Reception/Admin support

Reception/Admin support

Posted for Daft As A Brush

Posted by Volunteer Centre Newcastle

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Our reception is the friendly front door to Daft as a Brush, on the phone, in person and in the inbox.

You’ll be the calm, cheery voice that welcomes callers, points visitors in the right direction, and keeps our admin cogs turning smoothly.

You’ll also lend a hand with ad hoc admin across several departments because sometimes the printer does have a dramatic moment and spreadsheets need a hero.

What you’ll do (key responsibilities)

• Front-of-house & phones
• Welcome visitors with warmth and professionalism; sign them in and let the right person know they’ve arrived.
• Answer incoming calls with a confident, courteous telephone manner; triage enquiries and take clear, accurate messages.
• Monitor the reception inbox; forward or reply with agreed templates and tone.

Day-to-day administration

• Maintain tidy, well-organised reception areas, noticeboards and supplies (yes, keeping pens where pens belong).
• Handle post and parcels—open, sort, log, and distribute; prepare outgoing mail and franking where needed.
• File and scan documents; label and save them correctly so future-you (and the team) can actually find them.
• Update simple spreadsheets and contact lists; check for typos and formatting gremlins—an eye for detail is essential.

Cross-departmental support (the flexible bit)

• Pitch in with ad hoc admin tasks for Fundraising, Volunteer Coordination, Finance and Operations—e.g., data entry, mail-outs, printing packs, room-setup checklists, stock counts for leaflets/merch.
• Help collate materials for events or meetings (agendas, name badges, sign-in sheets).
• Chase light, well-defined follow-ups by phone/email (e.g., confirming attendance or updating details).

Systems, confidentiality & safety

• Use agreed tools (e.g., Outlook/Teams/Word/Excel, shared drives, basic CRM lists) in line with GDPR and DAAB policies.
• Treat personal information confidentially and escalate any concerns promptly.
• Follow health & safety and safeguarding guidance for reception areas. 

What skills do I need?

Essential (must-haves)

• Telephone manner: clear, courteous and reassuring; able to take accurate messages and manage multiple callers calmly.
• Attention to detail: spots typos, missing attachments and odd dates before they escape into the wild.
• Communication: friendly, professional written and verbal skills; comfortable greeting visitors.
• Organisation: can juggle a few simple tasks, prioritise sensibly and keep records neat.
• Team spirit & flexibility: happy to help different departments with straightforward admin.
• Confidentiality: understands handling of personal information and when to escalate.

Desirable (nice-to-haves)

• Comfortable with Outlook, Word and Excel (basic spreadsheets; mail merges a bonus).
• Experience in a reception, customer service or admin setting.
• Knowledge of charities/volunteering (or simply a healthy curiosity to learn).