Estates Assistant

at  Shoosmiths

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.
We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.
To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package.
The team
Estates Management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities. This encompasses multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace. Effective estates management, combining resources and activities, is vital to the success of any organisation.
Shoosmiths is committed to protecting the environment by demonstrating high standards of environmental responsibility in all our operations and minimising the environmental impacts associated with our activities, products and services. We have set a goal for our operations to achieve net zero status by 2025 and for our entire business to reach net zero by 2040 which will only be achieved with the support of all our employees. Our Estates Management team play an integral part of achieving these goals by being responsible for Shoosmiths’ property strategy, space management and contract management.
The role
To provide exceptional customer service and foster excellent working relationships with external clients and internal clients/contacts providing a first-class level of service to everyone, showing professionalism and displaying a friendly, helpful disposition both locally and across the firm.
There are two elements to the role with both the external and internal roles being a combined role:
Working within the print and post room and archiving and desk delivering services to our internal clients
Delivering services to our external clients via reception within the client suite.
In applying for this role, you will be primarily undertaking the internal Workplace duties but will be required to cover reception when needed.

Main responsibilities

• Working as part of a team to co-ordinate estates administration and H&S tasks.
• Responding proactively to telephone / email queries from both internal and external clients.
• Scanning correspondence to iManage.
• Completing administrative tasks and maintaining monthly and annual spreadsheets.
• Ordering supplies for the office (e.g. stationery, DSE equipment, first aid supplies).
• Maintaining cleanliness and stock levels within the staff kitchen.
• Generally, assist with keeping the office neat and tidy.
• Opening, date stamping and sorting of incoming mail and managing the miscellaneous post process.
• Liaising with couriers and post/delivery personnel where necessary.
• Sorting outgoing post into DX, Royal Mail, Special Delivery etc., and ensuring the post is ready for collection at the allocated times.
• Assisting internal clients with general print and post enquiries.
• Collections and deliveries as required - internally and externally, including banking deliveries/picking up last minute lunch requests for client meetings.
• Communicating with the Help Assistants or IS in respect of any copiers/printers breaking down in the Print & Post Room.
• Ensuring all office areas are kept neat and tidy at all times.
• Delivery of stationery to internal clients at least once a week and on request where required.
• Working as part of a team to co-ordinate front of house services.
• Professionally and promptly meeting and greeting all clients and visitors including internal clients/visitors from other offices.
• Working with PAs and Legal Advisers to support and understand their requirements, asking questions to ensure all requirements are covered and understood (such as numbers of attendees, catering requirements, audio visual aids, room set up style, name badges, hand-outs/paperwork).
• Answering of all incoming calls within 3 rings, transferring calls, dealing within incoming calls as appropriate and forwarding on all incoming electronic faxes promptly.
• Managing and co-ordinating the meeting room booking system whether by email or phone request and ensuring emails are checked and processed throughout the day on a regular basis and in a timely manner.
• Managing and co-ordinating all client hospitality and client catering for all types of events which can include early morning breakfast seminars, client and staff lunches and evening events.
• Setting up and preparing the meeting rooms in advance of any meetings or events taking place to ensure all audio visual equipment, furniture requirements and catering is in place, ready and refreshed throughout the event where appropriate.
• Meet and greet clients and visitors (internal and external), looking after all of their requirements whilst on our premises including organising any ad hoc requests such as photocopying, deliveries, booking taxis, further refreshments.
• Organising refreshments, equipment (laptop, flipcharts etc) and ordering breakfast/lunch etc as is required by the client/internal client.
• Building relationships with local caterers and keeping abreast of other local caterers and the choices they offer so as to always ensure we are able to offer our clients a variety of price options and menu choices with food being delivered set at the very highest standard.
• Managing the car parking spaces on a weekly basis for both internal and external clients, highlighting any problems/abuse of the use of car parking to the HR & Estates Manager immediately.
• Keeping a check on stock levels and ordering as and when required via Sainsburys or similar.
• There will be an element of providing ‘out of hours’ services for events and seminars (hours of work to be agreed with HR & Estates Manager prior to an event).
• Ensuring completion of the handover book, creating handover holiday notes etc., to ensure continuity of service.

Skills and qualifications

• Preferably a minimum of 12 months previous Receptionist experience within a professional services environment, ideally within the legal sector.
• Ability to work flexibly covering early morning and evening meetings where necessary.
• Confident in setting up audio visual equipment and troubleshooting during client meetings where required.
• Excellent personal presentation with a professional and respectful demeanour.
• A smart, polished, friendly, helpful, confident and ‘can do’ approach.
• Positive attitude with strength of character and determination to succeed.
• Ability to maintain high standards and pay close attention to detail, working in a neat, tidy and methodical way.
• Ability to identify problems and act on them promptly and efficiently.
• Excellent keyboard skills to access/draft e-mails and intranet applications with knowledge of Outlook and Word.
• Having confidence in liaising with suppliers and contractors.
• Willing to work well alone and with the team within a supportive environment.
• Have the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, getting things right.
• Have a flexible and pro-active approach to work.
• Excellent internal and external client care and communication skills.
• Self-confidence and ability to demonstrate initiative.
• Ability to grasp things quickly and easily.
• Enthusiastic, energetic with a positive, can-do attitude.
• Ability to adapt to change, new practices and remain calm under pressure and finding solutions aligned with Shoosmiths’ values and culture.
• Excellent presentation skills reflected in work.
• The ability to support and encourage colleagues particularly when they are under pressure.
• Ability to always maintain confidentiality.

Equal opportunities
Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.
This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
< Back to available position

• Working as part of a team to co-ordinate estates administration and H&S tasks.
• Responding proactively to telephone / email queries from both internal and external clients.
• Scanning correspondence to iManage.
• Completing administrative tasks and maintaining monthly and annual spreadsheets.
• Ordering supplies for the office (e.g. stationery, DSE equipment, first aid supplies).
• Maintaining cleanliness and stock levels within the staff kitchen.
• Generally, assist with keeping the office neat and tidy.
• Opening, date stamping and sorting of incoming mail and managing the miscellaneous post process.
• Liaising with couriers and post/delivery personnel where necessary.
• Sorting outgoing post into DX, Royal Mail, Special Delivery etc., and ensuring the post is ready for collection at the allocated times.
• Assisting internal clients with general print and post enquiries.
• Collections and deliveries as required - internally and externally, including banking deliveries/picking up last minute lunch requests for client meetings.
• Communicating with the Help Assistants or IS in respect of any copiers/printers breaking down in the Print & Post Room.
• Ensuring all office areas are kept neat and tidy at all times.
• Delivery of stationery to internal clients at least once a week and on request where required.
• Working as part of a team to co-ordinate front of house services.
• Professionally and promptly meeting and greeting all clients and visitors including internal clients/visitors from other offices.
• Working with PAs and Legal Advisers to support and understand their requirements, asking questions to ensure all requirements are covered and understood (such as numbers of attendees, catering requirements, audio visual aids, room set up style, name badges, hand-outs/paperwork).
• Answering of all incoming calls within 3 rings, transferring calls, dealing within incoming calls as appropriate and forwarding on all incoming electronic faxes promptly.
• Managing and co-ordinating the meeting room booking system whether by email or phone request and ensuring emails are checked and processed throughout the day on a regular basis and in a timely manner.
• Managing and co-ordinating all client hospitality and client catering for all types of events which can include early morning breakfast seminars, client and staff lunches and evening events.
• Setting up and preparing the meeting rooms in advance of any meetings or events taking place to ensure all audio visual equipment, furniture requirements and catering is in place, ready and refreshed throughout the event where appropriate.
• Meet and greet clients and visitors (internal and external), looking after all of their requirements whilst on our premises including organising any ad hoc requests such as photocopying, deliveries, booking taxis, further refreshments.
• Organising refreshments, equipment (laptop, flipcharts etc) and ordering breakfast/lunch etc as is required by the client/internal client.
• Building relationships with local caterers and keeping abreast of other local caterers and the choices they offer so as to always ensure we are able to offer our clients a variety of price options and menu choices with food being delivered set at the very highest standard.
• Managing the car parking spaces on a weekly basis for both internal and external clients, highlighting any problems/abuse of the use of car parking to the HR & Estates Manager immediately.
• Keeping a check on stock levels and ordering as and when required via Sainsburys or similar.
• There will be an element of providing ‘out of hours’ services for events and seminars (hours of work to be agreed with HR & Estates Manager prior to an event).
• Ensuring completion of the handover book, creating handover holiday notes etc., to ensure continuity of service