Office & Compliance Manager

Box Architects is an established architectural practice with studios in Leeds and London and colleagues and consultants working across the UK and Europe.

We are a close-knit practice and place considerable importance on trust, fairness and working together as one team. We are proud to hold Investors in People Gold accreditation, reflecting our commitment to our people and the working environment we create.

The role

We are looking for a dependable, self-motivated and highly organised Office & Compliance Manager to support the smooth running of the practice.

This is our sole dedicated administrative role, providing central support to colleagues in Leeds, London and further afield. It is a trusted and varied position, covering everything from the practical day-to-day running of the Leeds studio to confidential HR administration and the management of business-critical accreditations and compliance systems.

The role reports directly to the CEO and will involve regular contact with him to agree priorities, provide updates and progress matters requiring a decision. However, he divides his time between our studios, home, client meetings and construction sites. The successful candidate must therefore be comfortable managing their own workload, working independently and taking ownership of recurring responsibilities without close day-to-day supervision.

The range of work is deliberately broad. On any given day, the role might involve receiving a delivery, emptying the dishwasher, checking staff expenses, following up timesheets, supporting a sensitive HR matter or completing an important accreditation submission. We need someone who understands that each part of the role matters and will approach both the everyday and the business-critical tasks with the same care and reliability.

Key responsibilities

Office management

Supporting the day-to-day running of the Leeds studio

Acting as a first point of contact for visitors, calls, deliveries and general enquiries

Managing stationery, kitchen provisions, office supplies and equipment

Helping to keep the kitchen and shared areas clean, organised and properly stocked

Coordinating maintenance, servicing, PAT testing and external suppliers

Monitoring office equipment, workstations, seating and display-screen arrangements

Booking trains, hotels and other staff travel

Helping to organise company meetings, social events and celebrations

Purchasing and financial administration

Raising and maintaining purchase orders for goods, services and third-party consultants

Receiving, checking and filing incoming purchase invoices

Preparing a weekly summary of invoices for the company’s bookkeeper

Collecting and checking monthly staff expenses, including supporting receipts

Administering office petty cash

Coordinating annual insurance renewals and maintaining the relevant records

This is not an accounting or bookkeeping position. Financial control, sales invoicing, credit control and supplier payments are managed by the CEO, other team members and our external accountants.

HR and staff administration

Maintaining accurate and confidential personnel records

Supporting recruitment and the onboarding of new employees

Completing right-to-work checks and monitoring visas where applicable

Ensuring salary reviews and agreed employment changes are properly recorded

Maintaining records of professional memberships, qualifications and registrations, including ARB, CIAT and CSCS

Monitoring staff training, PPE and time-limited certification

Administering the practice’s timesheet system, following up incomplete entries and producing agreed information from it

Maintaining accurate holiday, absence and office-attendance records

Supporting the CEO with confidential or sensitive staff matters as required

Health and safety

Supporting the practice’s day-to-day health and safety arrangements

Maintaining records of accidents, near misses, training and agreed improvements

Organising and chairing quarterly health and safety meetings

Ensuring first-aid and fire-marshal training and certification remain current

Coordinating PAT testing, workstation assessments and other routine safety checks

Monitoring PPE records and arranging replacements where required

Relevant training, including first-aid training, can be provided.

Accreditations and compliance

Managing the online portals, records, renewals and submissions associated with our certifications and accreditations

Maintaining a clear schedule of deadlines, reviews and annual actions

Ensuring current policies, insurance certificates and supporting documents are uploaded when required

Coordinating responses to new or updated questions with the appropriate people within the practice

Supporting external assessments, audits and accreditation renewals

Ensuring that important certifications are not inadvertently allowed to expire

Our current accreditations include ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, Investors in People Gold, Constructionline Gold, CHAS, Cyber Essentials and RIBA Chartered Practice status.

Some of these systems are business-critical. Maintaining our Constructionline Gold status, for example, is essential to our relationship with a key client and can directly affect the processing of payments. Specialist technical knowledge is not required, but careful administration, persistence and dependable follow-through are essential.

The person we are looking for

You will ideally have:

Previous experience in office management, business administration, compliance coordination or a similar role

Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage several processes and deadlines

A self-motivated approach and confidence working with a high degree of autonomy

A willingness to take personal responsibility for both practical office tasks and more sensitive or significant matters

Good judgement about what can be handled independently and what needs to be referred

A methodical approach to records and document management

Good written and verbal communication skills

Confidence in following up information and actions with colleagues

Good working knowledge of Outlook, Word and Excel

Accuracy, discretion and attention to detail

An approachable manner and the ability to build positive working relationships across the practice

Experience of HR administration, purchasing, health and safety, ISO systems or professional accreditations would be helpful but is not essential. Experience within architecture, construction or another professional consultancy would also be useful, although full training and support will be provided.

Working arrangements

This is an office-based position because many of its core responsibilities require a physical presence in the Leeds studio, including receiving visitors and deliveries, answering calls, overseeing the workplace and providing an accessible point of contact for the team.

The number of people in the studio varies as colleagues divide their time between the office, home, client meetings and construction sites. Some days will be busy and people-focused; others will provide quieter time to progress administrative and compliance work independently.

We can discuss some flexibility in how the 25 hours are arranged across the working week, subject to maintaining suitable office coverage.

Salary £30,00 FTE plus benefits & Flexible working