Swanage Railway Job Description – Retail Officer Job Title: Retail Officer Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salary: £30K Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week, worked over 5 days out of 7 (including weekends, bank holidays, and event days as required) Location: Swanage Railway – across retail outlets at Swanage, Corfe Castle, Norden, on-train, and pop-up/seasonal outlets Job Purpose The Retail Officer is responsible for the smooth and professional running of Swanage Railway’s retail operations. This includes the management of shops, kiosks, on-train retail, and seasonal outlets. The role ensures high standards of customer service, stock management, event merchandising, and volunteer support, helping to enhance the experience of all visitors to the Railway while contributing directly to Swanage Railway’s financial sustainability. The role is hands-on, with the Retail Officer regularly rotating between outlets and working alongside volunteers in the shops. Key Responsibilities • Retail Operations - Manage the day-to-day operation of all retail outlets across the Railway. - Deliver excellent customer service to all visitors, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued. - Ensure outlets are clean, welcoming, and well-presented, supporting a positive overall visitor experience. - Operate tills and digital sales systems to ensure smooth transaction processing. - Rotate across all outlets (Swanage, Corfe Castle, Norden, on-train, and seasonal kiosks), working hands-on to support and lead by example. • Stock & Merchandising - Oversee stock ordering, deliveries, pricing, and rotation. - Maintain accurate stock records and complete regular stocktakes. - Ensure merchandise is well-presented and displayed to maximise sales. - Work with the CEO to source and introduce new products and exclusive Swanage Railway merchandise. - Plan and deliver merchandise ranges for galas, special events, and seasonal outlets (e.g. Steam & Diesel Galas, Halloween, Christmas). • Compliance & Standards - Ensure all retail operations comply with Swanage Railway’s health & safety and safeguarding policies. - Follow procedures for use of sales systems and stock control. • Teamwork, Volunteers & Rostering - Recruit, train, and support retail volunteers, ensuring they feel valued and engaged. - Prepare and manage volunteer rosters to ensure all retail outlets are appropriately covered. - Provide day-to-day supervision and guidance to staff and volunteers in retail roles. - Act as the first point of contact for retail-related queries and issues. - Work collaboratively with colleagues to support wider Railway events and commercial activity. • Commercial Growth - Monitor sales trends and customer feedback to help inform product development. - Develop event-specific merchandise and ensure strong retail presence at galas and seasonal events. - Suggest seasonal promotions and cross-selling opportunities to increase income. - Promote membership, donations, and add-on sales to support Swanage Railway’s charitable objectives. Person Specification • Essential - Strong customer service and interpersonal skills, with a welcoming approach to all visitors. - Experience in retail, hospitality, or visitor services. - Familiarity with tills/EPOS or other sales systems. - Flexible and willing to work weekends, evenings, and during busy event periods. - Ability to work independently while also supporting volunteers and colleagues. - Organised and reliable, with good attention to detail. • Desirable - Experience supervising or leading a retail team. - Previous work in a visitor attraction, heritage railway, or charity. - Understanding of merchandising and sales analysis. - Interest in heritage, education, or local tourism. Values & Expectations All Swanage Railway staff and volunteers are expected to: - Place safety, integrity, and respect at the heart of all activities. - Deliver excellent customer experiences with professionalism and courtesy to all visitors. - Support, empower, and collaborate with volunteers and colleagues. - Promote Swanage Railway’s educational and heritage mission. - Always act in the best interests of Swanage Railway.