An excellent job opportunity has arisen for a Senior Receptionist to join the team in our Southampton office. The job is offered on a permanent, full-time basis, working Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm.

As a Senior Receptionist you'll create a positive first impression to clients and visitors and promote a friendly and approachable environment. You'll be the first point of contact for visitors to the firm, so a positive attitude is key. 

What will you be doing?

As the first point of contact you will be meeting and greeting all visitors whether they are clients, contractors or employees. You will also be booking and coordinating meetings rooms, taking responsibility for ensuring all in-house functions run smoothly by setting up the rooms ready for use and liaising with our catering team. The role also involves general administrative tasks such as taxi bookings.

You will be managing a team of 2 staff members. This requires forward planning to ensure staffing and resources are adequate on a daily basis for reception and catering. You will liaise and consult with the Guest Services Supervisor (Bristol based) and Facilities Manager to ensure cover is provided, lead by example and understand the importance of working together, sharing responsibilities and promoting team spirit. Recognised as a committed team player, you will be the first point of contact for all queries and/or complaints for Southampton reception.

During these unprecedented times the reception team has taken on additional responsibilities such as desk bookings and the management of social distancing within our premises.

So, what are we looking for?

This is a key-client facing job role that requires expert communication skills, patience, attentiveness, a calming presence and the ability to think on your feet.  This role gives you the opportunity to interact with people across the office and firm.

Previous experience of delivering first-class customer service with a legal or hotelier background would be preferred. 

IT and technology are very important to us as a firm and as such we regularly upgrade our IT systems to ensure we have the best possible solutions in place.  The Senior Receptionist's role will involve training and use of software solutions such as room booking/desk booking portals, Microsoft Teams VC and other Microsoft Office products.  Therefore, a good level of IT knowledge is imperative for this role.

Who are we?

A Top 100 law firm globally and Top 20 law firm in the UK, Womble Bond Dickinson has more than 400 partners and 1,000 lawyers based across 19 US cities and seven UK cities including a significant presence in London. The firm's reach also extends to Europe where it has strategic partnerships with other law firms in Germany and France.

In the UK, Womble Bond Dickinson advises in excess of 40 FTSE 350 companies, many of the largest businesses in the country, government organisations and wealthy individuals. With a focus on eleven key sectors (Energy & Natural Resources; Financial Institutions; Healthcare;  Insurance, Manufacturing;  Real Estate; Retail and Consumer; Transport, Logistics & Infrastructure; Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals; Technology and Private Wealth) the firm's experience allows it to build strong relationships and deliver an excellent service to clients.

What makes it great to work here?

We continually work hard to create an open culture that sets us apart from other firms. Our culture gives us much more of a human feel, emphasising that we're more than just suits!  We like and make time for each other enabling us to establish professional relationships that can often become lasting friendships. 

Through our D&I initiatives we create an environment in which difference is valued.  We have a Diversity and Inclusion Group, led by our Board Sponsor, which works with our colleague networks (we currently have an ethnic diversity, an LGBTQ+, a family network and we're in constant dialogue with our people about how we expand our networks to better support everybody).  We encourage applicants from all social backgrounds, ethnicities, disabilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

As signatories to the Mindful Business Charter, it's important that our people are able to maintain healthy and happy lives, both in and out of work.  We have a number of resources and initiatives designed to support health and wellbeing, including our team of dedicated mental health first aiders.  We recognise that getting the right work life balance is a priority for all of us and we're very happy to talk flexible working, full-time or part-time working patterns.

And that's not all, alongside a competitive salary you'll receive a flexible benefits package so you can pick and choose between the benefits that matter most to you.

Next steps

If this sounds like your next career move then please get in touch to find out more. No agencies please, we're an in-house recruitment team!

If this isn't the role for you (or the right time) why not connect with us on LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@WBD_CareersUK) to keep up to date with all of our opportunities.  We also have a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/womblebonddickinsoncareers/)