Commercial Manager (uob Gift Shop) - Campus Services - 106760 - Grade 6

Gift Shop Manager

Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 7th January 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Background

Campus Services (CS) employs over 1000 staff with a turnover exceeding £65m in the last financial year. CS plays a key role in the quality of the student, staff and visitor experience, providing services across diverse areas such as the University's sporting facilities, food and beverage, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, Portering, post, branded and own-brand retail outlets, visitor services and attractions (e.g., Winterbourne House & Gardens), student housing, transport, waste disposal and recycling. CS is a highly commercial organisation operating within the University context and has an ambitious strategic agenda, in terms of growing our service profile across both our Birmingham and Dubai campuses.

The Food, Beverage, and Retail team run over 25 retail outlets on campus, at The Exchange, Winterbourne and Vale Village, alongside all hospitality and delivered catering for the university. From hairdressers to bookshops, opticians, and supermarkets, we manage a diverse range of shops and services that cater to the daily needs of students, staff, and visitors.

As part of Campus Services, the Business and Operations department offers a wide variety of retail and hospitality outlets to staff, students, and visitors. The Gift Shop provides a curated selection of merchandise, souvenirs, and sourced products both in-store and online. The post-holder will be responsible for managing the shop's operations, buying strategy, and online presence, ensuring excellent customer service and commercial success.

Role Summary

In this role, you will oversee the daily operations of the Gift Shop, managing everything from product selection and pricing strategies to margins, promotions, and supplier relationships. You'll also be responsible for the merchandising and layout of the shop. In addition, you will manage the online store, ensuring it remains up-to-date, user-friendly, and in sync with seasonal campaigns and promotions. Your responsibilities will extend to overseeing both the click-and-collect service and online delivery options. Achieving financial goals, enhancing the customer experience, and building a motivated, multi-skilled team will be key focuses for you. Moreover, you will coordinate the creation of merchandise for graduation events and the Alumni market.

Main Duties

• Oversee daily operations of the Gift Shop, ensuring smooth and efficient service delivery.
• Design and maintain shop layout and merchandising standards to create an engaging and customer-friendly environment.
• Select and source product ranges that meet the needs of students and alumni, building strong supplier relationships.
• Prepare budgets and sales forecasts, monitoring performance against targets.
• Manage cost and retail pricing strategies to achieve required profit margins.
• Plan and implement seasonal promotions to drive sales during peak periods.
• Ensure seamless fulfilment of web orders, including Click & Collect and home delivery services.
• Develop and maintain strong internal relationships with schools, DARO, and student services to support internal orders.
• Introduce new product ranges and phase out underperforming lines to maximise profitability.
• Monitor trends in fashion and gifting markets, ensuring the shop reflects the status of a Top 50 University.
• Oversee the Gift Shop team by inspiring and continuously supporting them, while also focusing on their development, mentoring, and training in the aim of cultivating a culture of excellent customer service.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, including COSHH and manual handling
• Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supports the University's sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) in a relevant area where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical, relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Previous experience in the fashion or gift shop sector as a store manager or in the buying function.
• Experience of managing online sales and website management.
• Experience of profit and loss management, cost control, and profit delivery.
• Excellent people management skills with the ability to motivate staff to deliver excellence.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to analyse information and data.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail trends.
• Ability to plan, organise and develop sales and service plans to grow and advance current business levels.
• Proven experience of managing a broad range of internal and external stakeholder.
• Excellent IT skills, with experience of using the full range of with the Microsoft suite of programs, and the ability to quickly learn in-house systems.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.