The Bishop of Sheffield oversees and leads the life of the Diocese and has a significant civic role in the City and region. In addition, the Bishop has major national responsibilities in the Church of England.
The Bishop works from his official residence Bishopscroft, and is assisted in the Diocese by the Bishop of Doncaster, two Archdeacons and the Diocesan Secretary.
The Bishop is also supported in his role by his small and friendly team comprising a Personal Assistant, the Bishop’s Chaplain, an Administrative Assistant and a Gardener/Driver. Based at Bishopscroft, the team work from a busy office in a pleasant and unique environment.
This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive and organised professional to provide vital support to the Bishop, assisting with forward planning, diary management and the smooth running of the systems and processes.
You will manage the Bishop’s office including his correspondence (paper and email) and provide general assistance to the Bishop in the exercising of his ministry.
Interviews will be held on the 30th July 2018
Providing efficient personal assistant 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
To oversee the Disclosure and Barring procedure required for all those holding the Bishop’s Licence and the process of the three-year renewal programme
To oversee the smooth running of the system for responding to enquires regarding the Bishop’s Permission to Officiate and maintaining up to date lists of those currently holding the Bishop’s PTO.
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, allocate holiday grants and prepare cheques for signing and posting out
Management of Bishopscroft
Payment of all household bills including regular review of Utility Providers
Liaison with Church Commissioners’ Agent concerning all upkeep and repairs
Make arrangements for convenient appointments for servicing and any work required
Maintaining the house inventory
Hospitality
Planning and organising catering for a range of social events each year, including the annual civic dinner and fundraising suppers
Supporting the work of the Diocese
Organising the programme of ministerial development reviews required for all clergy on a two-year cycle. Maintaining the database and the collating and filing of all reviews
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
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
House of Lords (when and if appropriate)
Managing all papers relating to the Bishop’s role in the House of Lords
Liaising with the Parliamentary Office on the Bishop’s role in the House of Lords
Line Management
Line management and development of the Administrative Assistant
Qualifications / Education / Experience
Previous PA and administrative experience reporting to a senior manager
Finance management and book keeping
Must be able to handle confidential information
Experienced in dealing with people at all levels
Ability to prioritise effectively
Educated to degree standard or with relevant secretarial qualifications and equivalent work experience
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 use of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Working knowledge of Microsoft Access with evidence of previous experience of maintaining a database within an office environment
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
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We are committed to building a culturally diverse workforce. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from people, regardless of their background. As a Disability Confident committed employer, it is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practical or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria* due to high volume. We limit the amount of interviews conducted to five applicants per open post we advertise.