Location: Hughenden Parish Council and other offices within the parish as required.
Requirements/Occasional weekend or evening hours.
* Hours 19.5 hours per week and flexible working in agreement with the chief officer.
* A Local Government Pension Scheme after 3 months of successful completion of the probationary period.
* A car usage allowance is also provided for travel in the course of your employment (this excludes travel from your place of residence to and from your principal place of work).
* A training programme to help you develop in your role.
Contract: Permanent
About Us:
Hughenden Parish is in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The parish encompasses the communities of Bryants Bottom, Cryers Hill, Great Kingshill, Hughenden Valley, Naphill, North Dean, Walters Ash, and Widmer End. It is home to approximately 9,000 residents across 3,500 households.
Job Purpose:
We are looking for an organised, self-starter who can deal with competing priorities. You will be the first point of contact for the parish and join our small but dedicated team. As an Administrative Assistant, you will provide essential administrative support to the chief officer and the parish council.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in local government and community engagement, with the chance to play a key role in supporting the administration and operations of the Parish Council in line with relevant laws and statutory obligations of the council.
Person Specification:
You will be responsible for managing day-to-day office tasks, assisting with the preparation of council meetings, maintaining records, dealing with public enquiries, and supporting the smooth operation of the Parish Council's projects and initiatives.
About You: The successful candidate will:
1. General Administration: Manage incoming emails, phone calls, and correspondence, responding appropriately or directing queries to the relevant parties.
2. Support the Chief Officer: Assist with day-to-day operations of services (external and internal) provided by the Council and issue correspondence based on instructions or known policy.
3. Meeting Support: Assist with the preparation, organisation, and administration of Parish Council meetings, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, and distributing documents.
4. Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records, including minutes, agendas, reports, and correspondence. Experience in managing and maintaining database systems and organising record-keeping systems is required.
5. Community Engagement: Respond to public enquiries and assist with the dissemination of information to the local community via noticeboards, newsletters, social media, and the Parish Council website.
6. Basic Financial Administration: Assist with processing invoices, managing petty cash, and helping with budget monitoring.
7. Project Support: Provide support to various Parish Council projects, helping to coordinate tasks, liaising with contractors, and tracking progress.
8. Office Management: Ensure the office environment is organised, including maintaining office supplies, equipment, and filing systems.
9. Burials: Cover burial cemetery work and administrative tasks related to the role in the absence of the burials and cemetery officer.
Essential Criteria:
1. Highly organised and able to manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively.
2. Attention to detail, particularly when taking minutes or processing important documents.
3. Good communication skills, confident in communicating with the public, councillors, and other organisations.
4. Proficient in IT, familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other office software.
5. Good standard of education and numeracy.
6. Strong organisational and work planning skills, self-motivated, conscientious, and committed to delivering public services to the highest standard.
7. Good interpersonal and communication skills, able to work effectively with staff, councillors, and the public.
8. Team-oriented, able to work well within a small team and take initiative when needed.
9. Discreet and professional, able to handle sensitive information with discretion.
10. Flexible approach to hours of work and day-to-day duties.
11. Integrity, honesty, and diplomacy, able to maintain confidentiality.
12. Mobile or willing to travel around the Parish.
Desirable Skills and Experience:
1. Experience working in an administrative role (training will be provided).
2. Knowledge of local government procedures or an interest in community and civic matters.
3. Experience with financial administration or budgeting.
4. Ability to use software such as accounting programs, website content management systems, and social media tools.
Other Duties:
Assist the Chief Officer by undertaking other duties commensurate with the level of the post and job purpose as required, carrying out all duties in accordance with the Parish Council’s policies and procedures and all relevant legislation.
How to Apply:
Please submit your application form along with a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to:
The closing date for applications is noon on February 28th, 2025. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis, and we reserve the right to bring forward the deadline should a suitable applicant be found.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
For a full recruitment pack, application form, or an informal chat please e-mail clerk@hughenden-pc.gov.uk or visit our website https://www.hughenden-pc.gov.uk.
This job description sets out the main duties of the job as of January 2025. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibilities entailed.
Closing Date: Friday Feb 28th, 2025, noon
Salary Details
SCP: 9 at 19.5hrs per week (£26,409 Annual Salary full time) £13.69 an hour
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