Book keeper job description

Part-time Bookkeeper

St Andrew’s Hornchurch

Job Description

Job Title:	Part-time Bookkeeper
Reports to:	The Vicar and Church Wardens of St Andrew’s Hornchurch.
Salary:	£ 14,144 pa.
Hours:	This is a part-time role (16 hours per week, preferably worked over 4 days)
Place of Work:	St Andrew’s parish office. Occasional homeworking by prior arrangement with the Vicar and Church Wardens.

Purpose Statement

The Parish of Hornchurch is a large parish with three church buildings: St Andrew’s (the parish church), St George’s and St Matthew’s. There are also additional halls and residential properties.

We have a vacancy for a part-time bookkeeper. Since the retirement of our previous bookkeeper, we have relied on a variety of resources to keep our accounts up-to-date.

Nature and Scope

The bookkeeper is required to maintain the accounts for the Parish of Hornchurch. This is a practical role which includes core administrative financial tasks but also has the opportunity to improve existing systems and processes.

As a parish employee, the post-holder will be expected to uphold the Christian ethos of the parish at all times, and especially when dealing with the general public.

Principal Accountabilities

Day to day responsibility for bookkeeping including sales and purchase ledger using Sage 50.
Undertake bank reconciliation for Barclays and CCLA, reviewing for supplier payments and customer receipts. Identify and clear recurring items, supply other items by journal.
Reconcile credit card statements to Sage.
Review invoices received and confirm goods received and services rendered.
Prepare cheques for signature supported by documentation.
Chase late payments from customers, hall-hirers and tenants.
Reconcile debits and credits to supplier and customer accounts.
Post payroll information, diocesan fees, Sum-up and Just Giving to Sage accounts.
Ensure cash and cheque receipts are accounted for and deposited.
Prepare and analyse budgets and monthly finance reports for the Standing Committee of the Parochial Church Council. (Most members are not accounting professionals).
Assist Treasurer to produce monthly and annual accounts using Sage and Excel.
Ensure process maps are up-to-date and records are stored in the most efficient way.
Ensure that financial controls are observed and conform to current good practice.

This list of principal accountabilities is intended as a basic guide to the responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive. It may be subject to review in consultation between the Vicar, Church Wardens and post-holder.

Key Stakeholder Contacts

Internal:

Other parish staff members
The clergy team and churchwardens
Volunteers involved in a wide range of activities
Tenants and leaseholders of the parish’s residential properties and halls

External:

Regular hall hirers (including uniformed organisations and toddler groups) and one-off hall hirers
Contractors
Utility companies
Funeral directors
The Diocesan Office

Team Structure

Although working with key stakeholders as outlined above, the closest working relationship of the successful candidate will be with members of the Standing Committee and the Parish Administrators (a job-share) with whom you will share an office.

Person Specification

Essential:

An accountancy qualification (eg AAT qualified) plus experience in a bookkeeping role
Familiarity with Sage 50 accounting and Microsoft Word and Excel
Good written and oral communication skills
Efficient organisational and time management skills
Able to show initiative, prioritise work, work as part of a team and independently, without direct supervision
Polite, considerate and calm under pressure
Willingness to undertake job-related training (eg safeguarding) online or in person
Able to work in adherence with the principles of GDPR – especially with record keeping within the parish – and follow agreed guidelines
Able to respect confidentiality and demonstrate discretion and compassion, whilst also being aware of situations where escalation to the clergy and/or the Parish Safeguarding Officers may be required
Have an understanding of the Church of England and the Christian faith, and be sympathetic to the Christian mission of the parish in serving the community

Outline of Terms and Conditions

Role	Bookkeeper
Responsible to	The Vicar and Church Wardens of St Andrew’s Hornchurch
Salary	£14,144 per annum paid monthly, in arrears.
Hours	16 hours per week (preferably worked over 4 days)
Pension	Nest auto-enrolment with employer contribution of 3%.
Annual Leave	90 hours per annum (including Bank Holidays) by mutual agreement with the Vicar and Church Wardens. Additional days may be given at Christmas at the discretion of the Vicar and Church Wardens.
Sick Pay	Days of sickness will be paid up to a maximum of two weeks subject to Statutory Sick Pay being deducted. From the third week of sickness, Statutory Sick Pay only will be paid.
Probation Period	Six months
Notice Period	One calendar month
Base	Parish Office St Andrew’s Church High Street Hornchurch RM12 6QP Occasional homeworking may be negotiated with the Vicar and Church Wardens.
Contract	The contract of employment will be with The Parochial Church Council of St Andrew’s Hornchurch

Pre-employment Administration

Checks:

The contract is subject to satisfactory references and pre-employment checks.

Right to work:

The post-holder must have the right to work in the UK.

How to apply:

The application form must be completed and emailed to wardens, CVs will not be accepted.
Closing date: Monday, 21 September 2026
Interview date: TBA

Book keeper job description

Part-time Bookkeeper

St Andrew’s Hornchurch

Job Description

Job Title:

Part-time Bookkeeper

Reports to:

The Vicar and Church Wardens of St Andrew’s Hornchurch.

Salary:

£ 14,144 pa.

Hours:

This is a part-time role

(16 hours per week, preferably worked over 4 days)

Place of Work:

St Andrew’s parish office. Occasional homeworking by prior arrangement with the Vicar and Church Wardens.

Purpose Statement

The Parish of Hornchurch is a large parish with three church buildings: St Andrew’s (the parish church), St George’s and St Matthew’s. There are also additional halls and residential properties.

We have a vacancy for a part-time bookkeeper. Since the retirement of our previous bookkeeper, we have relied on a variety of resources to keep our accounts up-to-date.

Nature and Scope

The bookkeeper is required to maintain the accounts for the Parish of Hornchurch. This is a practical role which includes core administrative financial tasks but also has the opportunity to improve existing systems and processes.

As a parish employee, the post-holder will be expected to uphold the Christian ethos of the parish at all times, and especially when dealing with the general public.

Principal Accountabilities

Day to day responsibility for bookkeeping including sales and purchase ledger using Sage 50.

Undertake bank reconciliation for Barclays and CCLA, reviewing for supplier payments and customer receipts. Identify and clear recurring items, supply other items by journal.

Reconcile credit card statements to Sage.

Review invoices received and confirm goods received and services rendered.

Prepare cheques for signature supported by documentation.

Chase late payments from customers, hall-hirers and tenants.

Reconcile debits and credits to supplier and customer accounts.

Post payroll information, diocesan fees, Sum-up and Just Giving to Sage accounts.

Ensure cash and cheque receipts are accounted for and deposited.

Prepare and analyse budgets and monthly finance reports for the Standing Committee of the Parochial Church Council. (Most members are not accounting professionals).

Assist Treasurer to produce monthly and annual accounts using Sage and Excel.

Ensure process maps are up-to-date and records are stored in the most efficient way.

Ensure that financial controls are observed and conform to current good practice.

This list of principal accountabilities is intended as a basic guide to the responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive. It may be subject to review in consultation between the Vicar, Church Wardens and post-holder.

Key Stakeholder Contacts

Internal:

Other parish staff members

The clergy team and churchwardens

Volunteers involved in a wide range of activities

Tenants and leaseholders of the parish’s residential properties and halls

External:

Regular hall hirers (including uniformed organisations and toddler groups) and one-off hall hirers

Contractors

Utility companies

Funeral directors

The Diocesan Office

Team Structure

Although working with key stakeholders as outlined above, the closest working relationship of the successful candidate will be with members of the Standing Committee and the Parish Administrators (a job-share) with whom you will share an office.

Person Specification

Essential:

An accountancy qualification (eg AAT qualified) plus experience in a bookkeeping role

Familiarity with Sage 50 accounting and Microsoft Word and Excel

Good written and oral communication skills

Efficient organisational and time management skills

Able to show initiative, prioritise work, work as part of a team and independently, without direct supervision

Polite, considerate and calm under pressure

Willingness to undertake job-related training (eg safeguarding) online or in person

Able to work in adherence with the principles of GDPR – especially with record keeping within the parish – and follow agreed guidelines

Able to respect confidentiality and demonstrate discretion and compassion, whilst also being aware of situations where escalation to the clergy and/or the Parish Safeguarding Officers may be required

Have an understanding of the Church of England and the Christian faith, and be sympathetic to the Christian mission of the parish in serving the community

Outline of Terms and Conditions

Role

Bookkeeper

Responsible to

The Vicar and Church Wardens of St Andrew’s Hornchurch

Salary

£14,144 per annum paid monthly, in arrears.

Hours

16 hours per week (preferably worked over 4 days)

Pension

Nest auto-enrolment with employer contribution of 3%.

Annual Leave

90 hours per annum (including Bank Holidays) by mutual agreement with the Vicar and Church Wardens. Additional days may be given at Christmas at the discretion of the Vicar and Church Wardens.

Sick Pay

Days of sickness will be paid up to a maximum of two weeks subject to Statutory Sick Pay being deducted. From the third week of sickness, Statutory Sick Pay only will be paid.

Probation Period

Six months

Notice Period