Receptionist

Receptionist
Location: Oxford
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 37 hours per week
Contract Duration: Until end of October 2025

Brook Street is currently recruiting on behalf of a government client for the position of Receptionist based in Oxford. This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a vital public service and play a key role in supporting the day-to-day operations of the Probation Service.

Key Responsibilities:

• Front Desk & Visitor Management:
  Act as the first point of contact for the Probation Service, welcoming people on probation and visitors professionally. Manage face-to-face, telephone, and email enquiries, log arrivals and departures, issue visitor passes and security fobs, and ensure relevant staff are notified.
• Safety, Security & Situational Awareness:
  Use observation skills and situational awareness to de-escalate potentially volatile situations. Identify when to involve management or emergency services. Be alert to safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action such as notifying staff and updating relevant systems.
• General Enquiries & Signposting:
  Provide basic information about the Probation Service and direct individuals to local support services (e.g. food banks). Refer more complex queries to the appropriate manager.
• Facilities & Logistics Management:
  Manage incoming/outgoing mail, order office supplies and PPE, handle deliveries, coordinate room and desk bookings, and support meeting and event logistics.
• Petty Cash & Travel Support:
  Distribute bus fares and travel warrants to people on probation. Manage petty cash and transport funds securely between probation sites.
• Health, Safety & Security Compliance:
  Support building security procedures including fire and panic alarm testing, CCTV monitoring, and evacuation drills. Act as a key holder, Fire Warden or First Aider where required, and assist with risk assessments when trained.

Skills & Requirements:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to remain calm and professional in challenging situations
• Organised with attention to detail
• Basic IT skills and ability to use internal systems
• Previous reception or customer-facing experience preferred

If you''re a reliable, proactive individual who thrives in a people-focused environment, we''d love to hear from you. Apply today to join a team that makes a real difference in your community.

Brook Street is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant and as such, we guarantee to interview all candidates who are veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel, and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy.

As a Disability Confident Leader, and holder of the Gold Award status from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, Brook Street, as a supplier to the Public Sector Resourcing Framework (PSR), will offer you a guaranteed interview with a PSR Sourcer.

Should you identify as a candidate with a disability and/or as a veteran or spouse/partner of military personnel and meet all the essential criteria for the role, we encourage you to reach out to us via the Brook Street website. Here you will find a link to register your interest and state the role that you are interested in. We are committed to engaging with you.

In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses/partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, Brook Street will interview the best candidates from within that group.