Shop Director (Volunteer role)

The Merchant’s House Gift Shop, located on Marlborough High Street within a beautifully preserved 17th century historic house and museum, is looking for a new shop director to help lead our small, dedicated team in this well-loved gift shop  – famed for its beautiful Christmas Room.

The Shop was established 30 years ago and is run by a subsidiary trading company (The Merchant’s House Trading Ltd) - wholly owned by The Merchant’s House Trust. The shop is a key revenue generator for the Trust’s activities, donating its profits back to the trust. It has a small number of paid staff (including the Shop Manager) as well as volunteer workers.

What we are looking for

We are seeking a volunteer Shop Director to join the small board of company directors for The Merchant’s House Trading Ltd. We are looking for an individual with relevant retail experience who can help us ensure the shop is well managed, commercially successful and supports the visitor experience in this beautiful, unique and culturally significant building. This is an unpaid position.

The Merchant’s House is embarking on an exciting new phase as we embed our new strategic plan, having opened for full visitor access for the first time in 2024. As we embark on a new phase, we need to breath fresh life into our shop and ensure it is both commercially viable and supports the overall visitor experience to the historic house.

The role

·        To provide leadership and operational governance of the shop, setting objectives and targets and ensuring successful commercial performance.

·        To line manage the Shop Manager and Assistant Manager.

·        To work closely with the Trust to ensure that the shop is aligned to overall strategy, supporting the goals of the trust and enhancing the visitor experience to the House.