The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited

Jobs at the BA

POSITION 

Batch Administration Assistant. Salary: competitive

WORKING HOURS
This is a full-time role of 35 hours per week.  The post holder will be required to work flexibly between 9 and 6 depending on the needs of the business. This will be discussed further at interview.

BA GROUP OF COMPANIES
Batch Ltd started out as a web-based service that allows booksellers to pay their suppliers.  It continues to be a service for BA members but is currently expanding to develop sophisticated software solutions for blue-chip companies outside of the book trade.
Batch is owned by The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited, a trade association, founded in 1895 which provides services to its 4,500 UK and Irish bookseller members, and to others in the book trade.  
The Association and its companies occupy freehold premises in London WC2.  Currently, 31 staff are employed by the BA and its companies.

REPORTING TO:    
The holder of this position will report to the Batch Administration Manager.

THE ROLE:
The Administration Assistant will deal with:
  1. Promotion & follow up of the Batch system to Booksellers and Suppliers
  2. Issue handling to closure 
  3. Customer contact (both Booksellers & Suppliers)
  4. Ensuring all Batch systems run smoothly and adhere to strict time limits

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS POSITION

This role will provide support for the Administration Manager, including the following:
  1. To deal with daily queries from Batch Payments and Returns customers in a timely manner
  2. To liaise with suppliers on the customers’ behalf
  3. Maintain trusting relationships with suppliers, customers and colleagues and provide a good customer service
  4. Jointly promote Batch to Booksellers & Suppliers 
  5. Keep the Contact Management Database accurate and up to date
  6. Setting up new Booksellers on the customer record database and the website
  7. Assist with the setup of new customer accounts
  8. Provide assistance for arrangements for UK & Overseas trade fairs
  9. Support and cover the Administration team and Administration Manager when required
  10. Manage phone calls and correspondence as well as allocate relevant tasks to team members to ensure efficiency and compliance
  11. Ensure filing for important and confidential documents is maintained
  12. Maintain company calendar with key appointments and reflect these with the central BA calendar
  13. Be able to work within the security policy, to report any security breaches and update the GDPR officer
  14. Communicate key reports and information as directed by the Administration Manager to the Managing Director, Financial Director, Executive Chairman and other colleagues

CHARACTERISTICS & SKILLS REQUIRED
  1. Must have experience in customer service and an administrative role
  2. Willing to learn new skills
  3. Excellent organisational and time management skills
  4. Ability to use logic
  5. Team player
  6. Reliable
  7. Persistent, with determination to finish tasks
  8. Self-motivated
  9. Able to positively combine the multi-dimensional elements of the role and prioritise tasks.
  10. Problem solving attitude with an eye for details
  11. Experience of office management tools (Microsoft, email, Office 365, Internet, database management, task management software)
  12. Flexible working 
  13. Strong written and verbal communication skills
Training will be given where necessary

LOCATION
You will be located at Bell Yard, London, but you may be required in the future to work at a different location.  You must be prepared to travel in order to fulfill your remit.

WORKING TIME
The hours will be worked flexibly between the hour of 9 and 6, Monday to Friday, excluding a one hour lunch break

SEASON TICKET LOAN SCHEME
An interest free annual season ticket loan scheme is available at the end of the probationary period.

HOLIDAYS
Four weeks’ annual leave is granted each year (pro rata for employees beginning work during the holiday year) in addition to public holidays.  Additional holiday entitlement is given to staff with over five years’ continuous service. 

MATERNITY, PATERNITY AND COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
Maternity, Paternity and Compassionate Leave are granted.  Full details will be given on request.

PENSION, LIFE ASSURANCE AND DISABILITY COVER
A Group Personal Pension Scheme is available to staff who have successfully completed their probationary period.  The company pays up to the equivalent of 10% of the employee’s salary into the scheme; the employee up to 5% from his/her salary.  
A Life Assurance Scheme and PHI Scheme have been arranged for the benefit of all employees.

TRIAL PERIOD
A probationary period of twelve weeks will operate for this position from the date of appointment.  During this period, the company reserves the right to give one week’s notice; similarly, the new employee is obliged in turn to give only one week’s notice.  After the trial period has been successfully completed, the period of notice each way is four weeks, rising to 8 weeks after a year’s service.

CONFIDENTIALITY
The Association and its trading companies possess confidential information in both electronic and manual formats concerning its own operations, as well as possessing details on booksellers,  publishers and others.  It is a condition of employment that such material and information remains confidential and under no circumstances should be copied for use outside the Association.

EMPLOYMENT POLICY
As part of a continuous policy to select with the utmost fairness, applicants will be considered on the basis of their suitability for the post, regardless of sex, age, nationality, race, marital status, sexual orientation and disability.

WORKING IN A SMALL ORGANISATION
It must be appreciated that the above details are designed to give an accurate indication of the type of work involved and the general conditions of employment, but the Booksellers Association group is a small organisation and the holder of the above position must be prepared to help in other ways and to take on tasks that may be necessary.

DISCLAIMER
These notes are intended as a guide for prospective employees of Batch Ltd and do not form part of the Contract of Employment.  

APPLICATIONS
Those interested in applying should send their CV and a covering letter to alison.pinder@booksellers.org.uk. The closing date for applications is 20th July 2018.