, a start-up tech solution within a high-profile charity with a long history
• A market aligned salary
• 26 days’ holiday (pro rata) plus paid statutory Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Up to 2 days paid volunteer leave a year, through our employer supported volunteer scheme
• Ten weeks’ company sick pay following successful completion of probation
• A great pension scheme with 8% employer contributions
• 2 x Base Salary Death in Service Benefit, subject to qualification
• Enhanced Family Leave schemes
• An employee benefits package that gives access to an exclusive rewards website to get discounts and cashback online
• A 24-hour doctor line, financial support with dental/optical and other therapies
• A free and confidential employee assistance programme with up to six face-to-face counselling sessions included
• Opportunities to discuss flexible working
• Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
• The chance to make a positive, lasting impact that changes lives, communities, and society

If you feel have the skills and experience please click ‘apply’ today, we’d love to hear from you!

This is the latest you'll be able to apply, providing we do not close to applicants early:

The closing date for this role is 28 August 2026. However, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received. Please do not delay your application we often get a lot!

At Royal Voluntary Service our goal is to welcome everyone and build inclusive and diverse teams. We celebrate difference and encourage everyone to join us and be themselves at work. To find out more about our commitment to EDI, visit our website.

Join Royal Voluntary Service and together we can change lives, change communities, and change society.