252 Admin / Secretarial / PA jobs in Watford

Role: Administrator

Location: Plowden & Smith, Mitcham CR4 4NY 

Contract type: Full-time position, on-site

Salary: Up to £26k (please note this is a junior position)  

Application deadline: 31/07/2025

Founded in London in 1966, Plowden & Smith is the UK's largest fine, decorative and contemporary art and object conservation company. 

Plowden & Smith is looking to recruit a full-time Administrator. The state-of-the-art studios and offices are an inspiring environment where no two days are the same. You'll need to bring great organisational skills, be detail driven and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. Communication skills are indispensable for effective interactions with conservators, office staff, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Knowledge of art history and the art industry is advantageous but not strictly essential.

Initial conversations will take place remotely. Selected candidates will then be invited to interview at our office. As part of this stage, they will also be asked to complete a short-written task using word and excel.

Key Responsibilities

Front of House:

• Be the first point of contact for general telephone enquiries, emails to our info inbox and visitors to the studio.
• Responsible for producing collection/delivery notes and distributing post.
• Ensure the client services areas are neat and tidy.

Administration:

• Manage the purchase of supplies in line with conservator/treatment needs.
• Administrate/process the documentation for artworks coming in/out of the studio.
• Ensure paperwork, location records and identification tags are up to date for artworks.
• Administrate the twice weekly collection and delivery van run.
• Keep on top of long-term storage administration and provide a monthly report to the Head of Client Services.
• Provide administrative support to the Studio Manager, the Client Services & Operations team.
• Support the weekly Operations meeting by supplying documents and data to support this session.

Skills & Requirements: 

The role would ideally suit someone who has previously worked as an auction house or gallery administrator, or has front of house experience within a gallery, fine art shipper, auction house or insurance sector, although other experience will be considered.

The desired candidate would have: 

• Great telephone skills 
• Exceptional organisational skills.  
• Ability to multitask and pay attention to detail.
• A strong communicator, who is efficient and thrives in a fast-paced environment.  
• Discretion and professionalism. 
• Client-centric approach. 
• Experience of Airtable would be advantageous.

Why work for Plowden & Smith? 

Work with some of the world's most rare, beautiful and interesting artworks, artefacts, and national and international collections. 

• Work in a stimulating, creative environment 
• Access to company ICOM cards for free entry to a range of international museums & galleries 
• Opportunities throughout the year to attend preview nights and private view events 
• Personal Continued Professional Development fund 
• Child Care Voucher Scheme 
• Cycle to Work Scheme 

The job holder will report to the Head of Client services and Head of Operations. 

Start date: As soon as possible. 

No agencies, please. Must have the right to live and work in the UK.  

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. However please note we do amend or withdraw our jobs and reserve the right to do so at any time, including prior to any advertised closing date. So, if you are interested in this role, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We'd love to hear from you if you're interested in this position. Please send a CV and brief cover letter explaining why you're right for the role by clicking "Fast Apply" now!