Location: Waterloo, London
Hours: 4:00am–1:00pm, plus one Friday night shift per fortnight
Salary: £30,000–£40,000, depending on experience
The role
We are looking for a highly organised and adaptable person to join our small office team at a busy London food wholesaler.
This is a crucial hybrid role sitting between operations, customer service, sales administration and basic finance. It is not a traditional sales account-management position. You will help ensure that customer orders are processed accurately, deliveries run smoothly and the day-to-day operation of the business remains organised.
The role could suit an operations or administrative professional who would like to become more customer-facing. It could equally suit someone from a sales or customer-service background who enjoys detail, systems and operational responsibility.
We are open to candidates at different stages of their careers. A more junior candidate could join as an Operations & Customer Service Executive and develop into the position, while an experienced candidate could take ownership of the role at manager level.
You will join a small office team consisting of the General Manager/Sales Director and a Credit Controller/Customer Service Executive. As a result, you will need to be comfortable taking responsibility, switching between priorities and helping wherever required.
Key responsibilities
Order processing and customer service
- Take customer orders by telephone, email and other ordering channels.
- Enter orders accurately and efficiently into our ERP system.
- Provide telephone customer service to chefs and hospitality customers, particularly during the busy period between 8:00am and midday.
- Respond to product, availability, pricing, delivery and order queries.
- Resolve routine problems quickly and escalate more complex issues when required.
- Build strong, helpful relationships with customers through reliable day-to-day service.
- Support customers with additions, amendments, shortages and urgent requirements.
Operations and delivery coordination
- Act as a link between the office, customers, warehouse and delivery team.
- Help coordinate our five delivery drivers throughout the morning.
- Communicate delivery instructions, changes and customer requirements clearly.
- Respond to delivery queries and help resolve delays or other issues.
- Ensure relevant information is passed accurately between customers, drivers and the wider team.
- Support the smooth running of daily sales and delivery operations.
Systems and administration
- Maintain accurate customer, order, pricing and product information.
- Carry out regular data entry and general sales administration.
- Support the business through its move to a new ERP system.
- Help test processes, identify issues and ensure information is transferred accurately.
- Contribute to improving administrative and operational processes.
- Produce basic reports and information when required.
Bookkeeping support
- Undertake basic bookkeeping and finance administration.
- Assist with invoices, credits, account queries and record keeping.
- Work closely with the Credit Controller to ensure customer information is accurate.
- Investigate straightforward discrepancies and ensure supporting information is properly recorded.
Night-team cover
- Work one Friday night shift per fortnight as part of the normal rota.
- Provide holiday cover for the Night Sales Operations Manager for approximately 24 shifts per year.
- Manage night-time order processing and sales operations confidently when providing cover.
- Ensure a clear and accurate handover between the night and daytime teams.
General responsibilities
- Provide flexible support across the business as priorities change.
- Complete ad hoc administrative and operational tasks.
- Help maintain high standards of accuracy, communication and customer service.
- Take ownership of problems and follow them through to resolution.
About you
You will be practical, dependable and comfortable working in a fast-moving environment where customer requirements can change quickly.
You should have:
- Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.
- A confident, friendly and professional telephone manner.
- Experience in operations, administration, customer service, sales support or a related role.
- The ability to enter and manage data accurately.
- Confidence using business software and learning new systems.
- The ability to prioritise several competing tasks.
- A calm and solutions-focused approach to problems.
- The confidence to communicate with customers, drivers, warehouse colleagues and managers.
- A willingness to take responsibility within a small team.
- Flexibility around the early-morning hours, Friday-night rota and holiday-cover requirements.
Experience of foodservice, hospitality, wholesale, logistics, order processing, bookkeeping or ERP systems would be useful, but is not essential for the right candidate.
What we offer
- A salary of £30,000–£37,000, depending on experience and the level of responsibility assumed.
- The opportunity to occupy a central and influential position within a growing business.
- Broad exposure to customer service, sales operations, logistics, finance and business systems.
- The chance to play an important role in the implementation of a new ERP platform.
- Genuine scope for the position to develop as the business grows.
- A supportive, close-knit working environment where individual contributions are visible and valued.
- Annual 4 weeks' holiday
- Discretionary Christmas bonus
- Company Pension
- Discounted Staff Meat
- A supportive & collaborative working environment
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys both people and processes: a capable operator who wants more customer contact, or a customer-facing professional who would like to develop broader operational experience.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £30,000.00-£37,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London SE1 7LD: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Language:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
