Parish Property & Fundraising Administrative Assistant

Overview

At the London Diocesan Fund (LDF), we seek to do everything we can to support the mission and growth of the Church of England in London. The Diocese of London consists of 402 parishes, each one representing an independent but affiliated charity, and is responsible for 450 active places of worship.

Many of our parishes have extensive community and social outreach programmes to support their Mission.  However, many of the buildings are in a poor condition and need urgent repairs and improvement.  The Parish Property & Fundraising Team assist parishes with advice and resources for maintaining their buildings, in order to further Mission.

The Administrative Assistant will work within the Parish Property & Fundraising Team. The role involves working most closely with the Head of Development (Fundraising), Parish Property Support Team Co-ordinator and the Mission & Pastoral Manager (Ecclesiastical Law).

The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community.

We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.

Introduction

The ability to perform a variety of administrative and clerical tasks. Duties of the Administrative Assistant include providing support to colleagues, assisting in daily office needs and being responsible for clear record-keeping with both the fundraising, legal matters and property matters. Diligence and accuracy are key. The post holder will report to the Senior Administrator, but will take instructions from others within the team. The post holder will need to be able to juggle priorities and manage expectation.

This is a new role and it will have the possibility of evolving to encompass more varied areas of work and involvement in the wider Parish Property & Fundraising team.

Main Responsibilities

• Maintain updated and easily accessible digital filing systems (for all three streams – Fundraising, Parish Support and Mission & Pastoral).
  • Fundraising database and spreadsheets.
  • List of transactions carried out by the PPS Team Co-ordinator.
  • List of licensed places of worship vs consecrated buildings in the diocese.
• Management of data and data entry
  • Sending out emails to a variety of people, from parish volunteers to senior clergy.
  • Recording and collating all email responses and filing them appropriately.
• Act as the Diocesan point of contact for certain transactions and projects.
• Assist in Title research (using Land Registry and other sources to identify correct ownership of property).
• Assist in the preparation of mandatory consultations, under ecclesiastical law
  • Create contact lists for consultations (each one will be different).
  • Liaise with senior clergy in order to ascertain their views prior to any consultation.
  • Compose and send email correspondence (often of a very formal nature).
• Administer the Gutter Maintenance Programme (GMP)
  • Liaising with contractors and parishes, both via email and on the phone.
  • Managing expectations of parishes and contractors (sometimes seemingly at odds).
• Provide general support to the Head of Development, The Parish Property Team Co-ordinator and to the Mission & Pastoral Manager.

The Ideal Candidate

Skills & Requirements

Essential

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Friendly, approachable manner.
• Experience of working with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to deal well with both senior clergy and parish volunteers.
• Sympathy with the aims of the Church of England.

Ideal

• Previous administrative experience.
• High proficiency in MS Office (Excel, in particular).
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise.

Personal Attributes

• A good member of a team and work and help others.
• Work in a highly organized manner, performing to deadlines and with array of demands.
• Have a positive and engaging manner.
• Understanding customer support and working with challenging people.

About us

The LDF exists to support the mission of the Church of England in London. The principal activity of the London Diocesan Fund is to operationally and practically serve and support the parishes and people within the Diocese of London, enabling the vision that every Londoner will encounter the love of God in Jesus Christ.