Reception Support

Somerset House; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 16,000; Part time

Job summary

A cultural innovation trust in London is looking for a part-time Reception Support to enhance visitor experiences and manage meeting room logistics. This role requires strong customer service skills and the ability to maintain relationships within a vibrant creative community. The position also offers benefits such as mental health support, enhanced vacation, and pension contributions.

Benefits

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced annual leave

Discounts at Somerset House cafés

Employer pension contributions

Qualifications

• Proven success in client-facing role providing a great customer experience.
• Ability to meet sales targets and suggest improvements.
• Demonstrate successful room bookings or events management.

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee meeting rooms, ensuring they are ready for bookings.
• Welcome visitors and support the reception team on administrative tasks.
• Assist the Residents team with community management.

Skills

Strong customer focus

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Great planning, organisational and multitasking skills

Proficient knowledge of Microsoft packages

Demonstrated client-facing success

Job description

Reception Support

Application Deadline: 24 October 2025

Department: Residents Team (creative community)

Employment Type: Permanent - Part Time

Location: London

Reporting To: Evie Murphy

Compensation: £14,000 - £16,000 / year

Description

We are looking for people to join our fantastic team at Somerset House Trust. As the home of cultural innovators, the Trust connects creativity and the arts with the broader society.

Somerset House pursues a ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ spirit and is born from the creative community we nurture - the experience and perspectives we host across background, age, race, and stage, and the intersections and crossovers we encourage.

Our creative community is at the heart of our mission, with over 600 organisations based in the building (known as Residents). The Residents Team manage part of this dynamic, expansive creative network. We foster a mutually supportive community through resident collaboration, engagement and facilitated opportunity within our ecosystem and wider networks, our charitable mission, and the wider cultural programme. This ongoing cycle of collaboration and innovation takes young businesses and developing creatives in ever new directions.

We are seeking a part-time receptionist to join our reception team as a front of house ambassador for Somerset House and our resident community of creative businesses. Supporting the operations of our two business receptions, welcoming visitors, managing our nine hireable meeting rooms and generally ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the building. You will also support the wider Residents department on general community management and administrative tasks.

As part of our Residents team, the reception team are essential in creating a positive experience for everyone who visits and works at Somerset House.

What we are looking for

Front Of House

• Front desk management and being an on-site point of contact for residents
• Meet and greet all visitors for the resident community and for Somerset House Trust staff
• Provide cover and support to the reception team on administrative and project tasks taking ownership of key processes

Meeting Room Management

• Manage and oversee meeting rooms, ensuring clean and ready for all upcoming bookings
• Arrange and communicate bookings to relevant internal site-based teams

Residents Community Management

• Building relationships with residents, anticipating their needs and finding ways to surprise and delight them
• Maintain and update resident information databases and contact details, internal processes and regularly updating all operational teams
• Assist and provide support to the Residents team with community management and administration when required

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience:

• Proven success in client- facing role providing a great customer experience
• Achieving results in fast moving environments where decisions are taken quickly to resolve problems
• Demonstrate management of room bookings or events
• Accurate administration, maintaining databases and record keeping
• Successful relationships management, building relationships and anticipating customer needs and problem solving
• Understanding of conferencing audio visual equipment and basic troubleshooting

Skills:

• Strong customer focus, with professional and friendly approach
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Great planning, organisational and multitasking skills
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft packages including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Ability to meet sales targets and suggest improvements offers

Benefits

Mental Health & Wellbeing

• Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed
• Mental health support and guidance from our in-house trained Mental Health First Aiders
• Hybrid working based on having 3 days in the office per week (pro rata if part-time)*
• Contribution towards eye tests and glasses
• Trust life insurance scheme
• We offer winter flu vaccination vouchers

*dependent on the needs of the role

Holiday

• Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Birthday leave - additional day leave
• Celebration day - to celebrate anything of your choice

Other Leave

• Sick leave – 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro rata & following 3 months service)
• Emergency dependent care – option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro rata & following 3 months of service)
• Enhanced maternity pay

Benefits

• 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required
• Option for salary sacrifice
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to Work scheme

Discounts, offers and free stuff

• The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other London Heritage sites
• Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants
• Discounts with various high street retailers and restaurants
• Discounts to local leisure centres