House of Commons The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community. Staff Benefits In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including: 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. Access to training and development. Flexible working. Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan. Introduction The House of Commons Retail Team is a changing and dynamic team which operates three shops: two within the Palace of Westminster and an external shop in Parliament Square; in addition, there is an e-commerce site. Occasionally pop-up shops operate off the parliamentary estate. Retail Services is part of the Customer Experience and Service Delivery team, with a remit of delivering an exceptional omnichannel retail experience for Members and their staff, House staff, visitors to Parliament, and the public. This role is an exciting opportunity to join a creative and ambitious team in a non-traditional retail environment. The Role The post holder is responsible for providing exceptional customer service in any of the department operating locations. Service is provided to a wide range of external customers. In addition, given the nature of the business there is a large internal customer base which includes key stakeholders and Members of Parliament (from both Houses). Your role as a Retail Assistant will be to facilitate the front-line retail team in the day to day commercial operations of the department by: Providing exceptional customer service to all visitors in line with the customer service charter; Displaying good product knowledge about the ranges on sale and applying tactful sales techniques; Maximise sales in order to meet all budgetary requirements. Assisting warehouse and E-commerce team in picking and packing customer orders and shop deliveries. Some of the responsibilities for this role include: Provide the highest standards of customer service at all times by serving customers politely, efficiently and quickly, maximising income for the Retail operation Actively contribute towards daily sales targets through effective selling skills and excellent product knowledge Become familiar with and stay up to date with the departments services in order to build expertise in dealing with customer queries Actively promote the online shop in line with customer service standards Accurately manage and follow till operation and end of day cashing up procedures Work together with Retail Managers and the back-office team to replenish stock and merchandise displays effectively Skills and Experience To be successful in this role you will demonstrate: Relevant experience in a retail environment, including actively increasing sales, stock-taking, replenishing, counting with accuracy and working to targets. Proven stockroom/warehouse experience and an awareness of Health and Safety and Manual Handling. Experience of delivering excellent customer service to a broad and diverse customer base while upholding the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. Evidence of working as a team with excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to deliver information effectively. Proven organization skills, with the ability to work under pressure and prioritise workload. (Desirable) Experience of till operation and basic MS Office computer skills. Next Steps and Additional Information If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-3 in the Job Description. More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances. Contact Details (this is optional depending on Hiring Manager preference, but should be encouraged) For more information about the role, or for an informal chat, contact (hiring manager)