Corporate Resources and Business Improvement

The Corporate Resources and Business Improvement Directorate provides corporate support to the Mayor, Assembly and GLA Staff and is responsible for the following functions: legal, procurement, internal audit, technology group (TG) and facilities management (FM). The Directorate’s Executive Director manages the Authority’s shared services arrangement with TfL to provide legal and procurement advice.

About the team

The role of the Facility Management Unit is to ensure that the GLA’s headquarters at City Hall, the GLA demised space at Union Street and the national heritage assets of Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens are managed effectivity, meet the needs of those using them and comply with statutory requirements, providing a suitable and safe environment for everyone. The responsibility for managing the Squares is set out in the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and covers the care, control, management and prevention of abuses.  The Unit is split into 3 teams covering hard services (engineering, maintenance and infrastructure), support services (including security and accommodation) and amenities and events (including cleansing, porterage, catering and hospitality). Managing and delivering projects ranging from building works, refurbishments, events through to office moves are common across all 3 workstreams.

About the role

To deliver high quality, front-line customer services by providing Reception, FM Helpdesk and Switchboard services to the Authority’s offices at City Hall and Union Street and supporting the national heritage sites at Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens, ensuring that a welcoming and inclusive customer experience is created through the services provided.

Principle accountabilities are:

1.      Providing front line customer and support services to both Authority staff and members of the public in relation to the Authority’s core properties at City Hall, Union Street, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens, including:

a.    Reception duties, ensuring that visitors and staff receive a warm and inclusive welcome to the Authority’s headquarters at City Hall. Visitor booking in procedures are followed. Information is given to visitors and staff about meetings and events that are taking place and facilities that are available, including signposting and explaining accessibility features. Liaising with and supporting the Landlord’s reception team at Union Street to ensure that staff provide the required information to the reception team and assisting with enquiries from them about visitors to the Authority. 

b.   FM Helpdesk services, which involves accurately interpreting information provided by customers, taking personal ownership of queries, and seeing them through to their conclusion, first line diagnostics and triaging requests, logging jobs on the Computer Aided Facilities Management System (CAFM) with the appropriate specialists. Producing schedules and reports from the CAFM system and distributing them to the relevant parties, monitoring and chasing progress of jobs, booking meeting rooms and organising room and event space set-ups with the relevant contractors. Producing signage for meeting rooms and to support projects and maintenance activities.  Supporting site inductions for new starters to help them get the most from the facilities and services on offer. 

c.    Switchboard services, ensuring that calls are answered promptly and professionally and transferred to the appropriate person that can assist the caller. As well as dealing with malicious or vexatious calls and threats received by the switchboard and referring them to the appropriate person for action.

2.             Taking personal ownership of the physical environment of Authority spaces and ensure that high standards of presentation and housekeeping are maintained and proactively dealing with any issues that are identified.  This includes proactively dealing with issues whenever they are seen and carrying out regular floor walks and quality and safety inspections of public areas, meeting and event spaces, communal areas and office space and then addressing any issues that are identified. This includes ensuring fire exits, escape routes, gangways and circulation routes are kept clear and free from hazards.

3.             Providing practical assistance and, or advice on the use of facilities for example assisting users adjust office chairs, adjusting the height of desks, assisting in setting up standard AV equipment and cable connections, and changing light settings in the event spaces.

4.             Maintaining asset lists and inventories of Authority supplied FM equipment, consumables and materials and ensuring the responsible use if resources. Monitoring stock levels and arranging re-supply as necessary.

5.             Using the Authority’s Computer Aided Management System (CAFM) to record jobs, issue work orders, monitor progress, book rooms and resources in Authority spaces and other systems such as the Desk Signposting System and correspondence system.

6.             Undertaking project work to support the delivery and improvement of services.  This may include, but is not limited to, FM administrative tasks such as updating FM intranet pages, creating site induction materials for new starters, office moves and changes, creating bespoke signage, supporting the delivery of events, archiving, and storing items and key ordering.

7.             Co-ordinating local storage and archiving requests, ensuring that accurate records of items being stored along with their owners are maintained and carrying out regular checks to ensure good housekeeping standards are maintained in the storage areas.

8.             Providing administrative and operational assistance in supporting the GLA’s emergency, disaster recovery and business contingency planning arrangements during incidents.

9.             Working co-operatively with Facilities Management staff and contract partners, such as the maintenance team, cleaners, caterers, porters and audio visual/broadcast staff to ensure that a one team approach is fostered towards service delivery within the Facilities Management Unit

10.         Helping to ensure the services meet the Authority’s business and operational requirements and are delivered to customers according to standards and timescales agreed by Facilities Management and the various building users.

What your day will look like

·       Staffing the reception desk at City Hall, making sure the area is well presented and acting at the first point of contact for visitors.

·       Operating the public switchboard and transferring calls

·       Assisting staff with facilities and services related enquiries and complaints.

·       Promoting the team’s knowledge document as a means of self service for internal clients.

·       Updating knowledge documents for the team.

·       Triaging faults that are reported to the FM Helpdesk and either resolving them yourself or tasking one of the specialist contractors and then following up to ensure the issue has been addressed and fixed.

·       Producing reports for FM contractors to assist them with meeting room and event space set-ups.

·       Carrying out inspections of office spaces and meeting and event spaces and reporting faults to the appropriate specialist contractor. 

·       Putting up meeting room booking signage.

·       Checking that audio-visual equipment in meeting rooms is working.

·       Putting up notices around the building where areas or facilities are not available and under repair.

·       Using the CAFM system to log and update jobs. Progress chasing any outstanding jobs on the system.

·       Tidying the set-ups of rooms, as needed.

·       Carrying out site induction tours for new starters and introducing them to the services that the Reception and Helpdesk Team provide.

·       When the need arises assisting in managing building emergencies by acting as an incident support officer.

Please find additional information here

Skills, knowledge and experience

This is a front of house operational role that requires excellent customer service skills, good attention to detail and observation skill and an enthusiastic “can do” attitude to helping clients and solving problem solving, along with the ability to work harmoniously as part of a team.

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

1.             Previous experience of providing reception, switchboard and helpdesk services in a corporate or hospitality focused environment with public access.

2.             A broad understanding and experience of core FM services such as maintenance, cleaning, catering, porterage, audio-visual set-up and health and safety.

3.             Ofqual Qualification & Credit Framework Level 2 or ability to demonstrate equivalent experience working in a customer service role. Ideally an IOSHH managing safely qualification.

4.             Experience of using Computer Aided Facilities Management software applications and Microsoft Office Suite and other office technology and systems.

Please find the full Job Description here

How to apply

Internal recruitment

If you are interested in applying for any of these roles, please complete the attached Expression of Interest Form and email it to Lesley Smith Lesley.smith@london.gov.uk no later than 23:59hrs on Friday 18 April 2025.

Recruitment to these roles will be based upon the information provided in the expression of interest form followed by interviews and tests.  This will involve scenario based exercises and presentations with follow up questions and a separate interview that explores both the technical and behavioural competences required for the role.

In your application, you should explicitly reference the job description and the person specification, explaining how your skills and experience are relevant to the post that you are applying for, using no more than 2 sides of A4 please.  You can refer to your current post, any previous post/s and activities outside work as applicable. To support you application you may also submit your current CV, again on more than 2 sides of A4.

If you would like to apply for the role you’ll need to submit:

·          The Expression of Interest Form, outlining how you meet the essential criteria as well as the competencies outlined in the advert.

·          Your CV (optional)

If you have questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager Lesley Smith would be happy to speak to you. Please contact Lesley at Lesley.smith@london.gov.uk.

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted you’ll be invited to an interview/assessment.

The interview/assessment date is: week commencing 28 April 2025.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements.

Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview.

Additional information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.