The Place, the UK S Premier Centre for Contemporary

The Place, the UK’s premier centre for contemporary

dance, is where dance is going next

For over forty five years The Place has been a driving force for contemporary dance in England and Europe, and it remains one of the world's key resources for dance development. We are a home for dancers and dance-makers, nurturing artists from the earliest stage to mature world-class talent.

The Place’s work is divided into strands of activity:

• London Contemporary Dance School: a world-leading dance conservatoire training around 180 students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels
• Richard Alston Dance Company: an internationally renowned touring company led by Richard Aston
• Recreational and Prevocational Dance: providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in dance, and progression opportunities to realise talent
• Theatre and Artist Development: presenting 150 performances each year from UK and international artists in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, and providing extensive professional development support for dance artists

Our mix of activities creates an ecosystem for contemporary dance unlike any in the world, whilst the strong interdependence of our different strands of activity, co-existing within a single organisation, yields huge added value, both artistically and financially. The Place’s holistic, 360-degree range of activity creates a fertile artistic environment in which great dance can be developed and experienced by everyone.

The Place has a vital role to play in dance development in the UK. It is uniquely placed to enhance the sector’s ability to support independent dance artists. We provide the space and conditions they need to take the creative risks that keep the art form alive, and help them attain greater profile and integration within the UK and European dance communities.

The Place’s plans for the future build upon our history of achievement, underpinned by our flexible business model that draws on a range of public and private funding sources and self-generated income, enabling us to continually adapt our activity to meet the changing needs of the dance sector at all levels.

The Place currently employs 100 full and part-time staff – dancers, teachers, producers and administrators – and works with nearly 300 casual staff. Our annual turnover is in excess of £6.5million, with approximately two-thirds of our income from statutory funding, and one-third earned and fundraised income. The Place’s building, which incorporates 11 dance studios together with our theatre, is fully accessible to disabled people, and The Place has a firm commitment to equal opportunities for staff, students, artists and users of our building and services.

We are committed to developing new and enhanced ways of engaging participants and audiences whilst continuing to focus strongly on building a sustainable future for dance as the UK’s leading supporter of dance artists. Through all of our work we will continue to transform and enrich lives through dance and to shape where dance is going next.

Receptionist and Administration Assistant

Administration and Finance Department

Job Description

Role

This part-time post forms a part of the Reception and Space Bookings team at The Place. This role provides a positive and friendly first point of contact to the wide range of users of The Place at the Flaxman Terrace Entrance. The post will work regular evenings and weekends which requires the postholder to have the ability to work in an unsupervised capacity.

Acting as both a Receptionist and as Administration Assistant, the post works closely with the Reception and Space Bookings Manager to provide a professional service to building users and to act as a liaison point for the casual Reception staff.

The Reception team work closely with the Duke’s Road front of house team and the other departments within the building to provide an efficient and friendly service handling day-to-day queries, visitors and deliveries.

Working hours: 30-32 p/w (weekly rotation)

Reporting to: Reception and Space Bookings Manager

Responsibilities

Customer Service

• Visitors

• Providing continuous cover of the building entrance, being vigilant and acting as a first point of call for The Place.
• Welcoming, directing and announcing arrival of visitors.
• Dealing with general enquiries and responding with appropriate information.
• In cooperation with the security team and Duke’s Road front of house team, reporting any concerns to the relevant departments.
• Being proactive in the smooth running of the Reception, ensuring that customer care is of the highest standard.
• Keeping fully informed on the upcoming programme, actively promoting performances and classes within The Place to all customers.
• Maintaining an excellent standard of presentation in the Reception area, ensuring that it is welcoming and informative and all print is up to date, including updating the ‘What’s On’ board.
• Monitoring hirer behaviour and ensure that the studio rules are adhered to where possible.

• Telephones

• Answering and directing all incoming calls to The Place.
• Dealing with general telephone enquiries on The Place main number.

General Administration

Space Bookings

• Responding to studio hire requests and processing bookings for external hires (regular and ad-hoc) as directed by the Reception and Space Bookings Manager.

• Ensuring that studio users act in accordance to space bookings’ policy and procedures

• Keeping records of space booking alterations and over-running of allocated time so the individual can be invoiced for extra space usage.
• Ensuring that external hirers’ info online and printed is up-to-date
• Keeping studio hire information up-to-date on online listings
• Liaising with maintenance, the AV Technician and security for any specific equipment and room requirements.
• Monitoring the space inbox when the Reception and Space Bookings Manager is out of the office and dealing with enquiries as appropriate.

Staffing

• Coordinate the monthly rota and distribute shifts to casual staff to ensure there is reception cover at all times
• Monitor the training needs of casual staff and coordinate training dates

Post

• Receiving and distributing incoming post, parcels and signing for registered letters.
• Receiving deliveries and ensuring their safe distribution within the organisation.
• Organising urgent deliveries requiring specialist services.
• Franking outgoing post and keeping track of recorded delivery/international post

Taxis and Couriers

• Co-ordinate the booking of taxis and couriers
• Keep a clear record of taxi bookings in order to reconcile this with invoices.

HR & Recruitment

• Monitor and respond with email enquiries and applications through the job email account.
• Monitor the distribution of payslips for The Place’s members of staff by placing items as appropriate in their pigeon holes
• Administrative duties for the HR Team as required (e.g. details updates, responding to enquiries, etc)

Payments

• Taking card payments for studio hire
• Selling professional class tickets using electronic ticketing software
• Assist Reception and Space Bookings Manager with chasing debts for regular studio hire

Security and Health and Safety

• Security

• Acting as Duty Manager when on evening/weekend shifts
• Issuing keys to authorised personnel and monitoring this as necessary.
• Monitoring the alarm systems of The Place
• Briefing and liaising with security personnel.
• Maintaining consistent radio contact with security.

• Health and Safety

• Maintain accident book
• Act as central First Aid contact point.

• Evacuation Procedures

• Understand and implement the evacuation procedure.
• Ensuring that correct working procedures are applied including the accurate use of the evacuation procedure document.

Operations

• Maintenance

• Communicate any maintenance emergencies with the Facilities team. Supervise the completion of the permit to work book for outside contractors.

• Lost Property

• Log lost property, keep records up-to-date and ensure that the items kept are never older than 6 weeks
• Coordinating the safe disposal of any items which are older than 6 weeks.

Any other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time by the Reception and Studio Bookings Manager/HR and Administration Manager.

Person Specification for the Reception and Administrative Assistant

Essential / Desirable
At least 1 year experience working in a Front of House or Receptionist position. / Working knowledge of the Arts and Dance sector
Excellent customer service skills, ability to be resourceful in a crisis / Experience in evacuation of public buildings
Ability to work under pressure and maintain an enthusiastic and welcoming approach at all times
Pro-active, self-organised and motivated individual
Experience of working in an administrative capacity to an excellent standard / Experience of using office machinery (photocopier, fax, franking machine etc.)
Well-developed written and verbal communication skills including excellent telephone manner
Computer literate (Experience of MS Office and Database packages) / Typing proficiency (40 wpm)
Experience using ticketing software (we use Spektrix)
Experience of cash handling / PDQ or chip and pin payments
Able to work well as part of a busy team / Supervisory Experience
Basic Health and Safety
Appreciative of The Place’s artistic and educational objectives

Salary, hours of work and benefits

Salary

The salary for this role will be 0.8 of £20,091= £16,072 rising to 0.8 of £20,292 = £16,233 on successful completion of the probation period.

Salaries are reviewed in April each year when any cost of living increases are made. No salary changes are made until the post holder has completed a six month probationary period.

This is a part time role working on average 32 hours per week (0.8). There will be a rota agreed once month in advance with a fixed working patter for the two part time Reception roles. Some evening and weekend work will be part of the work pattern.

There will be a six month probationary period where the notice period will be two weeks. Following the completion of this the notice period for this role is four weeks.

The successful candidate will be expected to join the rota in August but must be available for some training days W/C 17th July 2017.

Benefits

All employees will be automatically enrolled in our pension scheme after three months service. This has a variety of contribution levels for both employee and employer. Other benefits include interest-free season ticket loan (after three months), theatre ticket allowance, free access (subject to availability) to The Place evening classes and subsidised café and bar prices. We operate a salary sacrifice scheme for the purchase of bicycles and childcare vouchers. We run a weekly subsidised staff yoga class and a staff choir.

Holiday

As a part time post, the holiday accrued is 20 days per year. This includes 4 days to be taken to as directed by the organisation in order to cover building shut downs e.g. between Christmas and New Year. The annual leave allocation runs from January to December each year.

How to Apply

Completed applications (comprising of completed application form and monitoring forms) (no CV’s)should be returned (preferably by email) by: 12 noonFriday 2nd June 2017

By email:

By post:

Laura Naldrett

Human Resources and Administration Manager

The Place

17 Dukes Road

London WC1H 9PY

Please ensure any attached sheets have your name and the post you are applying for clearly stated.

The Place is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Monitoring information is collected and processed separately to applications, if you do not wish to disclose this information please return a blank monitoring form.

Interviews will be held onThursday 8th & Friday 9th June 2017at The Place.

The Place is an equal opportunities employer and we are keen to ensure everyone applying for employment has an equal experience when attending an interview. Should you have any queries about, or wish to make us aware of, any support required to attend an interview or to work at The Place or would like this pack in alternative format please contact Laura Naldrett, HR and Administration Manager who will be happy to discuss this with you in confidence on 020 7121 1002 or email:

We apologise that we are unable to respond to every application individually. If you have not heard from us by one month after the closing date please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Thank you for your interest in The Place.

May 2017

Date as download

Dear Candidate

Re: Application for post as advertised on the website

In accordance with our Equal Opportunities Policy I attach a form for you to complete and return to help us in monitoring our recruitment. Please would you complete and return the monitoring form along with the job application form, at the email address below, by the required closing date.

HR and Administration Manager

Yours faithfully,

Laura Naldrett

HR and Administration Manager

Please copy this section into your application email indicating where you saw this position advertised.

Position: Reception and Administrative Assistant

Website (name): ______Other:______

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Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

The Place is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in its employment and personnel practices. It aims to ensure that every employee or job applicant receives equitable treatment on the grounds of his/her gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnic or national origins and nationality (including citizenship), age, disability, HIV or AIDS status and trade union membership.

The Place wishes to monitor the effectiveness of this policy and to prevent any job applicant being disqualified by conditions and requirements which cannot be shown to be justified. It is therefore important that you provide the following information by ticking the appropriate boxes. This information will remain confidential to the HR manager and will not be disclosed to those who are shortlisting and appointing to the vacant position.

Surname/Family Name………………………………………………………………

First Name(s) ………………………………………………………………

Post applied for………………………………………………………………

Gender☐ Male☐ Female

☐ Non-binary (e.g. androgyny)☐ Prefer not to say

Are you married or in a civil partnership? ☐Yes☐No ☐Prefer not to say 

Sexual Orientation

☐ Heterosexual/straight

☐ Gay woman/lesbian

☐ Gay man

☐ Bisexual

☐ Prefer not to say

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Ethnic origin (if other, please specify)

A White

☐ English

☐ Scottish

☐ Welsh

☐ Northern Irish

☐ Irish

Other White origin …………………………………………..

B Mixed

☐ White and Black Caribbean

☐ White and Black African

☐ White and Asian

☐ Other mixed origin ….………………………………..

CBlack, Black British, Black English, Black Scottish, Black Welsh or Black Northern Irish

☐ Caribbean

☐ African

☐ Other Black origin …..…………………………….…..

D Asian, Asian British, Asian English,

Asian Scottish, Asian Welsh or Asian Northern Irish

☐ Indian

☐ Pakistani

☐ Bangladeshi

☐ Other Asian origin ………………………………………

E Chinese, Chinese British, Chinese English,Chinese Scottish, Chinese Welsh or Chinese Northern Irish

☐ Chinese

☐ Other origin ………………………………………………….

FOther ethnic group (please specify)

☐ .…………………………………………………………………….

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Age

☐ 16-25☐ 26-35☐ 36-45☐ 46-55☐ 56+

What is your religion or belief?

☐No religion or belief☐Buddhist☐ Christian☐ Hindu ☐Jewish ☐Muslim ☐ Sikh ☐Prefer not to say

If other religion or belief, please state here: ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Do you have caring responsibilities? If yes, please tick all that apply

☐ None

☐ Primary carer of a child/children (under 18)

☐ Primary carer of disabled child/children

☐ Primary carer of disabled adult (18 and over)

☐ Primary carer of older person

☐ Secondary carer (another person carries out the main caring role) 

☐ Prefer not to say

Do you consider yourself to have a disability?

☐Yes ☐ No

Your answer should take into account the definition of disability given in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which is: “A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long term adverse effect on the (person’s) ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.

Thank you for completing this questionnaire.

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