Reception Team Leader

Pearson Whiffin Recruitment Ltd; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pearson Whiffin Recruitment Group is seeking an experienced Reception Team Leader in Maidstone to oversee day-to-day reception operations across multiple sites. You will lead reception and care navigation teams, coordinate staff workloads, and drive improvements in patient access and service delivery.

We are looking for a hands-on, approachable leader who can manage a busy, patient-facing environment with strong communication and staff development skills.

Qualifications

• Supervise a team in a busy customer-facing setting.
• Demonstrate strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Confident in handling difficult conversations and escalations.
• Experience managing staff rotas, absence and training.
• Strong IT skills and ability to work with multiple systems.
• Remain calm, organised and solution-focused under pressure.
• Proactive approach to improvement and problem-solving.
• Commitment to confidentiality and data protection (GDPR).

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate daily reception operations across sites.
• Manage staff rotas, workload allocation and coverage.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and guidance to teams.
• Conduct inductions, training, supervision and appraisals.
• Assist with recruitment, onboarding and staff development.
• Ensure procedures for appointments, inquiries and care navigation.
• Act as escalation point for operational issues and patient concerns.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external providers for service delivery.
• Monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate records, training docs and GDPR compliance.

Skills

Team leadership

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Rota management

Training & development

Calm under pressure

GDPR compliance

Problem solving

Tools

EMIS

Anima

Patient access systems

Healthcare telephony

Job description

Reception Team Leader

Location: Maidstone
Hours: Full-time, up to 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £32k-£34k

We are recruiting for an experienced and organised Reception Team Lead to join a busy, multi-site healthcare organisation in the Maidstone area.

This is an excellent opportunity for a confident and proactive individual with strong leadership skills who enjoys working in a fast-paced, patient-focused environment.

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day running of reception services across multiple sites, ensuring patients receive a welcoming, compassionate and efficient service.

You will lead and support reception teams, coordinate staffing and workloads, manage operational challenges and work closely with senior management to continually improve patient access and service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the daily operations of reception and patient access services across multiple sites.

• Manage staff rotas, workload allocation, sickness absence and reception cover.

• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance and support to reception and care navigation teams.

• Conduct staff inductions, training, supervision, regular one-to-ones and performance reviews.

• Assist with recruitment, onboarding and ongoing staff development.

• Ensure reception teams follow appropriate procedures for appointments, patient enquiries and care navigation.

• Act as a point of escalation for operational issues, patient concerns and challenging situations.

• Work closely with internal teams and external call-handling providers to ensure efficient service delivery.

• Monitor team performance, patient feedback and operational processes, identifying opportunities for improvement.

• Ensure online requests, appointment queries and cancellations are managed efficiently.

• Maintain accurate records, training documentation and compliance with confidentiality and GDPR requirements.

• Promote a positive, professional and supportive working environment.

• Ensure all team members remain compliant with mandatory training, health and safety procedures and organisational policies.

• Support service improvement initiatives, audits and operational reviews.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Previous experience supervising or leading a team within a busy customer-facing environment.

• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing workloads.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a compassionate and professional approach.

• Confidence managing difficult conversations, resolving issues and supporting staff through challenging situations.

• Experience managing staff rotas, absence, performance and training.

• Strong IT skills and confidence working with multiple systems and operational reports.

• Ability to remain calm, organised and solutions-focused under pressure.

• A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.

• Understanding of confidentiality, data protection and the importance of delivering a high-quality service.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience working within a GP practice, healthcare setting or another regulated environment.

• Familiarity with EMIS, Anima, digital patient access systems or healthcare telephone systems.

• Experience in patient care navigation, reception management or healthcare administration.

• Experience implementing process improvements and monitoring team performance.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a hands-on, approachable and supportive team leader who can confidently manage the demands of a busy reception environment.

You will be someone who leads by example, communicates effectively with colleagues and patients, and takes pride in delivering excellent service standards.

Previous healthcare experience would be advantageous; however, candidates with strong supervisory experience from other busy, customer-facing environments are also encouraged to apply.