Receptionist

Somerset House; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee assistance programme

Pension scheme

Cycle to work

Season ticket loan

Job summary

Somerset House is seeking a friendly and proactive receptionist to join our front‑of‑house team as an ambassador for Somerset House and its creative community. You will manage our two receptions, provide a warm, professional welcome to visitors, coordinate bookings for our nine meeting rooms, and help keep the building running smoothly day to day.

Reporting to the Resident Coordinator, the role requires excellent customer service, strong IT skills, and a proactive approach to tasks in a busy,

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar reception or front-of-house role.
• Experience delivering excellent customer experience.
• Experience of general administrative tasks, including financial processes and answering queries.
• Experience using in-house databases & CRM systems.
• Some experience in meeting rooms and/or events management.
• Experience in sales (desirable).

Responsibilities

• Manage front-of-house operations across dual receptions.
• Provide a warm, professional welcome to visitors.
• Coordinate booking and use of nine meeting rooms for hire.
• Support day-to-day building operations and administrative tasks.
• Maintain records and financial processes using in-house systems.
• Collaborate with colleagues to uphold Somerset House's mission and values.

Skills

Customer focus

Communication skills

IT skills

Task prioritisation

Proactive problem solving

Interest in creative arts

Adaptability

Tools

MS Office

CRM systems

Job description

Receptionist

Application Deadline: 18 October 2026

Department: Residents Team (creative community)

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: London

Reporting To: Resident Coordinator

Compensation: £31,114 / 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.

We are looking for a friendly and proactive receptionist to join our front-of-house team as an ambassador for Somerset House and its vibrant community of creative businesses. Working closely with colleagues, you will manage our two business receptions, provide a warm and professional welcome to visitors, coordinate the booking and use of our nine meeting rooms available for hire, and help ensure the building runs smoothly day to day. As a key member of the Reception team, you will be central to creating a positive, welcoming experience for everyone who works in and visits Somerset House.

What we are looking for:

• Manage front-of-house operations across multiple business receptions
• Provide a warm, professional welcome and deliver an excellent customer experience to all
• Coordinate booking and use of multiple meeting rooms for hire
• Support day-to-day building operations and handle general administrative tasks
• Maintain accurate records and financial processes using in-house systems
• Collaborate with colleagues to uphold Somerset House’s mission and values.

Skills, knowledge & expertise required for the role:

Experience

• Experience in a similar reception or front-of-house role
• Experience delivering excellent customer experience
• Experience of general administrative tasks, including financial processes and answering queries
• Experience using in-house databases & CRM systems.
• Some Experience in meeting rooms and/or events management
• Experience in sales (desirable)

Skills

• Strong customer focus, with professional and friendly approach
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills
• Strong IT skills, including working knowledge of MS Office applications and spreadsheets, and ability to learn new systems and software quickly
• Ability to prioritise competing tasks in a busy environment
• A proactive approach to problem solving, with the ability to identify issues before they arise
• Interest in the creative arts
• Commitment to Somerset House's mission, values and goals
• Flexibility and adaptability to change.

Benefits to working at Somerset House

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
• - 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
• *following 3 months of employment