Assistant Retail Services Manager
| Posting date: | 14 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 03 June 2026 |
| Location: | Preston, Lancashire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | University of Lancashire |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 0272-26 |
Summary
When you work for the University of Lancashire, you’ll be part of a thriving community of talent that’s united in a common commitment to transform lives. We do this by delivering an outstanding educational experience and creating prosperity and opportunity in the communities we serve. Whatever your role, you’ll be playing a vital part in helping us achieve our vision.
Are you passionate about delivering great food, great service, and a great experience?
Our Catering Services team is looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Retail Services Manager to help lead the day‑to‑day operations across our vibrant retail catering outlets, including cafés, restaurants, grab‑and‑go stations, and vending services.
This is an exciting opportunity to support a busy, diverse, and student‑focused environment where no two days are the same!
About the role:
As Assistant Retail Services Manager, you’ll work closely with the Retail Services Manager to ensure our outlets run smoothly, efficiently, and to the highest standard. You’ll play a key part in:
Leading and developing Team Leaders and Catering Assistants
Delivering excellent customer service and a welcoming experience
Supporting operational planning, performance monitoring, and service improvements
Managing stock, suppliers, and cost‑control processes
Ensuring compliance with food safety, allergen, and health & safety legislation
Assisting with menu development, promotions, and university events
Championing sustainability and responsible sourcing
Deputising for the Retail Services Manager when required
This role offers a fantastic blend of hands‑on operations, team leadership, and opportunities to influence the future of campus retail catering.
About you:
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about hospitality and thrives in a fast‑paced environment.
You’ll bring:
Proven experience managing or supervising in a catering or retail setting
Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and develop a diverse team
Excellent communication and customer‑service skills
A good understanding of food hygiene, allergens, and health & safety regulations
Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise effectively
A‑Levels or an equivalent Level 3 qualification
Flexibility to support evening and weekend operations when required
Confidence in barista skills, including producing high‑quality coffee drinks
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience and the written elements of your application should accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Are you passionate about delivering great food, great service, and a great experience?
Our Catering Services team is looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Retail Services Manager to help lead the day‑to‑day operations across our vibrant retail catering outlets, including cafés, restaurants, grab‑and‑go stations, and vending services.
This is an exciting opportunity to support a busy, diverse, and student‑focused environment where no two days are the same!
About the role:
As Assistant Retail Services Manager, you’ll work closely with the Retail Services Manager to ensure our outlets run smoothly, efficiently, and to the highest standard. You’ll play a key part in:
Leading and developing Team Leaders and Catering Assistants
Delivering excellent customer service and a welcoming experience
Supporting operational planning, performance monitoring, and service improvements
Managing stock, suppliers, and cost‑control processes
Ensuring compliance with food safety, allergen, and health & safety legislation
Assisting with menu development, promotions, and university events
Championing sustainability and responsible sourcing
Deputising for the Retail Services Manager when required
This role offers a fantastic blend of hands‑on operations, team leadership, and opportunities to influence the future of campus retail catering.
About you:
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about hospitality and thrives in a fast‑paced environment.
You’ll bring:
Proven experience managing or supervising in a catering or retail setting
Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and develop a diverse team
Excellent communication and customer‑service skills
A good understanding of food hygiene, allergens, and health & safety regulations
Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise effectively
A‑Levels or an equivalent Level 3 qualification
Flexibility to support evening and weekend operations when required
Confidence in barista skills, including producing high‑quality coffee drinks
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience and the written elements of your application should accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.