Receptionist

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.

Reception

• Professionally welcome and receive all visitors to Head Office in accordance with safeguarding and Health & Safety procedures.
• Telephone switchboard services. Answering and directing all calls to appropriate departments/members of staff, or taking messages, including responding in a timely manner to enquiries from parents/carers and the general public.
• Ensure reception area and meetings rooms are inspected, kept tidy and returned to original state following meetings and report any issues which need to be rectified to Office Manager.
• Assist Office Manager with facilitation of office maintenance processes, including fire drills, engineers, heating/air con servicing etc.
• Ordering and preparation of refreshments for meetings and events.
• Maintain employee records for purpose of updating switchboard for leavers/new starters.
• Receive and distribute all incoming and outgoing mail and parcels and maintain the franking machine account which includes ordering franking supplies.
• Manage couriers and associated accounts.
• Update academy contact sheet ensuring Principal/PA details are up to date.
• Assist the Federation by maintaining good relationships with staff, contractors, representatives, and external agencies in order to promote the objectives of the Federation.

Administration

• Provide confidential general clerical/admin support e.g. photocopying, typing e-filing, e-mailing, completing standard forms, responding to routine correspondence.
• Maintain manual and computerised records/management information systems.
• Produce lists/information/data and update/maintain email distribution groups.
• Manage the Federation’s info@ email account forwarding and redirecting messages and tracking of incoming complaints.
• Preparation and distribution of Board papers as required to staff and stakeholders.
• Provide cover of a small number of duties in absence of office administrator e.g. updating of website.
• Collate, upload and update 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.
• To complete such clerical duties, telephone calls and administrative tasks as may be reasonably expected whilst working in this role.
• Supporting Federation-wide events e.g. Conferences, Sports Days, Training Sessions.

Other Duties

• Be aware of and comply with Federation policies and legal requirements.
• Contribute to the overall ethos of the Federation.
• Participate in in-service training as appropriate and commit to your own continuous professional development.

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Flexibility and ability to respond to multiple demands and to prioritise.
• Ability to work well with colleagues and visitors.
• High level of adaptability to changing demands
• Work collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to plan and organise work to meet varying deadlines.
• Ability to work on own and take initiative.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Delivering a high-quality service.
• Range of general administrative duties.
• Good ICT skills and experience, including Word, Excel, and management information systems
• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
• High degree of professionalism and discretion towards role
• High level of initiative and enthusiasm
• Calm and steady manner
• Strong commitment to education and young people
• Positive role model for children and young people
• Taking personal responsibility and commitment to providing a quality support service
• Methodical and organised
• Commitment to own continuous improvement and development
• Appropriate professional appearance always
• Maintaining confidentiality.

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