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Dear Applicant
PA to Director of Conservation and Community
Permanent
37 hours per week
Thank you for your enquiry in regard to the above position.
Enclosed is a recruitment and information pack which includes the following:
- A job description and person specification
- Background Information and Terms and Conditions of Employment
Further information including our Corporate Plan is available on the Authority’s web site,
The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 12noon on Tuesday 22 August 2017.
Anticipated Interview: Thursday 31 August 2017
It is not our practice to acknowledge applications or to inform applicants that they have been unsuccessful. If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks after the closing date of the advertisement, you may assume that your application has been unsuccessful.
I look forward to receiving your application and thank you for the interest you have shown in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
Yours faithfully
The HR Team
Enc.
YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE:Personal Assistant to the Director of Conservation and Community
GRADE:Band D
RESPONSIBLE TO:Director of Conservation and Community
RESPONSIBLE FOR:No line management responsibility
OBJECTIVES OF THE POST:
To provide an efficient and effective secretarial and administrative service for the Director of Conservation and Community and for the Directorate as a whole.
To assist in the monitoring and reporting of the Authority’s performance in delivering its major policies and programmes.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
To provide PA support to the Director of Conservation and Community, including organise meetings; prepare meeting papers; liaise on follow-up; make travel arrangements; maintain up-to-date diary; maintain a ‘bring forward’ and ensure agreed actions are delivered on time (including, where appropriate, on behalf of partnerships involving the Authority).
To gather information to produce documents, briefing papers, and PowerPoint presentations for the Director of Conservation and Community.
To deal with all telephone calls, messages and enquiries on behalf of the Director of Conservation and Community, and be the first point of contact for members of the public, Members, partners and other stakeholders regarding services provided by the Directorate.
To handle all confidential filing for the Director of Conservation and Community.
To assist the Director of Conservation and Community to implement and monitor the work of the Directorate, including:
- collate and distribute information as required to monitor and manage the Directorate’s budgets and Corporate Plan objectives;
- liaise with the Web and Social Media Officer and officers across the Directorate to ensure that relevant parts of the Authority’s website are kept up to date;
- co-ordinate and monito the Directorate’s annual training requirements, and assisting with the organisation of corporate training;
- manage ‘administrative’ budgets, including purchasing supplies and services;
- co-ordinate and maintain the Directorate’s filing systems (both paper and electronic);
- collate responses to internal and external correspondence on behalf of the Director , including administering requests under the Freedom of Information Act;
- plan and organise directorate meetings;
- provide information and advice to managers on the application of corporate policies, systems and procedures;
- co-ordinate the provision of admin support across the Directorate, identifying opportunities to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.
To assist the Senior Policy and Performance Officer to manage the production of the Authority’s corporate plans, and monitor and review the Authority’s performance, including:
- facilitating the production of the Authority’s annual Corporate Plan and Action Plan, and;
- maintaining the Authority’s performance management systems, and collating and distributing information on the Authority’s performance each year
To assist the Director of Conservation to produce and monitor the National Park Management Plan, including:
- facilitate the production and publication of the National Park Management Plan every 5 years – maintaining consultation databases, organising meetings and events, collating and distributing information etc;
- provide secretariat services for the National Park Management Plan Steering Group.
Work with other PAs to ensure the Authority has excellent and responsive customer service and continuity, covering and supporting other areas as required;
To comply with the requirements of the Authority’s Health and Safety Policy and Codes of Practice.
Such other duties as are commensurate with the objectives and the grade of the post, as directed from time to time by the Chief Executive.
YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
PERSON SPECIFICATION
PA TO THE DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY
ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLEQUALIFICATIONS
NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Business Administration /
OCR (RSA) Level 2 Typing/Word Processing/Text processing or equivalent /
Full Driving Licence /
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Substantial experience in secretarial/administrative role /
Advanced knowledge and demonstrable experience of the Microsoft Office suite /
Experience of working within Local Government /
Knowledge of the strategic context in which National Parks operate. /
Experience of providing the secretariat role to a partnership or group /
Experience of budgetary or financial controls /
Experience of collating and analysing statistical information /
SKILLS
Independent working and decision making /
Excellent oral and written communication skills /
Good interpersonal skills, able to deal effectively with a wide range of groups and individuals /
The ability to apply and use information technology. /
Excellent minute and note-taking /
Excellent organisational and planning skills /
Ability to upload and edit website information /
Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines /
Ability to guide and direct others /
Ability to maintain confidentiality and apply discretion /
The ability to work as a member of a team /
Excellent time management /
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Self Motivated /
Diplomatic /
Flexible approach /
A positive approach with an ability to find creative solutions /
Accuracy, robustness, thoroughness and consistently high standards of delivery /
1
PA to the Director of Conservation and Community
Based atColvend, Grassington, North Yorkshire
Background
The Yorkshire Dales National Park was designated in 1954 in recognition of its extraordinary natural beauty, the diversity of its wildlife habitats, its rich cultural heritage and its fantastic opportunities for outdoor recreation. It is a dramatic upland dissected by numerous long glaciated valleys or dales with a resident population of 23,637 people. The area is a working landscape, with agriculture, quarrying and tourism, offering the main employment opportunities. Indeed, it is the long history of people settling in and working this harsh environment that has created a cultural landscape recognised today as one of the most distinctive in Western Europe.
The Park is looked after by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and it’s the Authority’s job to care for this very special place and its communities and to help people understand and share in it.
The National Park was extended to the north and west on 1 August 2016, it now covers an area of 2,179 square kilometres (841 square miles).
It is one of a family of 15 National Parks in the UK, protected for future generations to enjoy. Truly Britain’s breathing spaces.
From 1974 the whole of the Yorkshire Dales National Park was administered by a Committee of North Yorkshire County Council but, as a result of the Environment Act 1995, the new National Park Authority was established on 1st April 1997. The Authority remains within the framework of local government but is independent of the counties and districts. The Authority now consists of both county council and district council representatives as well as parish representatives and members appointed by the Secretary of State.
The 1995 Environment Act revised and updated the purposes of national parks which are:-
“conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the areas, and promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of those areas by the public”.
In pursuing these purposes the Authority
“shall seek to foster the economic and social wellbeing of communities within the National Park.”
The National Park Authority is advised by the Chief Executive (National Park Officer), who is supported by approximately 130 staff.
Terms and Conditions of Service
Pay
Band D
Salary: £19,430to £23,398 per annum (with possible progression to £27,668).
Work Base
This post is based at our Colvend office in Grassington,howeverthere willbe travel elsewhere in the Park, and in particular to our office in Bainbridge.
Pension
All staff are automatically brought into the Local Government Pension Scheme, unless they elect otherwise. Membership of the LGPS provides access to high quality pension benefits based on final pay.
Hours of Work
The hours of work are 37 per week.
A flexitime scheme is in operation. This allows you to vary your start and finish times within set parameters to help your work fit in with your social and domestic responsibilities. If you have accrued sufficient time, the scheme allows you to take up to 12 days extra leave during the year.
Job-Share
Whilst this is a full-time post, we will consider applications from individuals wishing to job-share. If applying on a job-share basis, please state in your application your preferred weekly hours.
Holidays
The holiday entitlement is based on length of service within Local Government or related employment.
On commencement of employment: 25 days.
After 1 year continuous service: 26.
After 2 years continuous service: 27 days.
After 3 years continuous service: 28 days.
After 4 years continuous service: 29 days.
After 5 years continuous service: 30 days.
Plus Bank Holidays.
The above is pro-rata for part-time employees.
Special Leave
Working for a public sector employer, you will find that we offer favourable entitlements compared with many other employers in regard to time off for such reasons as maternity, maternity support leave, adoption and special leave for various other reasons.
We also support employment initiatives aimed at achieving work/life balance such as parental leave and time off for family emergencies.
Training and Development
The National Park Authority is committed to the professional and personal training and development of its staff. To support this, the Authority has achieved the national Investors in People (IIP) Standard. An appraisal scheme is in place for all staff and opportunities to undertake in-house and external training programmes are available.
Recruitment Clearance
The offer of appointment is subject to medical clearance by Occupational Health and receipt of satisfactory references.
Miscellaneous
New entrants to local government are subject to a probationary period of six months.
The notice period applicable to this post is 2 months.
The Authority operates a non-smoking policy in its offices.
Completed application forms to be returned to the HR Office, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 3EL, by 12noon on Tuesday 22August 2017.
Anticipated Interview Date: Thursday 31 August 2017.
If you have not been contacted for interview within three weeks of the closing date, you may assume that your application has not been successful.
Recruitment Pack\