Receptionist

About Us

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the Why Work For Us page.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Professionally welcoming and receiving all visitors to Head Office in accordance with safeguarding and Health and Safety procedures
• Telephone switchboard services, including maintaining employee records to update the system
• Ensuring reception area and meetings rooms are inspected, kept tidy and returned to original state following meetings, reporting any issues to Office Manager
• Assisting Office Manager with facilitation of office maintenance processes
• Ordering and preparation of refreshments for meetings and events
• Receiving and distributing incoming and outgoing mail and parcels and maintaining the franking machine account
• Managing couriers and associated accounts
• Maintaining an up to date academy contact sheet of Principals/PAs
• Maintaining good relationships with staff, contractors, representatives and external agencies
• Providing confidential general clerical/admin support
• Maintaining manual and computerised records/management information systems
• Producing lists/information/data and maintaining email distribution groups
• Managing the Federation's account
• Preparation and distribution of Board papers as required to staff and stakeholders
• Covering a small number of duties in absence of office administrator e.g. updating of website
• Collating, uploading and updating Head Office Flickr account
• Annual collecting and collating of information for mailing lists
• Ordering stationery for the office and ensuring stationery room is kept safe and tidy
• Monthly credit card reconciliation and recharges
• Maintaining and renewing annual subscriptions
• Raising Purchase Orders through internal system and reconciling related admin invoices

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Flexibility and the ability to respond to multiple demands and to prioritise
• The ability to work well with colleagues and visitors
• A high level of adaptability to changing demands
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
• The ability to plan and organise work to meet varying deadlines
• The ability to work independently and take initiative
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience of delivering a high-quality service
• Experience of a range of general administrative duties
• Good ICT skills and experience, including Word, Excel and management information systems
• Qualifications to GCSE level or equivalent
• A high degree of professionalism and discretion towards role
• A high level of initiative and enthusiasm
• A methodical and organised approach
• A appropriate professional appearance at all times

Please download the Job Pack for a full person specification.

Professional Development & Benefits

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.