Switchboard/Reception Operator

Switchboard / Reception Operator

6 month Fixed Term Contract 

Location: James Cook Hospital TS4 3BW
Salary: Full time salary £25,272.00 (pro rota)
Schedule: Part time – 18.75 hours, fixed term (rota basis – Week 1 shifts, Week 2 no shifts)

Week 1 Mon & Tues 8am- 4pm,

Week 2 Weds, Thurs and Friday 8am- 2pm

Ready to impact a better future?

As a Switchboard / Reception Operator, you’ll play a vital role in delivering a high‑quality front‑of‑house and call handling service within a busy healthcare environment. You’ll be the first point of contact for patients, visitors and colleagues, ensuring communication is handled efficiently, accurately and safely.

This is a fast‑paced and essential role where your professionalism, organisation and ability to stay calm under pressure will directly support patient care and operational delivery. From coordinating communications to responding to emergencies, your work will have a real and visible impact every day.

What you’ll do as a Switchboard / Reception Operator

You’ll be entrusted to:

• Provide a professional switchboard and reception service, ensuring all enquiries are handled efficiently.
• Answer and direct incoming calls across hospital sites, ensuring accurate and timely communication.
• Respond to emergency alarms including cardiac arrest calls, trauma alerts and security incidents.
• Monitor and record alarms via panels and visual display systems.
• Welcome visitors, provide directions and support with general reception enquiries.
• Maintain accurate records and complete administrative tasks in line with procedures.
• Coordinate porter workload using internal systems and radio communication.
• Log and allocate maintenance and service requests appropriately.
• Work collaboratively with emergency services such as Police and Fire where required.
• Ensure safe working practices and report health and safety concerns.

Does this sound like you?

You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have:

• Experience in a reception, customer service or call handling role is essential.
• Confidence using IT systems and handling multiple systems simultaneously is essential.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to multitask and prioritise in a fast‑paced environment.
• A professional and approachable manner with all customers and colleagues.

Discover all you need to keep growing

We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.

What we offer

• Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rota)
• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Training and development: Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (including L3 Team Leader and L5 Operations Manager apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
• Health and wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service
• Discounts: Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• Charity: Paid volunteering day, tax-free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity
• Employee networks: Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.