The Diocese of Peterborough

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Secretary to the Bishops’ Office

LOCATION: The Bishops’ Office, The Palace, Peterborough

ACCOUNTABLE TO:Bishop’s Chaplain

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:PA to the Bishop of Peterborough

Bishop’s Chaplain

PA to the Bishop of Brixworth

The Bishops of Peterborough and Brixworth

The Bishop’s Management Group

Diocesan Office staff

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To support the ministry of the Bishop of Peterborough by forming a close working relationship with the Bishop’s Chaplain and PA and acting as secretary to both. This secretarial and administrative support will include:

  1. Dealing sensitively and efficiently with telephone and personal enquiries from bishop’s management group, clergy, parishioners, civic leaders and members of the public, providing information, taking messages or acting as appropriate.
  1. When necessary being the sole person in the bishops’ office, dealing independently with enquiries, visitors and situations as appropriate, either personally or by contacting others for assistance.
  1. Opening all incoming post and distributing appropriately.
  1. Word processing and drafting general correspondence, standard letters, and other documents to a high standard and to meet deadlines.
  1. Collecting information for and drafting announcements of clergy moves.
  2. Assisting in the collation and printing of papers for the Bishop of Peterborough’s diary.
  1. Assisting in the printing, collating and distributing papers for meetings.
  1. Maintaining the Bishops of Peterborough and Brixworth’s Official Expenses Account and Discretionary Account efficiently.
  1. Undertaking general filing and assisting with the maintenance of a comprehensive filing system, both electronic and paper, and including confidential clergy personal files, in line with the Church of England’s guidelines and the Data Protection Act / General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
  1. Keeping appropriate records of confidential clergy personal files as they are sent between bishops’ offices.
  1. Ordering and maintaining adequate stocks of stationery and other office supplies.
  1. Assisting with data entry, mailings and other administrative tasks as delegated.
  1. Responsibility for the production and distribution of Christmas cards, including the collation of an accurate mailing list.
  2. Providing catering for smaller meetings and events and assist with arrangements for catering for larger meetings and events, including attending the event which will occasionally be outside office hours.
  1. To assist with the organising and administration of large events, meetings and services alongside the PA and Bishop’s Chaplain, which may occasionally include work outside standard office hours
  1. To cover for the Bishop of Brixworth’s PA in their absence as much as is practical.
  1. To carry out other duties broadly in line with these from time to time as instructed by the Bishop’s Chaplain and those he nominates.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Competencies

Administration

  • Demonstrates good standard of literacy
  • Demonstrates good standard of numeracy
  • Uses proactive approach towards work load
  • Manages work flow to prioritise tasks in order to meet deadlines
  • Follows office procedures
  • Demonstrates good eye for detail

Communication

  • Demonstrates polite, helpful manner
  • Communicates effectively with people at all levels, both inside and outside the organisation
  • Demonstrates appropriate presentation, layout and accuracy in text production
  • Demonstrates understanding of the importance for maintaining strict confidentiality
  • Uses diplomacy and sensitivity

Personal Effectiveness

  • Demonstrates willingness to take direction
  • Demonstrates willingness to use own initiative when appropriate
  • Uses a practical approach to tasks
  • Stays calm under pressure
  • Works well in a small team
  • Open to change
  • Sympathetic to the aims of the Church

Technical

  • Accurate typing
  • Demonstrates competence in managing accounts

Knowledge

  • Proficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Explorer
  • Experience of using databases
  • Experience of handling accounts
  • Qualifications at A Level or NVQ Level 3
  • Experience of working well in a small team
  • Experience of managing a varied work load efficiently

Desirable

  • Knowledge/previous experience of church structures
  • Familiar with Microsoft Publisher and PowerPoint and Access
  • Familiarity with Data Protection legislation

GENERAL CONDITIONS

Standards of Behaviour and Conduct

Staff are expected to act at all times with due consideration for others and in a manner befitting their position as employees of the Church and as professionals, whatever their job.

Health and Safety Responsibilities

All staff are required to ensure that they understand and accept the legal duties placed on them by the Health and Safety at Work Act not to endanger themselves or others and by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to co-operate with colleagues and management in the control of health and safety at work. And therefore:

  • to read and understand and abide by the health and safety policy;
  • to make themselves familiar with accident and emergency procedures on their site;
  • to make themselves familiar with the findings of any risk assessments which might affect them;
  • to inform their manager immediately of any health or safety deficiencies or dangerous situations or near misses;
  • to set a good personal example in respect of health and safety.

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Confidentiality

Staff must not pass on to unauthorised persons, any information obtained in the course of their duties without the permission of their manager.

Safeguarding

Staff must read and understand and abide by the safeguarding policy

FURTHER DETAILS

Employer

Your employer would be the Peterborough Diocesan Board of Finance.

Hours

This role would ideally be 30 hours a week, although slightly shorter hours will be considered for the right candidate. The hours will be divided over five days and a degree of flexibility would be appreciated. Good notice will be given of any hours outside the ‘normal’.

Salary

The annual salary is £21,500 pro rata

Holidays

The holiday year is from 01 January to 31 December each year.The entitlement is 25 days per annum (pro rata) and then increased to 30 days (pro rata) after 10 years. An additional three days’ leave will be allocated by the Board to be fixed around the Christmas period each year. Details of these additional days are notified prior to the end of January each year. In addition to the above, you would also receive a paid holiday on or in respect of each of the eight Public Holidays as listed below:

New Year’s Day Spring Bank Holiday

Good Friday Late Summer Holiday

Easter Monday Christmas Day

May Day Boxing Day

Pension

The Board is willing to pay a contribution of 10% of salary to its pension scheme, the Church Workers Pension Fund’s Defined Contributions Scheme. As an alternative, the Board would be wiling to contribute 10% of your salary to a private pension scheme of your choice.

Probationary period

Your employment would be subject to a six month probationary period and the receipt of references which satisfy the Board. After one month’s service and for the remainder of your probationary period employment may be terminated by either party with notice of one week in writing. The Board reserves the right to extend the probationary period should a satisfactory standard of performance not have been achieved.

Termination of employment

Upon successful completion of your probationary period the Board is required to give you and you would be required to give the Board one months’ notice in writing irrespective of length of service.