Receptionist

Vanguard; Manchester; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking a proactive Receptionist to provide a professional, welcoming front-of-house experience at our Manchester office. You will handle visitors, calls, and general admin while supporting meeting room coordination and office operations.

The role requires strong interpersonal skills, organisation, and discretion, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. This is an office-based, full-time position.

Qualifications

• Front‑of‑house or reception experience is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise multiple tasks.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel is required.
• Professional discretion and sound judgment are important.

Responsibilities

• Welcome visitors and act as the first point of contact at the office.
• Manage reception coverage during business hours and operate the switchboard.
• Direct inquiries to appropriate teams and maintain confidentiality.
• Coordinate meeting room bookings and liaise with Facilities, IT and Catering.
• Provide general administrative support and maintain office records and calendars.
• Support office events, onboarding activities, and crew engagement initiatives.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Organization

Multitasking

MS Office

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Teams

Word

Excel

Job description

Manchester, UK

Full Time | Office Based

Job Description

The Receptionist plays a critical front-of-house role within Vanguard, delivering a professional, welcoming, and consistent experience for crew members, visitors, clients, and external partners. As the first point of contact for the office, the role is responsible for managing reception operations, visitor coordination, meeting room support, and a broad range of administrative activities while maintaining Vanguard's values, security standards, and commitment to service excellence.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, approachable, proactive, and capable of managing multiple priorities while ensuring reception remains an efficient and trusted function within the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for all visitors, providing a professional and welcoming experience.
• Manage visitor arrivals and departures in accordance with security, health and safety, and GDPR requirements.
• Notify hosts promptly of guest arrivals and ensure visitors are comfortably accommodated.
• Maintain the presentation and professionalism of reception and visitor areas.
• Support meeting room readiness, including refreshments and room presentation.

Reception Operations

• Manage reception coverage throughout business hours, ensuring continuity of service.
• Operate the switchboard and handle incoming telephone calls professionally and efficiently.
• Direct internal and external enquiries to the appropriate teams and stakeholders.
• Maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and discretion in all interactions.

Meeting Room & Office Coordination

• Coordinate meeting room bookings and requirements.
• Liaise with Facilities, IT, and Catering teams to ensure meeting spaces are fully prepared.
• Support senior leadership visits, office events, recruitment activities, and internal initiatives.
• Manage last-minute meeting requests and changes while maintaining a high standard of service.

Administration & Office Support

• Monitor reception inboxes, shared mailboxes, and office calendars.
• Process incoming and outgoing post in accordance with company procedures.
• Provide administrative support to leaders and wider business teams as required.
• Maintain accurate records, logs, and office documentation.
• Assist with onboarding activities, recognition events, and office engagement initiatives.

Culture & Crew Experience

• Contribute to a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Build strong relationships with crew across multiple office locations.
• Support team engagement initiatives, recognition activities, and office events.
• Act as an ambassador for Vanguard's values and culture.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Develop effective working relationships with Facilities, Security, IT, HR, and Administrative teams.
• Cross-train and provide holiday or sickness cover where required.
• Identify opportunities to improve reception processes, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Demonstrate ownership and accountability for maintaining high service standards.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in a receptionist, front-of-house, customer service, or administrative role.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and related office applications.
• Professional approach with sound judgement and discretion.

Preferred

• Experience supporting corporate office operations.
• Experience coordinating meetings, visitors, events, or executive support activities.
• Understanding of office security, health and safety, and data privacy requirements.

Personal Attributes

• Service-oriented with a strong sense of ownership.
• Professional, approachable, and trustworthy.
• Resilient and adaptable when responding to changing business priorities.
• Collaborative team player with a positive attitude.
• Committed to delivering a high-quality experience for crew and visitors alike.

Reports to Chief of Staff, Manchester and works closely with Facilities, Administrative, Security, and Business Leadership teams.

Special factors:

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.

It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.