Parish Administrator role (job share)
Job Title: Parish Administrator (job share)
Reports to: The Vicar and Church Wardens of St Andrew’s Hornchurch
Salary: £14,976 pa
Hours: This is a part-time role(20 hours per week, preferably worked over 2.5 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 are seeking a new postholder for this job-share position who will work closely with our remaining parish administrator, the clergy and the wardens to have a positive effect on the running and organisation of the parish, supporting ministry and enhancing our parish life and mission.
Nature and Scope
In this job-share post, our administrators are to aid the smooth running of our churches, halls and other properties, as well as the parish office. We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic administrator to join our team on a part-time basis, to support the Vicar and the wider parish.
As well as providing effective administration, the post-holder will be expected to be a key representative and voice of the parish to the wider community, and will need to be an excellent communicator, comfortable with dealing with enquiries by phone, in person or via email. They will also need to be able to co-ordinate volunteers, liaise
with professional traders, and communicate effectively with the clergy, church wardens, and the general public.
The administrator can be the first point of contact for distressed members of the public and so must act with discretion, making referrals to the clergy or Parish Safeguarding Officers as appropriate.
The post requires flexibility and professionalism, with the ability to work in an ever-changing environment where multi-tasking, sound decision making, self-motivation and discretion are essential. Equally, the post-holder will need excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as good IT skills.
As an administrator for the parish, 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
1. As the first point of contact for enquiries and other communication, the post-holder must be polite and willing to help. A calm and understanding manner is expected at all times, even when dealing with challenging people.
2. The parish administrators deal with all enquiries related to parish activities such as baptisms, weddings and funerals, hall hires, maintenance and repair works, and deliveries.
3. The post-holder is expected to aid the smooth running of the parish
administration and operations by ordering supplies and equipment as
required. This includes but is not limited to: cleaning supplies; office equipment and stationery; church-related supplies; refreshments for Sunday teas.
4. The parish administrators are to maintain the parish diary (Google Calendar).
5. There are effective systems in place, which must be managed and employed, to ensure that the ‘Occasional Offices’ (baptisms, weddings, and funerals, with the addition of Banns of Marriage and the interment of ashes) are followed up and carried out as requested and planned.
6. The parish administrators are to maintain the baptism and burial registers and marriage records, as well as the churchyard plan.
7. Statutory reporting requirements are to be met, and appropriate returns to the Registrar and Diocesan Office made as required.
8. General filing systems and databases are to be kept in good order.
9. The parish administrators manage hall bookings. Established booking procedures are to be followed, including booking confirmation, the arrangement of caretakers and raising invoices.
10. There will be miscellaneous administrative tasks to be completed, including but not limited to: reviewing and updating the parish website; filing, photocopying and laminating documents as required; writing letters for school admissions, obtaining the required signatures and sending the letters on as required; in liaison with the Church Wardens, negotiating and maintaining oversight of the office utility contracts and CCLI music licenses as necessary;
updating church notice boards; arranging school visits as requested.
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 church wardens
● 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
● Funeral directors
● The Diocesan Office
● Contractors
● Members of the public contacting the church for a wide variety of reasons
● External organisations, such as charities and the local council
● Visitors to the church, including organised school visits
● Schools and choirs wishing to hold concerts in the church or halls
● Clergy from other churches
Team Structure
Although working with key stakeholders as outlined above, the closest working relationship of the successful candidate will be with the other parish administrator. It is expected that – though not usually working on the same days – the administrators will maintain an effective communication system to enable the smooth handover of duties and exchange of information. Annual leave should be negotiated with the other administrator and cover provided where practicable.