Receptionist

Hours: 22.5 per week to be worked Mon - Friday 9.00am to 1.30pm (potential for term-time only) - potential for additional hours to cover sickness and annual leave

The expectation is that the centre will be closed for approximately 1 week per year and staff will be required to take this as part of their annual leave (excluding statutory holidays / usual non-working days).

DBS Disclosure at basic level will be required prior to any offer of employment

The Service

The Community Learning Service (CLS) is based at The Learning Place in North End. The Service offers a high-quality Community Learning programme which meets local need including learning opportunities such as Functional Skills English and Maths, computers and the internet, cookery, Family Learning, Community ESOL, Health and Wellbeing, Employability and more.

Your new role

As a Receptionist at The Learning Place, you will be the first point of contact for all visitors, providing a friendly and welcoming environment. Your duties will include meeting and greeting centre users, answering telephone and email enquiries, enrolling learners on courses, and handling cash transactions. You will also be responsible for the daily setup and maintenance of the self-service cafe, preparing rooms for use, and maintaining displays and information in the reception area. Routine administrative tasks such as word processing, data entry, and filing will be part of your daily responsibilities.

In addition to supporting the day-to-day operational running of the centre, you will make limited decisions within a set of guidance notes to resolve issues such as late arrivals or tutor absences. Working as part of an administration and support team, you will ensure the centre operates smoothly and efficiently, contributing to a positive customer experience and satisfaction with the Community Learning Service.

Who is the person?

You will have excellent communication skills in English, both verbally and in writing, and be proficient in Microsoft Office. You should possess strong interpersonal and organisational skills, be enthusiastic, proactive, and able to work well within a team. Flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to act on your own initiative are essential. Good time management skills and the ability to prioritise tasks are also important.

Your actions will influence the customer experience and their satisfaction with CLS, therefore you will be able to demonstrate excellent customer service skills and behaviours as well as product and/or service knowledge when delivering to our visitors. Your customer interactions may cover a wide range of situations and can include face-to-face, telephone, post, email, text and social media.

How to apply

To make sure your application is above the rest, please download the Job Profile below to ensure your application matches the requirements of the role.

When completing your application you will be required to complete a personal statement, please give examples of your experience and any transferrable skills. Please align your answers with the points on the job profile. This is your opportunity to showcase yourself and your achievements.

Please note that this role is office based.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

We will email applicants from time to time; please ensure you check e-mail folders as sometimes our e-mails may go into spam/junk folders.