In a nutshell: this person is an administrator at heart with a skill set in Marketing and Design ideally.Relevant (work) experience required. Opportunity to be part of a growing start up business and create/grow into a more permanent role.

Priorities

• Relieve management of administrative detail, data entry and some telesales (follow up calls after samples sent)
• Support all projects in particular web updates and some design work
• Maintain CRM (and procedures manual) to ensure consistent performance of routines
• Coordinate work flow
• Update and chase delegated tasks to ensure progress to deadlines
• Take initiative in manager’s absence, fielding calls & quoting prices as required (after training & official handover)
• Act as shadow Quality Control to Director checking all Artwork incoming and outgoing, highlighting issues according to checklists and ensuring they are resolved
• Be responsible for quality of products leaving the business when liaising with 3^rd party suppliers
• Keep projects on schedule
• Project related assistance and advice to Director, remaining informed of the business procedures and state of affairs to provide a useful ‘2^nd opinion’ in key decisions, when requested
• Admin support including updating accounts files using Excel, database management, tracking and recording dealings with suppliers and 3^rd parties and taking care of sample enquiries from new business.  
• General filing and inventory management

Communication

• Compose email/ correspondence/ reports
• Arrange essential mail in priority action order for Gwen
• Check deadlines on incoming requests and put preliminary work in play

Duties also include fielding telephone calls and data entry. Arranging shipment of requested samples, goods or merchandise.  Involves delivery of shipping labels to suppliers in local area on foot (unless access to own car/bike), also maintaining stamp stocks & posting parcels when necessary.

IT & Online Business

• Update and maintain all social media, research and reach out to new business and look for new marketing platforms/ways of engaging
• Monitor all email accounts
• Developing and monitoring SEO procedures liaising with 3^rd party service providers
• Monitoring and updating IT systems as required
• Problem solving

Marketing

• Research and collate new business opportunities,
• mail-outs and follow-ups. 
• Liaise with industry press to confirm marketing commitments and signing off artwork as appropriate
• Advise on and devise new marketing strategies
• Identify & qualify areas for focused marketing campaigns & highlighting to Director for action
• Retrieve and file all adverts when they have gone to print
• Additional Marketing duties include assisting with trade show and event planning, creating or updating presentation software files, tracking budgets and expenses, and communicating with external creative service providers. Execute phone surveys/inquiries as needed.
• Occassional PA duties for Director

Design

• Product design and development including research, initial designs, prototype testing and development. 
• Creating digital imagery for related products & managing information distribution to trade partners. 
• Product compliance for current and new products. 
• Researching related required ephemera and securing prices and suppliers for these
• Updating supplier database

Confidentiality

• Perform to earn Gwen’s full confidence
• Assure discreet handling of all business

Data Management

• Improve/tighten storage/retrieval systems
• Update mail/phone directories
• Update all trackers & record management
• File & recycle unwanted paperwork striving for paperless office as far as possible
• Keep trade publications up to date, filed and recycle unwanted

NEXT LEVEL of competencies: Projects

• Manage marketing projects and planner
• Handle administrative and marketing detail, all projects
• Seek greater role in projects within administrative and other areas of competence
• Seek training on projects outside my range

Improve METHODS for handling work; it requires a constant audit of the way a company does things, and willingness to rock the boat for greater economy and efficiency in getting work done. Here are some typical tasks:

Recommend management action to improve standard operating procedures. Present comparisons on costs, risks, and

benefits

• Take initiative on requests and inquiries of administrative nature, especially when Gwen’s specialty is not administrative

Prepare and control administrative budgets

Skills needed:

Requires strong computer (word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software) skills, data entry and internet research skills. Specific Marketing skills a must-have and ideally some Design skills. Also calls for flexibility, initiative and excellent interpersonal skills.