Job Description: Estate Administrator
Freelance/Self Employed. Employment can be considered.
Place of Work: Downton Hall, Ludlow, SY8 3DX.
Reporting to: Estate Manager, and the owners.
Downton Hall, a traditional private country estate, 3 miles outside Ludlow (www.downtonhall.co.uk), seeks a highly organised and capable Administrator to support the Estate Manager and owners. This is a part-time role, 2 days per week, ideal for someone who enjoys variety, is comfortable working independently, and takes pride in keeping busy operations running smoothly.
The role covers the day-to-day administration of the Estate's residential, commercial and agricultural properties, including maintenance scheduling, tenant liaison, holiday letting administration, vehicle fleet management, and support with staff human resources. The successful candidate will also assist the owners and Estate Manager with wider projects as required.
Hours – Part time:
2 days per week onsite at the Estate Office – Monday and Thursday. Some flexibility may be required on an occasional homebased basis outside of these hours to accommodate the needs of the job.
Overall aim of the Job:
To provide efficient, reliable administrative support to the Estate Manager, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the Estate Office, coordination of property maintenance, tenant and contractor liaison, and management of the Estate's holiday letting units.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
- Scheduling and coordinating maintenance works across the Estate's residential and commercial properties.
- Sourcing, organising and liaising with contractors for repairs, servicing and projects.
- Purchasing goods, materials and services as required for the needs of the business.
- Administration the Estate's vehicle fleet, ensuring servicing, MOTs, insurance and record-keeping.
- Supporting staff recruitment processes, acting as a point of liaison for Estate staff, organising staff training needs, and administering annual appraisals and salary reviews.
- Tenant liaison, handling day-to-day queries and communication in a courteous and professional manner.
- Administration of utilities across Estate properties, including account management and billing queries.
- Managing bookings and administration for the Estate's 2 holiday cottages and 4 cabins via an online agent booking platform.
- Property compliance administration, including EICRs, EPCs, annual boiler servicing and chimney sweep certificates, etc.
- Administration of Health & Safety documentation, including organising annual PAT testing and fire certification, ensuring records are accurate and up to date.
- Digital file management, keeping Estate records organised and accessible.
- Undertaking administrative tasks as delegated by the Estate Manager.
- Assisting with projects as directed by the owners.
- Any other ad hoc duties as reasonably required.
Requirements
- Proven administrative experience, ideally within a property management, or estate setting.
- Proficient in Microsoft 365, particularly Word and Excel.
- Basic working knowledge of Xero accounting software, or willingness to learn.
- Familiarity with Airtable, or comfortable learning new digital/AI-assisted systems, would be an advantage as will become a key part of the role.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- A friendly, approachable manner, able to build good working relationships with tenants, staff and contractors.
- Motivated, proactive and able to work well on own initiative.
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Discreet and trustworthy when handling sensitive or confidential information.
- Must hold a valid UK driving licence.
Pay: £12,000.00-£17,000.00 per year
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Middleton SY8 3DX: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- Applicants are required to live within a 30 minute drive of SY8 3DX.
- Must be comfortable with or ability to self learn AI based systems i.e. Airtable/use of Claude AI
- Please send in a CV with a covering letter as to why this role appeals to you and what you can offer.
Experience:
- Wide Ranging Administration: 5 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
