Location: Southampton, Hampshire – primarily office-based
Hours: 20–25 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Salary: £20–£22 per hour, depending on experience
Contract: Permanent, part-time, with genuine potential to grow into a full-time role
Progression: Potential development into Office Manager or Operations Manager
Are you the person who brings order to a busy day?
TRS is looking for a highly organised, capable and commercially aware Operations & Executive Assistant to work closely with our directors and help coordinate the day-to-day running of the business.
This is not a passive administration position. It is a hands-on role with real responsibility.
You will help manage customers, engineers, suppliers, quotations, jobs, diaries and deadlines. You will be trusted to identify what needs attention, communicate clearly and make sure important actions are completed.
TRS, also known as Total Refrigeration Services Ltd, is a growing commercial air conditioning contractor providing installation, maintenance and repair services across Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Greater London.
The opportunity
Initially, you will work directly with the directors and become the central point for office and operational coordination.
As you learn the business and demonstrate your ability, we want you to take ownership of more of the day-to-day operation. The long-term opportunity is to become the person who keeps the office and operational side of the company running while the directors focus on customers, projects and growth.
You will not be expected to know the air conditioning industry when you join. We are more interested in your organisation, judgement, communication and ability to learn.
Your responsibilities
You will help us:
- Manage and prioritise directors’ emails, diaries, meetings and actions.
- Respond professionally to customers and ensure enquiries receive an answer.
- Coordinate engineer diaries, appointments, site access and job information.
- Communicate with suppliers and arrange equipment, materials and deliveries.
- Track quotations and make sure follow-ups happen at the right time.
- Keep customers informed when programmes, appointments or deliveries change.
- Maintain accurate information within WorkbookPro and other company systems.
- Support invoicing, purchase orders, credit control and general finance administration.
- Book training, hotels, meetings and occasional business travel.
- Prepare documents, meeting information and simple management reports.
- Monitor important deadlines, including project dates, commissioning dates and customer commitments.
- Document processes and help us improve the way the business operates.
- Make sensible use of software, automation and AI while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality.
The exact responsibilities will develop around the strengths of the successful candidate.
What success will look like
Within your first few months:
- Customers and suppliers receive prompt, professional communication.
- Engineer schedules and job information remain accurate.
- Quotations, purchase orders and invoices do not disappear into a backlog.
- Directors have a clear view of urgent priorities and outstanding actions.
- Problems are identified early rather than after a deadline has been missed.
- Important conversations and commitments are recorded properly.
- You begin taking recurring administrative and operational work away from the directors.
Over time, you should be capable of coordinating the office with limited supervision and helping us build better systems as the business grows.
The person we are looking for
You are likely to succeed in this role when you:
- Naturally organise information, people and deadlines.
- Take ownership of an outcome rather than simply completing an assigned task.
- Communicate confidently with customers, suppliers and colleagues.
- Remain calm when several urgent problems happen at once.
- Know when to make a decision and when to escalate something.
- Are comfortable reminding and constructively challenging busy directors.
- Notice missing information and follow up without being asked.
- Write clear, professional emails.
- Are careful with numbers, documents and customer information.
- Learn unfamiliar software quickly.
- Enjoy improving processes rather than continuing with an inefficient method.
- Can be trusted with commercially sensitive and confidential information.
- Want to become an important part of a growing company.
Essential experience and capabilities
- Previous experience in an executive assistant, office coordination, project coordination, customer service or operational support role.
- Strong written and spoken English.
- Good general computer skills.
- Confidence using spreadsheets, email, calendars and document software.
- Evidence that you have managed several competing priorities.
- A reliable and professional approach.
- The ability to work from our Southampton office for the agreed hours.
Desirable experience
Experience in any of the following would be useful, but is not essential:
- Construction, engineering, air conditioning, facilities management or field service.
- Coordinating engineers, tradespeople or mobile workers.
- Xero or similar accounting software.
- CRM, job management or project management systems.
- Purchase orders, invoicing or credit control.
- Quote follow-up and customer relationship management.
- Process improvement, automation or reporting.
Why join TRS?
This is an opportunity to do more than process administration.
You will:
- Work closely with the people making the decisions.
- Have real influence over how the company operates.
- Be encouraged to improve systems and suggest changes.
- Receive training on our systems and the air conditioning industry.
- Have the opportunity to increase your hours as the role develops.
- Have a potential career path towards Office Manager or Operations Manager.
- Become a key member of a growing commercial contractor.
Working arrangements
The role will begin at approximately 20–25 hours per week.
We would prefer the hours to be spread across Monday to Friday so that customers, engineers and suppliers have regular support. The exact daily working pattern can be agreed with the successful candidate.
The role will primarily be office-based, particularly during the initial training and handover period.
How to apply
Please submit your CV and answer the following three questions. A generic cover letter is not required.
Question 1 – Process improvement
In no more than 200 words, describe something you personally improved in a previous workplace. What was the original problem, what did you do and what changed as a result?
Question 2 – Prioritisation
You begin work and discover that:
- An engineer cannot attend a customer’s morning appointment.
- A supplier needs an urgent decision within 30 minutes.
- A customer is chasing an overdue quotation.
What would you do first, and how would you manage the three issues? Maximum 200 words.
Question 3 – Your motivation
Why does working in a small, growing business appeal to you, and what responsibility would you like to be trusted with after 12 months? Maximum 150 words.
Please also confirm:
- The software and business systems you have used.
- The number of hours you are seeking.
- Your preferred working pattern.
- Your current notice period.
- That the advertised salary range is acceptable.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Pay: £20.00-£22.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
