Receptionist

About your role: This is a fixed-term full-time position (40h/week) until April 2027; job-sharing will be considered if suitable complementary candidates are available. The starting annual salary is £35,676.00. The place of employment is London. Due to the nature of the role, mobile working will not be possible. Occasional weekend or evening work may be required.

As receptionist, you are the first point of contact for internal and external enquiries. You welcome visitors, answer queries in person, by phone or email, and support the general day-to-day activities of the Institute as required.

Responsibilities:

• Staffing the reception desk
• Welcoming visitors, event attendees, library readers and contractors
• Answering or referring internal and external queries in person, by phone or by email
• Preparing outgoing mail and distributing incoming mail
• Registering new library users
• Assisting the GHIL Library team with clerical tasks

About you:

Essential Qualifications & Experience:

• Very good written and spoken English language skills (at least B2)
• Very good communication skills
• Strong team spirit, social and intercultural skills
• Resilience, flexibility and a high willingness to learn
• Ability to manage and prioritise tasks
• Strong IT literacy; able to use common software, systems, and digital tools efficiently and confidently

Desirable Qualifications & Experience:

• Relevant training
• German language skills
• Experience in a reception or customer service role
• Experience of working in a library or academic institution

About us:

Located in Bloomsbury, at the heart of the diverse and cosmopolitan city of London, the German Historical Institute London is an academically independent institution and forms part of the Max Weber Foundation – German Humanities Institutes Abroad. It focuses on researching British-German relations, British history, and colonial history, often from a comparative, transcultural, and global perspective.

The GHIL is a family-friendly employer and promotes a good work-life balance for parents. We value diversity and therefore welcome all applicants, regardless of nationality, ethnic and social background, religion, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity. For more information on equal opportunities, see: https://www.ghil.ac.uk/equal-opportunities.

We offer a generous pension scheme and 24 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

Further Information:

The contractual relationship is governed by British employment law. In principle, the salary is taxable in Germany; the only exception is for British nationals who do not also have German citizenship.

Candidates must have the pre-existing legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Relocation support and visa sponsorship will not be provided.

If you have any questions about remuneration or the terms of the contract, please contact the Head of Administration of the GHIL, Paul Lukas Assies (p.assies@ghil.ac.uk). Please direct any other questions regarding the position to the Head Librarian, Dr Matthias Ammon (m.ammon@ghil.ac.uk).

How to apply:

Applications must be submitted via our online portal by clicking on the 'Apply' button above.

Please upload your application documents as a PDF file, including:

• Cover letter outlining your experience in relation to the requirements listed above
• Curriculum vitae
• Work and/or degree certificates
• Contact details of two referees (references will be requested once candidates have been invited to interview)
• Proof of further qualifications (if relevant)
• Proof of right to work in the UK

Closing Date: Sunday 19 April 2026 at 23:59 UK time. The interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 27 April 2026 in London.