Retail & Cafe Manager

Working alongside a friendly team of employees and volunteers, you will participate in the day-to-day running of our busy Cafe at Nineteen38 Coffee at Morton House in Luton. As Retail & Café Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the effective operation of the Cafe, ensuring high store standards and delivering excellent customer service at all times. You will lead, develop and manage your team to achieve set KPIs, while ensuring all policies and procedures are consistently followed. Hours: 30 hours per week (5 shifts of 7 hours), including all Bank Holidays Schedule: Typically, Monday to Friday with Weekends on a rota bases supporting the sister site at Wigmore Valley Park Typical Shifts: Open to close could be 07:30-14:00 -09:00-15:30 What you'll bring as our Retail & Cafe Manager:

• Deliver excellent, friendly, and helpful customer service
• Maximise overall customer experience
• Lead, develop, and manage a team to meet targets
• Ensure all policies and procedures are consistently followed
• Demonstrate strong communication with customers and team members
• Use organisational skills to manage tasks and resources effectively
• Utilise IT systems (e.g. Microsoft Office, email) for admin tasks
• Motivate and guide team members through effective leadership, This is what you'll be doing:
• Oversee all aspects of Nineteen38 Coffee operations, including stock control, staffing, and smooth day-to-day running
• Deliver against agreed Profit and Loss (P&L) targets by monitoring performance and adjusting costs in line with turnover
• Maintain exceptional café standards, ensuring a safe, clean, and organised environment while delivering excellent customer service
• Ensure compliance with all statutory and organisational standards, including Health & Safety, Food Hygiene, Data Protection, and financial controls
• Lead by example to create a positive and inclusive environment for both employees and volunteers
• Motivate, engage, and support the team through clear communication and effective leadership
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and training to ensure adherence to policies and delivery of operational excellence
• Manage team performance, implementing processes to drive continuous improvement
• Recruit, coordinate, and support volunteers and employees to meet operational needs
• Use management information and reports to monitor performance and identify opportunities to improve sales and efficiency
• Monitor competitor activity and market trends, sharing insights and actions with the Area Manager and Retail Support team
• Collaborate with the Area Manager to develop and implement the Retail Business Plan at a local level
• Provide regular performance updates and insights to the Area Manager
• Work flexibly in line with café trading hours
This is how you'll be doing it: 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. 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. 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. 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. Networking Is able to relate to people and build effective relationships. Likes talking things over with others and works well in an environment of mutual support and information sharing. Is not afraid to direct people or ask for their help. Analysing Information Enjoys analysing data and seeks to identify and explores the key elements in information before making rational judgements and commitments. Utilises facts and figures when planning and reporting and is concerned about accuracy and detail. Planning and Organising Thinks things through well in advance and maps out future activities and resources, taking the key stages, requirements and timescales into account. Likes to monitor to ensure that things are implemented and delivered effectively.


• Proven leadership and people management with great motivational skills
• Previous experience in Barista/Cafe environment with experience of managing people
• Can remain calm & professional in fast paced environment
• The ability to deliver excellent customer service
• Knowledge of EPOS systems
• Knowledge in Food Safety & Health & Safety procedures
• Excellent communications skills
• Enjoy working within a passionate team as well as working on your own on occasions
• Skilled at Organising, Delegating & Prioritising
• Flexible to the needs of the business & can attend out of hours training if required
• Knowledge and experience of general administrative processes
• Experience with email and internet is required
• Can remain calm & professional in fast paced environment
• Proficient in the use of IT systems, for example Microsoft Office, Email to a basic level, 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.
Drive and Determination Is ambitious and determined to succeed. Readily accepts and very much enjoys a challenge and is motivated by having stretching objectives to meet. Is energetic and works hard in order to achieve results. Commercial Awareness Likes to work with facts and figures to evaluate things properly. Uses commercial and financial factors when making decisions. Looks at the wider implications and is likely to try to assess the long-term impact.

Nineteen38 Coffee powered by Royal Voluntary Service is part of the fabric of the community and a real asset in its 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 the community., At Nineteen38 Coffee powered by 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 At Nineteen38 Coffee powered by Royal Voluntary Service and together we can change lives, change communities and change society.

Royal Voluntary Service has an opportunity available for a Retail & Cafe Manager to join our team at Nineteen38 Coffee at Morton House, 21 Kimpton Road, Luton LU2 0LA. You will join us on a part-time, permanent basis and in return, you will receive a salary of £13.49 per hour (FTE £24,552 per annum)., Easily bounces back from setbacks, and is not discouraged for long. Doesn't easily get hurt or upset and is generally able to manage work challenges. Can accept constructive criticism and doesn't tend to dwell on what others may think of them. 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 things you'll be getting:
• Salary of £13.49 per hour (FTE £24,552 per annum).
• 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
• 2 x 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
• Extensive online and on the job training to ensure you will succeed in your role
• Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
• The chance to make a positive, lasting impact that changes lives, communities and society