Front of House Associate

Working Hours: 37 hours (part-time hours and term-time-only contracts will be considered)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 31 August 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC - early September

Do you enjoy meeting people and creating a positive first impression? Are you looking for a varied role where no two days are the same? As a Front of House Associate, you'll be at the heart of our service, helping visitors, supporting colleagues, and making a real difference every day. Are you passionate about customer service? We're looking for a Front of House Associate who can provide outstanding support while ensuring every day runs smoothly.

About the Role

By joining ESPO as a Front of House Associate, you’ll be part of a highly successful professional buying organisation that provides cost-effective procurement and supply services to the public sector. This role sits within our HR & Admin Support team and is central to creating a welcoming, professional and efficient front-of-house experience. You’ll be the first point of contact for visitors, customers, suppliers and colleagues, helping to make sure enquiries are handled courteously and effectively. No two days will be the same. From managing reception and switchboard duties to handling post, room bookings, visitor passes, deliveries and general administration, you’ll play an important role in keeping ESPO’s day-to-day operations running smoothly. You’ll also work closely with teams across the organisation, providing flexible support where it is needed.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Strong communication skills, both face-to-face and over the phone.
• Good organisation skills and the ability to prioritise a varied workload.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and other systems or databases.
• A calm, diplomatic approach when dealing with enquiries or challenging situations.
• A flexible, proactive attitude and willingness to support colleagues across the organisation.

Experience in reception, switchboard, customer care or administration would be a real advantage, but what matters most is your ability to provide a positive first impression, stay organised and deliver a helpful, professional service. If you enjoy working with people, take pride in providing great customer service and want to be part of a friendly and supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.

About You

To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:

• NVQ in Customer Services (or equivalent qualification) or relevant customer service experience.
• Experience of providing a professional and welcoming front of house or reception service.
• Experience of operating a busy switchboard and handling a high volume of telephone enquiries.
• Proven clerical and administrative experience, including the use of Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience of processing and handling financial transactions accurately and securely.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to deal confidently with a wide range of customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, maintain attention to detail and work effectively in a busy environment.

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for this role. In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our customers. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

What we offer

• Flexible working and family-friendly working arrangements where the role allows.
• Opportunities and access to employee benefits portal with a car lease scheme.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service), and a scheme to buy additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution.
• Opportunities for learning and development including induction, on-the-job training, e-learning, mentoring, and access to professional development programmes to help you build your skills and progress your career.
• Great office location next to Fosse Park, with free on-site parking and easy access to the M1 and M69.
• A supportive and inclusive working environment.

Interested in Flexible Working? We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part-time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact: Susan Shaw, Personal Assistant to Managing Director Email: S.Shaw@espo.org

About ESPO

We're a unique organisation, owned by the public sector and sharing their values and ethos, but operating with a commercial edge. As a specialist procurement body, we pride ourselves on establishing procurement solutions that save money for the public sector. We have modern, open-plan offices with excellent transport links and a friendly workplace environment. We offer flexible working, a generous holiday entitlement, a contributory pension scheme, training (including professional CIPS qualification) and opportunities to develop your career.

ESPO is supported by a wide range of roles across many different disciplines, including: sales, marketing, IT, procurement, finance, operations (warehouse management and transport planning) and customer services. So whether you are interested in a public-facing role or playing your part behind the scenes, ESPO could be the place for you.

To learn more about working for ESPO, please visit www.espo.org.