About the Bishop of Bedford
The Right Reverend Richard Atkinson serves as the Bishop of Bedford. His consecration took place on May 17, 2012, at St. Paul's Cathedral, and he was officially welcomed into the Diocese during a service at St. Paul's Church, Bedford, on May 19, 2012.
The Diocese of St Albans is the part of the Church of England covering Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Barnet, to the north of London encompassing diverse larger urban communities such as Luton and Bedford together with traditional market towns and small rural communities.
There are more than 400 churches in our diocese with over 20,000 regular attendees, bringing a Christian presence to every community.
The diocese is divided into 20 deaneries, or groups of parishes across the three Archdeaconries of Bedford, Hertford and St Albans. Each deanery has a Synod chaired by the rural (or area) dean and an elected lay chair.
What you'll be doing
* The purpose of this role is to provide administrative and secretarial support for the Bishop of Bedford, including:
* Maintaining the Bishop’s diary;
* Producing letters and minutes of meetings, and drafting these where appropriate;
* Editing and redrafting letters according to pastoral need and sensitivity;
* Preparing paperwork for meetings and services of worship;
* Maintaining and updating confidential clergy files;
* Maintaining the Bishop’s Expenses Account;
* Maintaining the Bishop’s databases;
* Producing and circulating Notices of Appointment and Vacancy;
* Liaising with parishes about services of worship, including Confirmations;
* Arranging the Bishop’s interviews, including with clergy and candidates for ordination;
* Overseeing the Bishop’s hospitality programme.
* Undertaking general reception duties, arranging for provision of lunches and other refreshments;
* Liaising with:
* the personal staff of the Bishop of St Albans and his senior colleagues, as necessary;
* colleagues in the Diocesan Office;
* lead officers and staff of other bodies, both diocesan and national.
* Undertaking confidential administrative work in connection with safeguarding, Disclosure and Barring Service checks and Clergy Discipline procedures, including liaison with diocesan staff;
* Organising national, and occasionally international, travel arrangements;
* Undertaking general research for the Bishop in preparation for his speeches, sermons, policy statements and other public work both written and spoken;
* Occasional oversight of casual staff.
* Carrying out other duties broadly in line with these from time to time as instructed by the Bishop and those he nominates.
About You
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Essential
* Graduate level education or relevant employment experience, with a high standard of literacy and numeracy;
* The ability to maintain absolute confidentiality and to be courteous, friendly and highly discreet;
* The ability to work well in a small team and be part of a close-knit office.
* The ability to work independently and regularly alone in a quiet environment;
* The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to work on own initiative;
* A working knowledge of safeguarding and GDPR requirements;
* Competence in the use of all aspects of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook and database management;
* Efficient keyboard skills;
* A flexible approach to duties and working hours, including a willingness to share responsibilities with colleagues and to assist at and attend occasional evening/weekend functions;
* Good time management and organisational skills;
* Readiness and ability to share in the ethos of the Bishop’s office.
* A current driving licence.
Desirable
* A good working knowledge of the structures and systems of the Church of England.
* Access to a car.
What we offer
Our benefits include:
* A salary of £26, (FTE £29,071) per annum plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of salary.
* 25 days annual leave FTE
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 09 July 2024.
Interviews will be held on Wednesday 17 July 2024.