Facilities assistant (12 month fixed-term contract)

Closing date: 15th December 2024

Salary: £26,500 per annum

Department: Facilities 

Reporting to: Facilities manager

Contract type: 12 month fixed-term contract

Working hours: Full-time

Location: Vauxhall, London (Office Based)

Be the first point of contact for Walker Books and make every visitor’s experience memorable.

Walker Books UK is part of the vibrant international Group that includes Candlewick Press, Holiday House, Peachtree and Pixel + Ink in the USA and Walker Books Australia. Renowned for its truly original publishing and outstanding quality, the Walker Books Group is home to a wide range of children's and young adult books. 

Award-winning authors and illustrators for the group include Angie Thomas, Sydney Smith, M.T Anderson, Patrick Ness, and Jon Klassen. We are also enormously proud to publish beloved family brands including Lucy Cousin’s Maisy, Michael Rosen’s We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram’s Guess How Much I Love You and Martin Handford’s Where’s Wally?

This role will work within our fast-paced Facilities Department on a 12-month fixed term contract, where no two days will be the same. This role will be responsible for being the first point of contact for Walker Books and the Facilities Department, as well as supporting on various projects. This is an office-based role, and will be based full time in our Vauxhall office. This role will include various shift patterns between the hours of 7am and 7pm dependant on department requirements, as well as occasional weekend work.

Key responsibilities

• Manage, organise and participate in company events including the Festive Party.
• Organise and provide resources for conferences, meetings, and external bookings
• Room set-up/furniture repositioning for in-house meetings and events and return to order after
• Support with company clear out weeks, ensuring boxes are available for recycling and charity donations and arranging collection or delivery of such
• Supporting facilities management with the day-to-day operations of the business by ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the office environment to a high standard. 
• Managing and distributing phone lists and sign in sheets.
• Assist with the administration, coordination and shipping of our online book purchases
• Supporting the post room and Facilities Manager with any mailings ensuring all are securely packaged, processed and sent within set deadlines.
• Support the Facilities Manager in monitoring adherence to health and safety requirements within our office, including floor walks and conducting H&S inductions where necessary
• Liaising with outsourced services and contractors, sourcing and requesting quotes as required
• Processing orders as required by the department and liaising with the Finance Department to ensure payment of invoices
• Monitoring the replenishment of the stationary, kitchenette and bathroom supplies.
• Be the first point of contact for Walker Books, greeting visitors with a warm and professional manner
• Handle enquiries via phone, email and in-person, directing to the appropriate department or team member
• Support the Facilities Manager on projects as required
• Adhoc tasks as required

Please note the above is not an exhaustive list and does not necessarily include all the duties the job holder may have to perform. This job description may be amended to meet changing needs of the business.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Proven previous experience of office administration 
• Previous customer service experience required
• Some experience in facilities would be advantageous
• Ability to plan, prioritise and manage a varied workload
• Highly self-motivated
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail
• Excellent IT skills, including advanced Word and Excel 

Why Join Walker Books?

We offer:

• 22 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays (with annual leave increasing with length of service up to 27 days)
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• Health Insurance and Health Cash Plan
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Plus, other great benefits!

We are an equal opportunities employer and believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce encourages creativity and innovative working environment. We are committed to equal treatment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. It is important that our teams represent all our readers, their families and their communities and we welcome and encourage all applications.

If you have any queries about this role or require any reasonable adjustments for your application or throughout the recruitment process, please let our team know by contacting us at recruitment@walker.co.uk.

Please note we reserve the right to close vacancies before the closing date where we have received sufficient applications. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.