The United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) is looking for a General Manager to run its Office in Leicester (some Office work may, from time to time, take the form of home-working). The Association needs someone able to manage a small team of part-time members of staff. The Office staff team comprises: the General Manager (part-time, 28 hours on at least 4 days per week); a part-time Finance Administrator (23 hours on 3 days per week); a Membership Secretary (currently 10 hours on 2 days per week); an Admin and Awards Secretary (currently 10 hours on 2 days per week). It is the responsibility of the General Manager, in association with UKLA trustee line managers, to decide how and when to delegate tasks within the Office, and see that these are carried out effectively.

General Manager

Salary: Between point 20 and 27 (£25,217-30,942) pro rata

Contract, Part-time (28 hours on at least 4 days per week)

The General Manager should be a good communicator with excellent managerial skills and a keen interest in helping UKLA work effectively across the United Kingdom and beyond. The UKLA General Manager is expected to be reliable, systematic and proactive. She or he will have good interpersonal, administrative, communication and IT skills. The role requires someone who works well under pressure while also paying due attention to detail and upholding the values of the Association.

The UKLA General Manager has oversight of all communications and events from a UKLA Office perspective but is directly responsible to the trustees of UKLA for the efficient operation of the UKLA Office and its team of staff. On a day-to-day basis, however, the General Manager works independently and with minimum supervision, responding promptly and directly to the needs of trustees and committee conveners to ensure that UKLA’s programme of charitable activity and the implementation of delegated aspects of its strategy run as smoothly and effectively as possible.

The UKLA General Manager is expected to undertake other duties and responsibilities which the Association may from time to time reasonably require, and engage in any training which may be offered relevant to fulfilling the role more effectively.

Detail

1) Office management

Responsibility for the smooth operation of the UKLA office, including:

• acting as the UKLA’s Responsible Person for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ensuring UKLA’s compliance with GDPR
• ensuring office procedures support the secure storage and backup of electronic data
• ensuring administrative systems are efficient and fit for purpose
• ensuring office accommodation and equipment are fit for purpose and meet Health and Safety requirements
• liaising and negotiating with the management of the office premises (Voluntary Action Leicester – VAL), on behalf of the Association
• ensuring UKLA is covered by appropriate insurance policies (with relevant trustees including the Hon. Treasurer), including for external events such as conferences
• maintaining and updating the Office Handbook
• contributing to the annual review and revision of UKLA’s guidance on office procedures (with relevant trustees including the Hon. Secretary and/or Hon. Treasurer).

2) Office staff management

Accountability for staffing, including:

• advertising for and appointment of new staff, in collaboration with trustees, and agreeing their job descriptions
• induction and supervision of new staff members
• monitoring and reviewing performance of all staff in relation to their job descriptions and providing brief monthly reports to line managers (Hon. Secretary and/or Hon. Treasurer)
• supporting and supervising staff on a day to day basis 
• planning the efficient deployment of part-time staff to make best use of office space
• maintaining and updating the office staff critical date planner
• maintaining a calendar of annual leave for all office staff to ensure coverage and consistency of operation, and informing trustee line managers
• maintaining a record of staff hours and leave taken, ensuring these meet contractual requirements
• overall management of staff pension arrangements (in liaison with the Hon. Treasurer/Secretary).

3) Supporting UKLA’s charitable status

Acting as the key contact for the Charity Commission, in liaison with the President/Hon. Secretary/Hon. Treasurer, as appropriate:

• maintaining an ongoing database of trustee details and updating it annually
• updating the Charity Commission’s register of trustees, as necessary
• ensuring UKLA’s Annual Return is completed each summer on the Charity Commission website, including the upload of the Annual Report and Accounts
• keeping up to date with Charity Commission requirements.

4) Supporting trustees and sub-committees

Responsibility for managing office systems to support the smooth functioning of UKLA as an organisation, including:

• providing administrative support for the President, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer, as required, prioritising efficiently
• providing administrative support for the conveners of sub-committees, Special Interest Groups and Task Groups, and the Regional Representatives co-ordinator, as required, prioritising efficiently
• ensuring papers for Executive Committee (EC) and National Council (NC) meetings are pre-circulated, filed and stored
• minuting EC and NC meetings (in conjunction with the Finance Administrator) and ensuring minutes are sent to the Hon. Secretary for checking within 5 working days of each meeting
• ensuring all minutes are filed and stored
• organising efficient filing systems for all other UKLA documentation, in digital or print form, to enable others to locate documents quickly and easily
• addressing action points relevant to the UKLA office which arise from committee minutes
• managing website updates in liaison with the website designer
• maintaining and regularly updating the UKLA Archive.

5) Finance

Overall responsibility for the efficient management of UKLA’s finances, including:

• maintaining a strategic overview of UKLA’s finances
• ensuring compliance with UKLA’s internal financial controls, as specified in the Charity Commission’s document (CC8) and contributing to the annual review
• supporting and advising the Finance Administrator as required
• acting as an authorised signatory and authorising expenditure
• liaising with UKLA’s accountants and payroll as necessary
• substituting for the Finance Administrator on urgent matters, where essential
• providing guidance to conference organisers about managing and budgeting for a conference, and ensuring they understand their responsibilities for covering costs
• ensuring that conference bookings are promptly processed.

6) UKLA International Conference

Contributing to the UKLA’s annual International Conference in liaison with the conference organiser and the convener of the Conferences sub-committee by:

• co-ordinating practical details, including – as appropriate – venue, catering, accommodation, social programme, timetable and budget
• updating website pages for submission of proposals, where appropriate
• providing office administrative support for the proposal submission process
• creating the final programme
• creating the conference brochure with the support of the conference director and overseeing its production and delivery
• maintaining excellent communication with delegates and speakers, ensuring information is delivered effectively in a timely manner
• maintaining an overview of conference budgets and finances, and seeking to achieve best value for money at all times
• attending all International conference ensuring their smooth running and overseeing staff/helpers.

[Please note that for the July 2021 International Conference (postponed from July 2020), much of the above has already been begun.]