PEEPAL TREE PRESS IS RECRUITING FOR A SALES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Salary: £26,000 (pro rata)
Hours: 18 hours a week
Holidays: 28 days per year (pro rata)
Location: Peepal Tree Press, 17 King's Avenue, Burley, Leeds LS6 1QS
Closing date: Friday 29 September
Interviews: Monday 9 October 2023
Who we are
Peepal Tree Press is an independent publisher and writer development organisation specialising in Caribbean and Black British writing, actively committed to the goals of racial, gender and LGBTI equality and publishing work that enables British society to confront its past as a colonising and imperial nation. Peepal Tree employs eight people, but only two full-time. We are part of the Arts Council of England’s National Portfolio and receive some public funding.
What the offer is
The post is for 18 hours a week on a salary of £26,000 (pro-rata). The post is permanent, includes 28 days paid holidays a year (pro-rata). The post is office-based at our premises in the Burley area of Leeds. We’d prefer someone who can work afternoons because much of our business is international with North America and the Caribbean, but we support flexible working arrangements. Occasionally, we may ask for support at weekends, but this would be paid extra. You will be part of a contributory pension scheme.
What the job involves
We are keen that applicants understand that this is a practical job, though for someone with the right skills and interests there may be opportunities to become more involved in other of Peepal Tree’s activities, such as in marketing work. The job involves:
- Downloading orders from our website and collecting those received by email/post.
- Picking, packing and organising the despatch of books whether through our delivery partners such as DHL, Royal Mail, Parcel Monkey and others. Part of the job involves checking best prices for despatch. It may involve taking packages to the post office. This work includes orders to individuals, to non-UK bookshops and to our distributors.
- Recording payments made on accounting software and inputting sales figures from our distributors.
- Managing book stock: keeping stock tidy, in the right place and inventoried. (Some stock is located in our basement, so we especially welcome applicants with a tolerance for spiders.) There is a physical element to these activities which involves moving boxes of books up to 15-18 kg in weight.
- Customer care: Contented customers place more orders.
- Responding to generic emails that come to info@peepaltreepress.com, contact@peepaltreepress.com and orders@peepaltreepress.com; or forwarding them to the relevant individual.
- Supporting our Operations Manager where required, for instance in sending out review copies, inputting data for royalties payments, and other marketing tasks.
Skills needed
- You need to be computer literate though we will show you how to use specific programmes.
- You need to be able to write coherent, grammatical and well-spelled emails (we are a publishing company).
- You need to be physically able to manage the stock-keeping elements of the post.
- You need to be able to take initiative and work on your own.
Who will manage you?
You will be directly managed by our Operations Manager, Hannah Bannister. Her job involves overseeing sales and marketing, financial management, getting books printed, and the design of covers.
How to apply
Send us an email (to hannah@peepaltreepress.com, with the subject line sales and admin application) with your cv, a covering letter saying how you think you would fit this post, and the names of two referees who we could contact. The closing date for applications is Friday 29 September and interviews will be held at our offices at 17 King's Avenue, Leeds LS6 1QS on Monday 9 October 2023.