Receptionist and Administration Officer

Job description
Job title: Receptionist & Administration officer
Responsible to: Town Clerk
Overall responsibilities: General reception duties including managing the phone and messages, and the post, and assisting those who come into the offices. In addition, managing car park payments for excess charges, events, bookings at Queens Hall, and outings
Reception
• Deal with all general emails coming in, and add items to website including agendas and minutes, events and notices. Once a week perform systems maintenance on PC
• Take all incoming phone calls, switch on answerphone overnight and check all messages
• Open all incoming post and hand to Town Clerk. Frank/stamp outgoing post and ensure it goes to sorting office each night (car park attendant)
• Maintain records of all cash/cheques/card payments received
• Maintain foyer notice board and prepare notices for town notice boards to be put up by car park attendants
• Take all payments for excess charge tickets and liaise with Finance Officer
• Prepare a What’s on poster each month for noticeboards and website
• Filing
Hall/room bookings
• Manage all bookings for Queens Hall and Mill House– send out booking forms, add bookings to diary, prepare invoices for bookings, chase payment to come in before booking date, give copy of booking to caretaker and ensure event will be covered (Queens Hall), give notice of deposit returns to FO to prepare for cheque run for each Council meeting.

Outings
• July/August liaise with Chief Courier on outing destinations for following year and prepare a list of choices for outings. Prepare questionnaire for distribution to those on last 2 trips of the year. Get quotes from coach companies for possible destinations. Prepare report for Councillors from collated information to decide on destinations
• Prepare report on cost of trips for Council
• Prepare poster for display at Christmas parties on trips for the following year
• Prepare publicity for outings and send to Neighbourhood news and Halstead Gazette
• Prepare and print application forms for distribution to public
• Prepare labels for each applicant ready for applications to Christmas parties
• Prepare information sheets with map for chosen destinations
• Allocate couriers to trips
• Keep list of reserves in case places become available
• Prepare courier bags – first aid kit, toilet roll, raffle tickets and information on destination, list of passengers. Attend at Butler Rd Car park to help couriers in leaving on time
• Replenish bags after trips and count raffle money – keep a running total
• Prepare invites to Christmas party – distribute on last trip of season and post remainder
Christmas
• Send out publicity well in advance
• Write to Salvation army, St John Ambulance, Peter Robertson to make sure attend
• Liaise with BDC re times of events in public gardens and ask permission for toilets to be open
• Liaise with Admin Officer re Christmas parties
• Keep tally of attendees at each party
• Write to traders to ask for raffle prizes for Christmas parties
• Collect food from Solar on party days

• To maintain a pro-active, flexible and professional approach which enhances the work of the Council’s team, and respond efficiently to all requests
• To undertake any other duties as directed by the Town Clerk
• To comply with the Council’s policies as contained in the Staff Handbook