Development Officer

Place North West; Kendal; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Central Manchester workspace

Training budget

23 days holiday + Christmas week off

Travel subsidy up to £1000

Mobile phone allowance

Company pension

Employee ownership

Industry networking events

Job summary

Place Media Group, the UK’s leading media house for the built environment, is seeking an organised Office & Administration Manager to keep the office running smoothly and provide essential support to colleagues across the business.

You will oversee day-to-day operations, manage suppliers, maintain databases, and coordinate onboarding while supporting leadership with practical execution in a central Manchester workspace.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in office administration or management.
• Excellent organisation with attention to detail.
• Confident communicator liaising with suppliers, clients and colleagues.
• Ability to prioritise a varied workload and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Keep teams fully equipped by managing office supplies, equipment and software provisioning.
• Manage relationships with external suppliers, including IT support and office equipment providers.
• Act as the central coordination point between internal teams and external providers.
• Maintain and develop internal databases and record-keeping systems, keeping them accurate and up to date.
• Organise onboarding and inductions for new starters, working with relevant teams to ensure smooth settling in.
• Research, evaluate and introduce new software and systems to improve productivity.
• Look after the office environment, keeping it clean, professional and pleasant.
• Oversee facilities and general administration.
• Ensure Health & Safety compliance and procedures.
• Plan internal team events and socials.
• Provide operational insight and day-to-day business execution.

Skills

Excellent organisation

Confident communicator

Strong IT skills

Self-starter

Ability to prioritise workload

Attention to detail

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft 365

DotDigital

BrightHR

Job description

Place Media Group is looking for an organised, proactive Office & Administration Manager to keep our office running smoothly and give colleagues across the business the administrative support they need to do their best work.

About us

Place Media Group is the UK’s leading media house for the built environment. We publish daily news on the cities and regions of the North of England and the Midlands, and we run conferences and events that bring the property market together to learn and network. Our head office is in Manchester city centre.

We are known for our high-quality, detailed work in everything we do. We move at pace, work hard and expect high standards. We are looking for someone who wants to help drive the business forward.

The role

You will be the person who keeps the business running day to day: the first port of call for the office, our suppliers and our systems, and a trusted pair of hands for the leadership team and colleagues across the company. You will own the practical running of the office, provide reliable administrative support to the wider team, and take initiative to fix problems before they affect anyone else.

Running the office

• Keep teams fully equipped by managing office supplies, equipment and software provisioning
• Manage relationships with external suppliers, including IT support, office equipment providers, and other service partners
• Act as the central coordination point between internal teams and external providers
• Maintain and develop our internal databases and record-keeping systems, keeping them accurate and up to date
• Organise onboarding and inductions for new starters, working with BrightHR, CommITed and department heads to make sure people settle in smoothly
• Research, evaluate and introduce new software and systems that improve productivity, efficiency and scalability, and train colleagues to use them
• Look after the office environment, keeping it clean, professional and a pleasant place to work
• Oversee facilities, including printers, post handling, utilities and general administration
• Act as the responsible person for Health & Safety compliance and procedures
• Help to plan internal team events, socials and seasonal celebrations
• Support leadership with operational insight, coordination and day-to-day business execution
• Liaise with clients, subscribers, partners and other contacts where needed
• Take ownership of operational issues and drive them to a solution

Administrative support

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to colleagues and teams across the business
• Manage diaries and calendars, and schedule meetings
• Arrange business travel and accommodation, including trains, flights and hotels, for UK and international trips
• Print, prepare and distribute documents, lists, name badges and other materials
• Carry out stock checks and order merchandise, business cards and other supplies
• Keep contact and mailing databases up to date, including updating our email marketing platform (DotDigital)
• Attend project kick-off meetings to pick up admin actions early
• Pick up admin-related emails/calls forwarded by colleagues, respond on their behalf and copy them in
• Ensure high standards of organisation, accuracy and compliance across all admin work
• Provide support across wider business functions as required

About you

Essential

• Previous experience in an office administration, office management, PA or administrative role
• Excellent organisation, with a keen eye for accuracy and detail
• Confident communicator who is comfortable liaising with suppliers, clients and colleagues at all levels
• Strong IT skills, including Google and Microsoft 365, and a willingness to learn new systems quickly
• Experience of maintaining databases or records
• Self-starter who takes ownership and solves problems without being asked
• Able to prioritise a varied workload and manage competing deadlines

Desirable

• Experience of booking business travel and accommodation
• Experience with BrightHR, DotDigital or similar HR, CRM or email platforms
• Health & Safety qualification (e.g. First Aid or fire marshal), or willingness to train

What we offer and how to apply

• Salary of £30,000 plus an annual discretionary performance bonus after 12 months service
• A central Manchester workspace
• A dedicated training budget to keep building your skills
• 23 days holiday per year, plus Christmas week off and bank holidays
• Travel to work subsidy up to £1,000 a year
• Mobile phone paid for up to £60 a month
• Company matching pension scheme
• Employee-owned business - benefit from influence in the business’s direction and income tax-free bonuses depending on the company’s performance. Note that employee-ownership does not require any financial contribution from you
• Regular industry networking events and team socials