SEPTEMBER 2025

Job description – Retail and post office assistant  

 

Role

Retail and post office assistant

Salary

£12.30 per hour (while training) rising to £13 per hour after a successful probation period

Location

Preston Candover, Hampshire

Working hours

16hrs – 24hrs per week depending on availability

Reporting to

Store Manager

 

 

About the store:

The Candover Valley Store is a community benefit society with 250 shareholders (primarily local residents) and is run by a management committee of 8. The store is in the centre of Preston Candover, next to the village hall and opposite the primary school.  The store’s offering meets the needs of the local community in terms of fresh produce, ingredients for tonight’s meal, top-up items and weekend treats.   The store also provides post office facilities which are open from 8.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday and from 9.00am – 12.30pm on Saturday. The ethos of the store can be summed up by the phrase ‘run by the community for the community’.  

 

Job summary:

A senior assistant is required to supplement the team of paid members of staff (store manager, assistant manager and 3 part-time senior assistants) and volunteers who run the Candover Valley Community Store and post office.  The senior assistant will work a minimum of 16hrs a week (up to a maximum of 24hrs per week) but working hours can be negotiated depending on availability.  Principal duties will be to serve at the post office counter where required and to help run the store (when not required on the post office).  The anticipated working hours will be flexible and can be negotiated depending on the requirements of the post office and the availability of the senior assistant, but will include some half day Saturday, Sunday morning or Bank Holiday working.

 

The senior assistant will report to the store manager or to the assistant store manager in the absence of the store manager.

 

Key responsibilities

• To support the store manager in running the Candover Valley Store and post office on a day-to-day basis.
• To staff the post office as required and to serve shifts in the store  
• To help place stock on shelves and inform the store managers of items that need replenishing
• To establish and maintain excellent relationships with store customers and other stakeholders, providing a first-class service to the community and upholding the ethos of the CVS  

 

Principal duties

 

1. To support the store manager, fellow senior assistants and volunteers in keeping the store and post office open.
2. To work at the post office counter as required and ensure the post office is operated in accordance with Post Office guidelines.
3. To serve customers at the post office counter or in store in a friendly and efficient manner.
4. Ensure goods are sorted, priced and displayed in the CVS consistently in a professional manner (including use/sell-by dates, and disposing of unsold items appropriately).
5. To support the store manager in assessing stock and consumables requirements for CVS.
6. Oversee the operation of the till and its ProEpos software and carry out agreed cash management procedures as directed by the store manager.
7. Maintain a high standard of housekeeping and cleanliness throughout the CVS including the toilet, outside areas and store waste management.
8. Be accountable for the physical security of the CVS (including unlock and lock procedures) in the absence of the store manager or other duty managers (but only after appropriate training).
9. Ensure food hygiene in the CVS together with ensuring that all equipment is kept clean, up-to-date, safe and in good working order, and to take corrective action as required.
10. Be prepared to take on store-related tasks not listed above.

 

This job description is intended as a guide to the range of duties covered and should not be regarded as inflexible or exhaustive.  The post office assistant will be expected to undertake any other reasonable duties suitable for this role and have the flexibility to cover holidays and unforeseen circumstances.

The desirable (but not essential) skills we are looking for include: 

• Retail experience
• Commercial skills and financial awareness
• Responsiveness to customer needs with a strong focus on service quality
• Friendly and approachable personality  
• Good computer literacy with experience of EPOS systems and Microsoft Office
 
It is important that the applicant has a keen interest in the Candover Valley Store, its ethos and its success.  

 

Training:

On-the-job post office training will be given.

 

To apply or for further information please contact Jane Laws on 01256 389491