Receptionist/ Administrator

The Society of St James; Southampton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Buying additional annual leave

Induction and training

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Discounted laptops

Electric Car Scheme

Blue Light Card

Job summary

The Society of St James in Southampton is seeking a Receptionist/Administrator to be the welcoming first point of contact for clients and visitors. This full-time, on-site role is based at Southampton SSJ&I Service, London Road, and runs 37 hours per week.

You will help guide clients to appointments, handle queries, and support the team with administrative tasks while maintaining a calm, professional, and person-centred approach.

Qualifications

• Engaging and personable with strong communication and front-desk presence.
• Empathetic, resilient, and able to remain calm in challenging situations.
• Flexible team member capable of supporting a busy reception environment.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and visitors and manage front-desk inquiries.
• Route calls and pass queries to duty teams or care coordinators.
• Provide general admin support and maintain a welcoming environment.

Skills

Engaging

Empathetic

Team player

Job description

Receptionist/ Administrator

CAPTION:

• Company: The Society of St James
• Salary: £25,947 to £26,305 a year
• Hours: Full-time
• Location: Southampton
• Working pattern: On-site
• Job type: Permanent
• Posting date: 11 Sept 2026
• Closing date: 24 Sept 2026

Summary

Receptionist/ Administrator

37 hours per week

Permanent

Southampton SSJ&I Service, London Road

Salary Scale: 20 - 21 (£25,947 - £26,305 per annum)

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic Charity and Housing Association. The Society of St James (SSJ) has been working in Hampshire for over 50 years, delivering high impact, person-centred, accommodation services to adults and young people experiencing homelessness, problematic substance use and mental health problems. We believe that every person is of worth and we are prepared to take risks to house and support the most at risk and socially excluded members of society.

The Impact You'll Make

As one of the primary faces of the SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service, you will set the tone for every individual walking through our doors or reaching out over the phone. Operating with a calm, controlled, and welcoming manner, you will seamlessly guide clients to their appointments, pass queries to duty teams or care coordinators, and serve as a reassuring presence during critical moments in their recovery journey.

Working with a person-centred approach, you will directly support Southampton residents who are ready to make meaningful changes to their lives. By connecting service users to vital interventions—from therapeutic groups to prescribing and needle exchange services—and maintaining strong risk management standards, you will help create a safe environment where individuals feel heard, supported, and empowered to grow.

Through building genuine, trusting relationships with our client base, you will actively contribute to SSJ’s core mission. Your everyday interactions will help cultivate a community of continuous growth and development, delivering real, positive change for both our service users and the wider organisation.

Who We’re Looking For

• Engaging & Personable: An innovative, tenacious individual who can connect meaningfully with service users and multitask effectively in a busy reception environment.
• Empathetic & Resilient: Someone equipped with a self-reflective, motivated mindset who thrives both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Flexible Team Member: A dedicated professional ready to work service-based across a 37-hour week, Monday - Friday working week.

What we can offer you

We value and recognise our staff, offering some generous benefits, as well as the satisfaction of helping people at risk:

• A competitive annual leave entitlement of 25 days rising to 30 days, plus public holidays
• Flexible working options
• Buying additional annual leave
• Comprehensive induction and training
• Counselling, financial, personal support and health and wellbeing services via our Employee Assistance Programme
• Company cycle to work scheme
• Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie's Computers
• Electric Car Scheme
• Blue Light Card

SSJ are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life.

At SSJ, we recognise the benefits of a supported workplace. SSJ is affiliated with Unite the Union. To learn more about their membership benefits or to sign up, you can visit their official website.

Application closing date: 5pm on Thursday 24th September 2026

Interview date: Wednesday 1st October 2026

Due to the high number of expected applicants, we do reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier.

Should you not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.