Chapter Clerk And Chief Operating Officer Jobs

Overview

Southwark Cathedral has been a place of Christian worship for over 1400 years. Now it stands on the vibrant and exciting regenerated south bank of the Thames surrounded by cultural venues such as Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market, the offices of major companies as well as schools and diverse residential communities. It is an inclusive Christian community that offers a welcome to all.

The Cathedral’s mission, ministry and musical tradition are core to its life as a Cathedral and a parish church serving the community. It also relies on the valuable financial contribution made by its income generating activities such as its shop, café, conference rooms, corporate events and concerts. It is a very busy place, attracting 200,000 visitors a year to the Cathedral, its churchyard, shop and café. The Cathedral relies on a small but dedicated team to be inclusive and welcoming to all.

Role Purpose

This is a senior support post of essential development importance to allow the Dean, Chief Operating Officer, Chapter and committees to develop and maintain an effective system of governance for the Cathedral with adherence to the highest standards of good governance practice. This will include relevant regulatory and legislative requirements. The post holder will provide comprehensive and effective secretariat support for Chapter and its statutory committees.

Job Description

Job Title: Governance & Committees Manager

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Key Relationships: Dean and Chapter, Chief Operating Officer, Committee Members, Cathedral Safeguarding Lead

Salary: £27,200 (pro rata from £34,000)

Hours of work: 28 hours per week (excluding lunch breaks). Some flexibility will be required to allow attendance at evening meetings and events.

How to apply: Please submit a CV and Cover Letter (no more than two sides of A4) outlining your suitability for this role, with reference to the main duties and person specification below.

Interviews: In the week commencing 20th May 2024

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Governance administration

• Assist in the production and submission of a range of information required in order to demonstrate compliance;
• Liaise with external legal advisors as required;
• Assist the COO with returns, reports and filings for statutory bodies including the Charity Commission, Church Commissioners, Information Commissioner’s Office, HSE and Companies House;
• Act as the Whistleblowing Officer and assist in the working of the Whistleblowing Policy;
• Assist with the completion of questionnaires and reports for the Cathedral’s insurers, Association of English Cathedrals etc;
• Maintain the declarations of interest and gift registry records for senior staff and committee members and record in the minutes when committee members are conflicted out or need to declare an interest;
• Assist the COO in keeping a log of complaints under the Complaints Policy adopted under the Cathedrals Measure and help to ensure that complaints are dealt with according to the policy;
• Provide such other support at the COO reasonably requires including correspondence, research and diary management.

Committees administration

• Lead the co-ordination, preparation, planning and follow-up for meetings and other committee work associated with the governance of the Cathedral. This will include issuing invitations, booking rooms, issuing Zoom invitations, arranging refreshments and access needs, assisting in the drafting of agendas, gathering and circulating supporting papers for the meetings, attending meetings, taking confidential minutes, circulating and amending minutes and maintaining action trackers for the members of the following committees: Chapter, Finance Committee, Audit & Risk Committtee;
• Assist in the work of the Nominations Committee to recruit members for the new committees;
• Assist in the work of the Standing Committee as it prepares for Chapter meetings;
• Assist the Dean and COO in their governance responsibilities under the Care of Cathedrals Measure 2021, including being the point of contact with the Fabric Advisory Committee and liaising with its Chair and Secretary;
• Liaise with committee members and maintain good relationships;
• Liaise with professional advisers where appropriate and in consultation with the COO;
• Assist in the scheduling of training and circulation of information and papers for Chapter and committee members as required. 

Safeguarding administration

The Cathedral follows the safeguarding best practice and guidance set out in the Diocesan policy “A Safe Church” and also follows the policies and guidance set out by the National Safeguarding Team.

Reporting to the Cathedral Safeguarding Lead (CSL), the post-holder will:

• Assist the CSL in ensuring that safer recruitment practice is observed in all recruitment;
• Undertake the DBS checks for staff and volunteers if required, including verifying identity, submitting the applications and reporting to the candidate’s line manager/team leader when the checks have been completed. This will include advising colleagues as to which checks are appropriate and liaising with the Diocesan Safeguarding team and Volunteers & Community Officer;
• Maintain accurate records of all DBS checks carried out in a central register;
• Arrange for all new staff (paid and volunteer) to attend safeguarding training and arrange follow-up training for existing staff (every 3 years). This will include ascertaining which levels of training are required and which individuals will also need specific additional training for their roles;
• Liaise with the trainers to identify training sessions, book rooms and catering and arrange room set-up;
• Maintain accurate records of all safeguarding training carried out in a central register;
• Report to Chapter when required.

Additional responsibilities

• Support the COO in the coordination of risk management across the organisation;
• Arrange and manage the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and parish clerking duties;
• Ensure timely publication of statutory notices in advance of the annual APCM;
• Assist the COO with returns, reports and filings for the Parish;
• Support data protection compliance across the organisation;
• Ensure that the highest standards of professional performance are maintained;
• Promote equal opportunities in the work of the department;
• Participate in the arrangements for this role’s performance review and appraisal;
• Ensure that professional skills are regularly updated through participation in training and development activities;
• Any other responsibilities as may reasonably be required.

The main duties and responsibilities of your post are outlined in your job description. This list is not exhaustive and is intended to reflect your main tasks and areas of work. Changes may occur over time and you will be expected to agree any reasonable changes to your job description that are commensurate with your salary and in line with the general nature of your post. You will be consulted about any changes to your job description before these are implemented.

Southwark Cathedral is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer. We believe in promoting and building a diverse and inclusive team, and workplace, culture and governance structures that are welcoming to and respectful of all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people whatever their ethnicity, background, age, disability, long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Safeguarding is at the core of all we do. We follow best practice for Safer Recruitment.

Person Specification (E = Essential / D = Desirable)

Skills/Aptitudes

• Full proficiency with MS Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint (D) Ability to work in a complex organisation with multiple stakeholders (E)
• Ability to ensure that staff, committee members and volunteers follow necessary procedures and requirements, including new ones under the Cathedrals Measure (E)
• Ability to balance a busy and varied workload and work on multiple tasks at the same time (E)
• Proven strong writing skills (E)
• Able to draft agendas from an outline brief (E)
• Proven ability of minute-taking and producing summaries of outcomes and actions resulting from meetings of a formal nature (E)
• Proven ability to manage the formal processes of meetings, in a proactive way (E)
• Good organisation skills in naming and storing of formal documents (E)
  
  

Knowledge/Experience

• Excellent IT skills (E)
• Knowledge of governance processes (E)
• Experience of working with and administering databases, summarising information in an easy to understand format (E)
• Significant administrative experience (E)
• Church of England and charity sector experience (D)
• Experience of taking responsibility and accepting ownership of areas of work with a significant impact on an organisation’s reputation (E)
  
  

Personal Attributes

• Maintains the highest standard of confidentiality, professionalism and integrity (E)
• Understanding of the Nolan Principles of good governance (E)
• Ability to prioritise (E)
• Proactive problem solver (E)
• Highly efficient and organised (E)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and willingness to work patiently and constructively with others (E)
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills (E)
• Flexible and cooperative team player (E)
• Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision  (E)
• Willing to work flexibly including occasional evening and weekend work
• Demonstrates empathy for the vision, mission and values of Southwark Cathedral (E)
• Respectful of all with understanding of diversity and inclusion as core values at Southwark Cathedral (E)