Receptionist

Role summary

Based at the Freshfields Global Centre in Manchester, this role sits within the Facilities team, whose purpose is to secure, maintain and support our colleagues and the office environment. As the Receptionist for the 7th floor client area, you will have day‑to‑day ownership of this space, acting as the face of the business for clients, visitors and colleagues. You will ensure meeting rooms and event spaces run smoothly, liaise with building management and on‑site service providers, and help keep front‑of‑house operations professional, welcoming and efficient as part of a small, close‑knit team.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

• Act as the face of the business on the 7th floor, answering calls and greeting clients, guests and visitors in a professional, courteous and friendly manner.
• Take ownership of the 7th floor client area, ensuring rooms and reception spaces are prepared, presentable and appropriately stocked at the start of and throughout the day.
• Coordinate meetings and events on the client floor, including room bookings (via Condeco or equivalent), catering requests, visitor passes, and basic IT/AV and video conference set‑up.

Key requirements

Essential

• Experience in a reception, front‑of‑house, hospitality or facilities role, with strong customer service skills.
• Clear, professional communication skills (written and verbal), with confidence interacting at all levels and handling occasional challenging conversations.
• Strong organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple bookings, queries and priorities in a changing environment.
• Confident using IT systems (e.g. Microsoft Office and booking/visitor systems) and accurate in data entry and written communication.
• Professional, reliable and proactive approach, with genuine interest in taking ownership of the client floor and contributing to a positive team environment.

Desirable

• Experience in a facilities or corporate reception role within professional services (e.g. legal, financial, consultancy).
• Familiarity with room/resource booking tools (e.g. Condeco) and basic AV/video conferencing set‑up.
• Experience coordinating office‑based events in collaboration with catering, IT and other internal teams.
• Experience working with building management, security, catering and cleaning providers.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to frequent change and to take on additional responsibilities or small projects within a facilities team.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.