Vacancy Introduction

Come and join our team!

Our Retail Support Officers (RSO) provide an important service to our branches, helping to keep our colleagues safe and protect our business.

As an RSO, you’ll provide security support to our branches across East Anglia. This support will vary from immediate response to providing colleagues with advice and guidance following an incident. We’re passionate about managing anti-social behaviour through colleague support and training and proactively engaging with the local community.

Developing professional and positive working relationships with colleagues in-branch, as well as with external stakeholders, such as the Police, Local Authorities and community groups, is key to success in this role.

Whist previous experience or qualifications in security / loss prevention would be desirable, this is not essential. However, you will need to show that you have good judgement and decision-making skills – especially when under pressure - as well as the ability to communicate effectively. 

We are truly local so, whatever your experience, you can work safe in the knowledge that you will be fully supported in this role by our state-of-the-art Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and the wider Security team, as well other Society colleagues.

Our working patterns are non-contractual. Any advertised working pattern represents the normal working pattern for the role at time of advertisement and may be subject to change.

What you’ll be doing

• Respond to incidents of theft, robberies, anti-social behaviour and general security observations, as directed by the ARC or Security Management.
• To detain and deter offenders, sometimes with the support of colleagues, but typically, alone.
• Investigate thefts, taking witness statements and gathering evidence, including downloading and reviewing CCTV.
• Compile written reports including police statements (to include the details of linked incidents, where appropriate), presenting findings to the ARC and/or Security Management and Police.
• To provide advice, guidance and training to colleagues on best practice in dealing with anti-social behaviour, theft and other security matters.
• Provide welfare support to colleagues further to incidents of anti-social behaviour.
• Take a pro-active approach in forming effective relationships with the Police and local communities  
• Complete other duties requested by the ARC and/or Security Management, e.g. welfare and response tasks, campaigns in-branch, etc.

The person we are looking for 

• Flexible, hard-working and confident
• Professional and self-motivated
• Able to work alone on own initiative and also as part of a team
• Punctual, both in attendance and in delivery of work against timescales
• Reacts quickly and embraces change
• Able to communicate effectively and empathise with colleagues and the general public
• SIA CCTV and Guarding licences
• Uses up to date professional and technical competence to achieve objectives
• Full UK driving licence (a company vehicle will be provided)

Perks of the job

At the East of England Co-op, we strive to be the best place to work. We invest in our colleagues to help them to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential. How do we do this?  

• Competitive rates of pay
• 20% discount in our food stores, along with other discounts across our family of businesses
• 22 days holiday (plus bank holiday entitlement) which increases with service
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Death in service benefit
• Access to our colleague communications app, The Loop
• Enhanced* family leave and pay arrangements
• Opportunities to grow, with award-winning training and apprenticeship programmes
• Great deals and discounts across 100’s of high street and online retailers
• Financial wellbeing support, including Wagestream®

Check out the detail of all our colleague benefits here.

We recognise the challenges people face trying to balance commitments both in and out of the workplace - perhaps studying, caring commitments, or other employment. We therefore aim to be as flexible as possible, to create shift patterns that work for both our co-op and our colleagues.

* Enhanced on statutory terms, subject to service criteria.

East of England Co-op