Title: Administrative Assistant
Reporting to: Directors
Hours: 40 Hours a week, to include at least one weekend day and any bank holidays falling on work days.
Job purpose: To assist with all areas of office based admin at Fishers, including Birthday Parties, Membership, group bookings, holiday cottage booking as well as cover and assist in the marketing, admissions and retail areas.
BACKGROUND
The Rollings family bought Fishers Farm as derelict land in the Summer of 1985. They planted acres of varieties of soft fruit, which was sold from a small shed and due to popular demand, there was soon a kettle boiling and homemade cakes baked!
The family had a couple of horses, some chickens and pygmy goats. Before visitors left for home, they would ask to visit the animals. This planted the seed of the idea which has blossomed into Fishers Adventure Farm Park.
In June 1990 the farm was opened as visitor centre. The park has been improved steadily over the years, ploughing back money, time and love. Fishers is a multi-award-winning attraction and has twice been placed amongst all the farm parks in the UK as “Farm Attraction Of The Year”, and then “Large Visitor Attraction Of The Year 2021” in the whole of the South East.
Fishers remains open all year and we run seasonal events in the spring, summer, Halloween and Christmas.
The farm park is divided into different departments – admin, livestock, reception/shop, catering, maintenance and adventure activities. We have 33 permanent contracted staff and around 100 casual workers.
Our Vision
Fishers Adventure Farm Park (Fishers) is an organisation dedicated to providing a safe, fun, stimulating and educational environment for families, schools and playgroups. We strive to maintain high standards with regards to health and safety and customer care in every department and in the overall presentation of the Park.
Having established this foundation, our future aims are to constantly update, alter, amend and improve our facilities. We seek to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment, to conserve energy and minimise the wastage of consumables. We continue to encourage, develop and implement effective environmental initiatives.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Membership
- Birthday parties
- Groups
- Holiday Cottages
- Admissions
- Marketing, events and sales
- Reception cover
- Office/Admin Organisation
Membership
- To act as a main contact for all new membership enquires
- Manage all direct debits alongside finance manager
- Make sure all membership details are correct
- Send out membership renewals
- Liaise with marketing to ensure that all mail-outs and literature are correct and up to date
- Be on hand to provide any membership renewals, new memberships and enquires in person at reception.
- Ensure reception have full stock of essential membership material such as membership forms, membership packs and membership cards.
Birthday parties
- To provide first point of call for all new birthday party bookings via any contact point
- Using the integrated epos system book all birthday parties via phone or in person.
- Monitor bookings and assist catering birthday party hosts with up-to-date guest lists and specific dietary requirements.
- Book activities for the party and liaise with Operations Manager for any extra staffing needed.
Groups
- To book and assist any groups into the farm calendar via any contact point.
- Take any deposits or liaise with finance for any invoicing and process (including bulk/corporate purchases).
- Liaise with the Operations Manager and livestock team with any specific events requested by a group?
Holiday Cottages
- Take bookings/deal with enquiries for the Fishers holiday cottages, and send booking confirmation email.
- Update the cottage bookings diary when applicable.
- Email customers with regards to their stay (a month before their arrival date, email to pay remaining balance).
Admissions
- Ensure all pricing and ticket options on website are up to date
- Liaise with marketing to ensure that any extra information and correspondence with purchased tickets is specific and up to date, including on the website.
- To assist with the planning, promoting, delivery and evaluation of all special events during the year using the company epos system and arranging dedicated meetings.
- (With Operations Manager’s Assistance) ensure all admin and reception equipment including tills, phones, WiFi and server is functioning correctly on a day-to-day basis.
- Report and troubleshoot any defects to the relevant support companies for phones, internet, server and epos.
Marketing, PR, Events and Sales
- Support the marketing team and help deliver operational seasonal marketing events.
- Support the marketing team and where necessary check and carry out checks, posts and customer interaction across all social media channels and digital presence.
- Support the marketing team in the general running and implementation of the park website including pop ups, special events, tickets including memberships, blogs and general updates.
- Liaise with operations manager and marketing manager that all signage around the park is correct, up-to-date, in-brand, and of great quality.
- Support the marketing manager with ensuring all marketing literature is up-to-date and distributed around the park.
- Assist the organizing of any Press/PR/Comp visits
- Help with any work surrounding the charities that we support as a company.
Receptions Cover
- In peak times and in lieu of staff absence, be on hand to help with general park admissions, enquiries, memberships and bookings in the reception area.
- In peak and busy times and/or in lieu of staff absence be on hand to help with shop and retail purchases in reception.
General
- Sometimes assisting with till reconciliation procedures.
- Keep on top of general office organization/filing/cleaning where necessary.
- Monitor and manage the membership, bookings and admin email accounts.
- Attend meetings to help decide on office processes, bookings and general admin duties.
- Be prepared to take on additional responsibilities.
- Be prepared to answer general phone calls and to provide relevant and up to date information to the caller exercising good customer care skills and recording in writing, messages for other staff, all within in-house training protocols provided by Fishers.
- Ensure you maintain good up-to-date product knowledge of the park and activities, entertainment and timetables.
- Regularly survey the Park visually, with a view to checking customer satisfaction, ensuring good parental supervision and to monitor the correct procedures are being adopted by staff.
- Have a high regard for personal hygiene.
- Treat all colleagues with respect and understanding.
- Always support and implement company policy but communicate any misgivings regarding policies directly to the Operations Manager.
- Attend and contribute to meetings and try to attend all company special events and social functions.
- Establish and maintain sound working relationships within your department and consider supporting work colleagues in their hobbies and pursuits outside of work.
Person Specifications:
Disposition:
Essential:
Customer focused, driven and enthusiastic, efficient, passion for providing exceptional service, can do attitude, pro-active, team player, high achiever.
Desirable:
Experience:
Essential:
MS Office based work
Desirable:
Working within a fast-paced environment
Qualifications:
Essential:
Full UK driving license
Desirable:
Current 1st aid certificate
Any external qualifications that would be appropriate to the business.
Skills:
Essential:
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to adapt and communicate effectively to anyone, with exceptional copywriting ability.
Great organisational skills
Excellent time management
Microsoft Office
Desirable:
Epos system reliability
Photoshop/Design skills
Apply by emailing your CV to staffing@fishersfarmpark.co.uk.
