This is an exciting opportunity and a newly formed role within the Property Services Department.The successful candidate will bring enthusiasm, attention to detail and a robust work ethic to support the team to provide the best possible service to our clergy, living in some 400 properties throughout south east London and east Surrey.

To provide support for the property team and ensure compliance and due process is followed within the team. We are looking for a people-person who is organised, process-driven, enthusiastic and who is keen to make this new role their own, constantly improving processes and collectively helping to push the team forward, striving to improve standards at every turn. It will be a busy role working tightly within a busy team. The post is based in Borough High Street, and the successful candidate will be based there.

You should be supportive of the aims and objectives of the Church of England.

These include:

• Database management: Gatekeeper for the database to ensure that information is correct and can be accurately relied upon by all users of the intranet. Making amendments as necessary.
• Compliance: Ensure that all policies and processes are followed, keeping the team compliant and audit-ready.
• Property Repairs Help Desk: Covering the Help Desk one day a week and as necessary at other times (holiday/sickness/absence). This involves dealing with telephone and email enquiries. Instructing contractors to attend to repairs and following them through to conclusion.
• Vacancy management: ensuring the vacancy tracker is kept up to date, including regular contact with key stakeholders, sending out correspondence, preparing tender reports and helping manage the diaries of the surveyors. Working closely with the Residential Property Manager to improve the existing process, covering the period from when the current occupier leaves a property through to when the new occupier moves in and everything in between including liaising closely with colleagues and contractors, meter readings, changes to utilities and council tax and to ensure gas and electrical checks are in place.
• Supporting Finance on aspects of the insurance programme.
• Provide general office administrative support, including diarising meetings, following up actions from team meetings, and electronic filling.

You will have some kind of customer-facing experience. Preferably within a property-related environment but that is not essential as full training will be given.

You should enjoy working in a team setting and have demonstrable administrative experience. In addition, you should be confident in working with different systems and databases and have excellent attention to detail, particularly when preparing documents and entering data.

The ability to communicate well by phone, in writing and face to face with customers and colleagues is essential. You will be able to confidently use your own initiative within a busy, friendly team environment. A lively interest and/or cheerful willingness to learn about how things work, and how things can be improved will be important.

You should be in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Church of England

Southwark is a diverse and vibrant Diocese in so many ways, from the energy of the inner city to the beauty of the Surrey Hills. Serving a growing population of 2.8 million people across south London and east Surrey, we are one of the largest Dioceses in the Church of England and this includes 358 churches.

The Property Services Department of the Diocese of Southwark is responsible for the management of an extensive portfolio of around 400 properties mostly for clergy housing, and the focus of its work is providing an excellent service to the parishes of the Diocese, as clergy are required to live in the housing provided by the Diocese.