The Church of England
Senior Personal Assistant to the Bishop
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Job Description
This is a significant and high-profile appointment, and we are looking for someone who will become a trusted member of a dedicated team based at Bishopscroft. The role is exceptionally varied, busy and demanding and immensely rewarding, providing support across every aspect of the Bishop's ministry – from diocesan leadership and parish life to national Church responsibilities, civic engagements and his work in the House of Lords.
The successful candidate will be someone who thrives in a high-volume, fast-paced environment where priorities can change quickly. You will be highly organised, able to exercise sound judgement and manage complex competing priorities with good humour and grace. You will need to be an excellent communicator, comfortable dealing with people from all walks of life, and able to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
Although much of the role is practical and administrative, its purpose is much broader. By ensuring that the Bishop's office runs smoothly and efficiently, you will play an important part in supporting his ministry and the mission of the Diocese of Sheffield to flourish and grow.
Whether you are already familiar with the life of the Church of England or are bringing valuable experience from another sector, if you believe your skills and experience match what we are looking for, we would be delighted to hear from you. A sympathy for the Christian Faith is essential.
Responsibilities
Providing Efficient PA Support to the Bishop of Sheffield
- Advanced planning and management of the Bishop's diary
- Organising all appointments and providing practical briefings about the arrangements made for all visits and meetings
- Preparing the Bishop's papers for all meetings and maintaining an efficient system for tracking papers
- Planning and organising the Bishop’s travel arrangements in the UK and abroad
- Dealing promptly with all incoming correspondence and drafting replies
- Receiving and dealing with all emails in the PA's inbox and that of the Bishop
- Opening and allocating incoming post and dealing with letters where appropriate
- Handling a wide range of telephone enquiries with confidence, diplomacy, and tact – answering questions directly or passing them on to the Bishop or Chaplain or other appropriate source of information
General Oversight and Running of the Bishop's Office
- Welcoming all visitors and arranging catering as necessary
- Ensuring that the office is kept tidy and all necessary equipment is purchased and maintained
- Daily filing and overseeing the management of all paper and computerised filing systems
- Organising the archiving of papers as appropriate
- Ensuring that the office database is kept up to date
- To be present at some meetings and at the Bishop’s direction to take notes
- Delegation of work to the Administrative Assistant
Finance
- Managing a budget in excess of £100K and dealing with all day to day financial matters including the bishop’s expenses
- Managing the day to day running of all bank accounts held by the bishop in his corporate capacity
- Transferring money, making payments and keeping records as required
- Administering the Bishop’s Official Expenses account
- Administering the Bishop’s Discretionary account
- Applying for grants from various funds, including the Lady Hastings Charity, by preparing applications, organising and recording all monies received and providing reports to the charities on how the monies was used
- With the advice of the Bishop and his Senior Staff, allocating holiday grants and making appropriate payments
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Management of Bishopscroft
- Payment of all household bills including regular review of utility providers
- Liaison with Church Commissioners’ Agent concerning all upkeep and repairs
- Making arrangements for convenient appointments for servicing and any work required
- Organising the purchase and installation of items for the Bishop’s House on behalf of Bishoprics
- Liaising with the IT support advisors and organising IT provision at the office
- Maintaining the house inventory
Hospitality
- Planning and organising catering for a range of social events each year, including the termly civic dinners and evening suppers
- Managing arrangements for the biennial Bishop’s Garden Party
- Coordinating a week of Summer Term evening receptions (held in alternate years to the Bishop’s Garden Party)
- Venue management and liaison
Supporting the Work of the Diocese
- Organising the recruitment process for all senior appointments in the Diocese, including the advertising of posts and the logistics of all meetings and interviews
- Distributing information and organising arrangements for Deanery Days across the Diocese
- Working with the Bishop’s Chaplain to agree and confirm dates for confirmations
- Supporting the Bishop’s Chaplain with the clergy ministerial development review (MDR) process, including maintaining the database and collating and filing completed reviews on a two-year cycle.
- Supporting the Bishop’s Chaplain in managing enquiries and maintaining up-to-date records of those holding the Bishop’s Permission to Officiate (PtO).
- Confirming with the appropriate church leader, lay or ordained, the purpose of each parish visit; making all practical arrangements and briefing the Bishop beforehand
Civic Visits
- Planning and organising a programme of visits to individuals, institutions, workplaces and events across the region with a focus on extending the reach and mission of the Church
- Responding to all invitations for the Bishop to attend civic events and meetings outside the Church
National Church
- Collating all papers and making the logistical arrangements for the Bishop’s work related to General Synod, the House of Bishops, College of Bishops, the Archbishops’ Council and any other national and regional meetings
- Managing the Bishop’s Church Commissioner Trustee commitments, including maintaining the diary, preparing meeting papers and ensuring all relevant documentation is available in advance of meetings
- Engagement with the PA network and key members of the NCI staff
House of Lords
- Liaising closely with the Bishop’s Parliamentary and Policy Researcher on the Bishop’s schedule in the House of Lords
- Assisting with papers relating to the Bishop’s role in the House of Lords
- Processing the Bishop’s monthly HOL expense claim
Orgreave Inquiry
- Liaising closely with the Orgreave Inquiry Secretariat to coordinate the Bishop’s involvement, including managing meeting requests and maintaining the diary
- Completing the Bishop’s monthly fees timesheet and expense proforma
Line Management and Development of the Administrative Assistant
- Carrying out other duties as and when required
Qualifications
Qualifications / Education / Experience
- Educated to degree standard or with relevant secretarial qualifications and equivalent work experience
- Previous PA and administrative experience reporting to a senior manager
- Finance processing and accounts management
- Must be able to handle confidential information
- Experienced in dealing with people at all levels
- Ability to prioritise effectively
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Knowledge, Skills, Attributes
- In sympathy with the vision, aims and objectives of the Church of England and the Diocese of Sheffield
- The ability to understand and apply the priorities of the Bishop’s ministry when allocating diary appointments
- Well presented work with a meticulous eye for detail
- Ability to show initiative and work with minimal or no supervision
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written, including a competent and friendly telephone manner
- Good interpersonal and diplomatic skills with the ability to deal with people from all walks of life with courtesy and on occasion appropriate firmness
- Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and handle sensitive issues with discretion
- Well organised, methodical and the ability to manage competing priorities
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and meet deadlines
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team and the wider household
- Competent in the use of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Proficient in the use of databases and CRM systems for maintaining accurate records, managing contacts, and producing reports
- Excellent word processing skills from manuscript and audio
- Good literacy and numeracy skills
Desirable Requirements
- Detailed knowledge of the Church of England, its structures and practices
- Understanding and interest in the Bishop of Sheffield’s ministry
About Us
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About The NCIs
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
- Strive for Excellence
- Show Compassion
- Respect others
- Collaborate
- Act with Integrity
We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.
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