PART TIME VICAR’S SECRETARY / RECEPTIONIST
S. ALBAN THE MARTYR, HOLBORN, LONDON EC1

16 Hours per week
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10.00 am – 2.00 pm
Hours slightly flexible
Starting salary £8.50 per hour

Contact: The Ven. Howard Levett on 020 7405 1831
or e-mail:

To apply please send a covering letter setting out the skills, experience and personal characteristics that demonstrate your suitability for the position.
You should include the names of three referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. References will be requested for all short-listed candidates in advance of interviews.
We hope to interview in the first week of June 2009.

We are seeking:
A practicing communicant member of the Church of England or of any other mainstream Christian Church.
A likeable, patient, trustworthy, reliable and efficient person who is able to deal with all kinds of people in a consistent and courteous manner.
A pastorally sensitive individual.
Someone who is able to work under pressure and is willing to work overtime when required to cope with the seasonal variations in workload.
Applicants with competent typing and I.T. skills including use of the Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher. Applicants will be familiar and competent users of the Internet and will be adept users of multi-function printer / photocopiers.

The following list describes the day to day work carried out by the Vicar’s Secretary / Receptionist.
1. Telephone. To answer all calls on the Parish line, including those left on the answering machine. As far as possible to deal with calls involving enquiries and administrative matters. Otherwise to transfer calls to the Vicar. To make calls on behalf of the Vicar and report back either in person or by written memo
2. E-mails. To receive all e-mails addressed to the vicar and to deal with these wherever possible.
3. Correspondence. To sort the post. Deal with (non-private and personal) letters addressed to the Vicar and other post non-specifically addressed as directed by the Vicar. To type and send letters as directed by the Vicar.
4. Front Door. To answer and as far as possible deal with all callers. To deal with arrangements for deliveries to house and Church.
5. Equipment. To ensure that all the Parish Office equipment including telephones, computers, printers and photo-copiers, are in working order and make arrangements for servicing and repairs. To ensure the ordering of all supplies in sufficient time before stock exhausted, including postage stamps.
6. Weekly Pew-sheet, Notices and Posters. To collate all information necessary for these and to produce the pew-sheet on the leaflets provided for the purpose. To produce posters to be displayed on the boards provided outside the house and outside and inside the Church.
7. Service Sheets. These are produced for Special occasions, of which at S. Alban’s there are many. Also for those needed for the Occasional Offices. The Secretary is responsible for their production and collation. The Verger and occasionally other volunteers can be called upon to help with collation and stapling.
8. Registers and Registrar. To ensure the Parish registers for Baptisms, Confirmations, Banns of Marriage, Burials and especially the Marriage Registers are all housed safely in the Clergy House safe. To keep a check on these and ensure they are up-dated.
9. Marriage Registers. Copies of entries in these are returned once per quarter to the Registrar. The Secretary is responsible for the accuracy of the returns as well as ensuring that the original registers have been accurately filled in by the officiating minister. This is particularly important when the Registers have been borrowed by either Gray’s Inn or Lincoln’s Inn for marriages performed in their Chapels. (See Parish Office Administration Guide)
10. Church Bookings and Lets. To negotiate fees applicable, check for availability with the Vicar and to liaise with the Verger and where the use of S. Alban’s Centre is also involved, with the Centre Manager.
11. Filing and Up-dating. Proper Filing of information, lists and addresses. Filing in Vicar’s Office as requested by the Vicar.
12. Hospitality. Tea and Coffee are available in the Parish Office and can be offered to people in need and to those awaiting an appointment. Secretary to ensure adequate supplies maintained. Verger will be able to help.
13. Petty Cash. A limited sum is kept in the Clergy House Safe to be used by the Secretary for petty cash needs. The Secretary accounts for use to the Treasurer and applies to the Treasurer for ‘top-ups.’
14. Extras. Inevitably in the nature of the operation of a Parish Church there are times when the unpredictable happens and the Secretary may be asked to do extra duty or hours in order to fulfil the demands made.