Housing administrator jobs in manchester

We are seeking a Programme Officer

The National Society for Education (NSE) is both a National Church Institution (NCI) and a charity established by Royal Charter. Its mission is to support Church schools and the broader education sector by nurturing leadership, influencing policy, and fostering faith.

NSE leads the Church of England's national education initiatives in collaboration with 41 Diocesan Boards of Education and approximately 4,700 Church of England schools.

One of the Church of England's strategic priorities for the 2020s is to become a younger and more diverse church. In support of this, the House of Bishops is committed to ensuring that vibrant ministries for children, youth, and families are accessible to every young person across England.

To help realise this vision, NSE is partnering with the Vision and Strategy team to deliver a series of initiatives under our 'Growing Faith' pillar. These projects explore the vital connection between church, home, and school, aiming to enrich the spiritual lives of children and young people while cultivating the next generation of leaders.

We are a dynamic, dispersed team working remotely from across the country. We meet regularly online and come together in person throughout the year for team days that strengthen our collaboration and shared purpose.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensuring high quality stakeholder engagement this including supporting and communicatign effectively the delivery of events to local, regional and national leaders in relation to all programmes and activities, placing children and young people at the heart of our work.
• Implement robust administrative, financial, communications, and evaluation processes; whilst adhering to established NSE operational procedures and standards.
• Maintain accurate, GDPR-compliant data to support analysis and decision-makingl whilst working closely with the NSE finance team to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Key role requirements

• This is a fully remote role.

We are looking for someone with:

• Proven ability to handle sensitive communications with tact and professionalism.
• Excellent digital literacy, confident across Microsoft 365 and web-based applications (such as Teams, Zoom), as well as using the functionality of the software to support the setup and delivery of on-line webinars.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• High attention to detail, strong communication skills, and a collaborative team player approach.
• Willingness to work within the ethos of a Christian organisation, and sympathy with the aims and goals of the Church of England Education
• Passionate about making a difference to the lives of children and young people.
• Strong administrative and organisational experience.

• A salary of £34,801 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 your salary.

• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
• We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario, and if this fits within the department's needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
• We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
• Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK's leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
• Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
• Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
• Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.

Part Time – 14 hours per week

Fixed term post for 12 months

Salary: £25,909 pro rata

(actual salary for working 14 hours is £10,363.60)

The Diocese of Chester is seeking to recruit a Finance Administrator who will provide finance support to the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) and working under the direction of the DBE’s Finance & Operations officer and Director of Education.

The successful candidate will have an appropriate finance administration qualification (AAT Level 2 or equivalent) and have had previous responsibility for bookkeeping in a small to medium enterprise.

For informal conversation, contact Canon Chris Penn, Director of Education - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button. 

The job description, person specification and application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan website: Please see website address in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button.

Completed application forms should be returned to Mrs E A Geddes, Diocesan Director of Human Resources, preferably by email - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button. 

Closing date:  Sunday 21st September 2025

Interviews: Thursday 2nd October 2025

About us

We are a collaborative, UK based network bringing our 30+ years of experience working on the HIV response to the broader global health space. We contribute to a global movement of actors seeking to challenge the systemic causes of health inequity to end AIDS and ensure all people can realise their right to health and wellbeing. We give decision-makers the proof – and the push – they need to make informed and just decisions to help improve the lives of the millions of people around the world needing access to treatment, prevention, care and support services for HIV and other health conditions.

About the role

This is a newly created role to provide extra capacity within the finance function at STOPAIDS. We are looking for someone with previous finance experience, ideally within a charity. The Finance Administrator is responsible for supporting the maintenance of financial and administrative services working closely with the Finance Manager to meet legislative and policy requirements and to support the operations of STOPAIDS. These duties include but are not limited to Xero Accounts functions, assisting with payroll and processing invoices and financial transactions.

STOPAIDS is a fully remote organisation, so the postholder would be working from home, but the team is very connected and collaborative, so there will be plenty of contact and support.

Hours: Part-time, one day or 2 half days per week (0.25 FTE).

Location: Home based in the UK. Occasional attendance at all staff meetings in London (normally 4 days annually).

Benefits of working at STOPAIDS

We offer several benefits including:

• We operate a shorter working week with no salary reductions. For this role, this equates to 1 day per week or two half days. This time needs to be worked between Monday and Thursday.
• We operate a home-based working policy, including a home working set up allowance and monthly working from home allowance.
• Flexible working, including non-standard working hours.
• A group stakeholder pension scheme with 6% employer contributions (after qualifying probationary period).
• 20 days' annual leave per year (excluding bank holidays), plus 1 day for every year of service (pro rata).
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay for employees with 1 years’ service or more.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website.

Closing date: 10.00am on 27th September 2025.

Interviews will be held on 30th September and 1st October 2025.

People living with or affected by HIV, from Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds or from other minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply and/or contact us regarding any queries about the role.

STOPAIDS is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive positive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex characteristics, HIV status, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.

We are seeking a highly proactive and organised individual to join our organisation as a Business Support Administrator within our Property Services Department. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience working for a national not-for-profit housing provider in a busy office environment.

Business Support Administrator is a varied role and will be an important support to the functions of Property Services, including Utilities, Repairs and Property Management. You will work alongside colleagues within the team, assisting with administrative tasks to support the busy Property Services department and managers. You will respond to general queries on behalf of the Property Services department, ensuring all information held is up to date, so that the team can complete their work effectively. When required, you will also contribute to departmental project work.

This role will suit someone with excellent customer service, IT and communication skills.  The candidate should want to work in a fast-paced office environment and be able to prioritise workload confidently, picking up tasks, processes and systems quickly. An excellent standard of verbal and written English is essential, as well as an interest in working in the not-for-profit health and social care sector. 

Vacancy Reference Number: 71926

Applications for this role must be submitted via the Creative Support website using the above vacancy reference number.

Benefits of working with Creative Support include a probationary bonus, pension contributions, 28 days Annual Leave and company paid enhanced DBS.

We are a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organization - Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received an Investors in People Gold award.

Applications are reviewed as they are received, we do not provide feedback for unsuccessful applications. We can only accept applications from candidates who are located in and eligible to work within the UK.

About the Choir with No Name

The Choir with No Name has been running choirs involving people impacted by homelessness and marginalisation since 2008, and we currently have choirs in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Cardiff, Coventry, Sheffield and Brighton. We were founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good; it distracts you from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Each choir gets together to rehearse every week and share a meal together at the end of rehearsal. Our values are family, fun, inclusion and integrity.

Job Purpose

We are looking for maternity cover for our part-time Finance and Data Administrator role. As Finance and Data Administrator, you should have a proactive mindset and a positive attitude. You should have some previous administrative experience and a meticulous attention to detail. You will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the Choir with No Name’s finances and impact data. We are looking for someone who is comfortable working independently with a helpful and can-do attitude, a quick learner with a calm disposition when under pressure and able to work accurately and to deadlines.

We particularly welcome applicants from people with lived experience of homelessness.

• Reports to: Head of Development
• Hours: avg. 12 hours a week, flexible across the month to account for busier times/finance deadlines
• Location: Work from home, UK based (home working allowance given)
• Salary: £24,722 (pro rata)
• Annual leave: 25 days per year, pro rata, increasing 1 day per year pro rata with each year of service (to a maximum of 30 days)
• Employee benefits: Employee assistance programme, flexible working
• Contract: Fixed term 11-month contract

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 9am Monday 15th September 2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

Invoices and expenses

1. Inputting all expense invoices, staff expenses & petty cash transactions into accounting software (Xero), ensuring everything is coded to the right budget line
2. Issuing invoices for suppliers, ensuring payments are received in a timely manner and recording them in Xero.
3. Sending a monthly reminder to freelancers and choir managers to submit invoices & completed petty cash books in time for month end deadline
4.  Saving invoices into SharePoint and ensuring these records are complete and up to date every month
5. Cross checking bank statements with income and expenses, ensuring all transactions are accounted for, identifying missing invoices/receipts and chasing the relevant staff
6. Updating our contact and invoicing details with suppliers and freelancers

Donation administration

1. Recording all donations & donor info in our donor CRM database (eTapestry)
2. Producing income queries and reports when required

Impact data

1. Inputting member survey data as well as other impact data as needed
2. Producing reports on impact data as needed

Finance reporting

1. Input cash basis income and expenditure into a monthly cash flow spreadsheet and create summaries for Choir Managers
2. Consolidating income data from multiple online donation platforms and in varied formats into a single monthly report
3. Producing month end platform and database income reports for our bookkeeper
4. Support the Head of Development with month and quarter end reporting for the board of trustees.

General administration

1. Minuting quarterly board and committee meetings

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Alignment with our values of family, fun, integrity and collaboration
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Confident with numbers/maths
• Good time management
• Good communication skills
• Excellent knowledge of Excel and use of formulae
• Ability to work to hard deadlines
• Plenty of common sense
• Ability to learn quickly and use initiative to get the job done
• Trustworthy and honest when handling confidential information

Desirable

• Knowledge of basic bookkeeping
• Experience using of online accounting software ie: Xero
• Experience of using donor databases/CRM systems such as eTapestry/Raisers Edge
• Experience using Microsoft 365 programme suite incl. Teams, Outlook, Excel

Data Officer 

Data Officer, L'Arche in the UK

ABOUT THE ROLE

Hours of work: 30 hours per week. 

Salary: £26,543 - £28,429 (depending on experience) pro rata.

Place of work: Hybrid, with 2-3 days a week in our Manchester office

Contract Type: Permanent, Part-time

Closing date: Sunday 14th September at 20:00

This position does not offer sponsorship and is best suited for candidates already located in the Manchester area.

Main purpose of the role:

We are looking for a Data Officer passionate about solving problems and providing excellent administrative support to ensure that:

• The Fundraising and Communications Team have a true and complete repository of supporter data;
• The database includes all Community fundraising and communications data;
• The database is aligned with our Finance database;
• Gift Aid fundraising is delivered for all eligible donors;
• All L'Arche supporters are being communicated with according to their preferences and in line with relevant communication regulations; 

Key essential criteria:

• Experience of providing effective and efficient administrative support to an individual or team, including managing an email inbox, responding to external queries professionally and in a timely manner;
• Experience of building productive relationships with suppliers and colleagues;
• Experience of using any customer relationship database. We use the fundraising database Donorfy. 
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, primarily Excel, Word, Outlook;
• Logical and organised with excellent written and oral communication skills;

You can find more details about L'Arche on our website.

Discover what makes L’Arche a rewarding place to work—explore our employee benefits on our website.

A full job description and person specification can be found in the recruitment pack.

The closing date for applications is: Sunday 14th September at 20:00

Interviews will be held on Thursday 25th September. 

We encourage you not to wait until the closing date to submit your application, as we may begin interviewing strong candidates before then.

We also reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive enough suitable applications.

To apply, please answer the questions on our online application form.

Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.

REF-223 699

Home-Start London is seeking a dynamic and driven Partnerships & Projects Coordinator to play a pivotal role in growing our impact across the capital. In this varied and rewarding role, you’ll work closely with our network of local Home-Starts, developing and managing partnerships and generating income to support and extend Home-Start services. Your work will directly help secure vital income and drive collaborative initiatives that ensure every child has the best possible start in life. If you’re a skilled relationship builder, confident fundraiser, and organised project manager with a passion for making a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll do:

• Proactively seek out, develop and manage new partnerships, generating income to support and extend Home-Start services
• Support the Operations Coordinator to manage existing consortia projects, ensuring quality and meeting targets
• Deliver timely reporting for internal and external stakeholders
• Lead on planning and delivery of network events, showcasing Home-Start’s work and impact for children and families
• Regularly engage with local Home-Start teams, from co-designing new projects to providing training and support with local fundraising efforts
• Work with HSL’s Communications Lead and local Home-Start teams to develop external communications that showcase Home-Start’s work, including content for website and socials
• Ensure compliance with partnership governance procedures, funding agreements, and internal policy
• Maintain accurate record keeping for all partnerships and projects
• Provide administrative support to the team, supporting efficient operations
• Manage volunteers as required, ensuring that they are happy, effective and well supported
• Any other duties that may be reasonably requested of the postholder

What we’re looking for:

• An excellent relationship builder, skilled fundraiser and strong project manager
• Confidence in engaging and inspiring a diverse range of stakeholders  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong administrative skills, including maintaining accurate records and supporting operational processes
• Proactive, solution-focused and adaptable, able to embrace new challenges and changing priorities effectively
• Passionate about Home-Start’s mission to ensure every child has the best start in life
• Confident in using MS Office, including Excel
• Commitment to, and understanding of, safeguarding, equal opportunities and maintaining confidentiality
• An understanding of the small charity sector, including funding landscape (knowledge of and networks in London an advantage)
• Knowledge of /experience in early years and family support service

This job is home-based but will require regular travel in London.

About Vision Action

Vision Action, formally Vision Aid Overseas, is a UK-based charity, with a focus on fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care services in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa. The charity was established in 1985. Our work focuses on the development of services for uncorrected refractive error and primary eye health. Uncorrected refractive error is the world’s leading cause of avoidable visual impairment, with an estimated 670 million people affected worldwide. We develop programmes that integrate training, primary eye care, school eye health and facility developments into national and regional eye care plans, seeking always to be responsive to local need. In this way, we help children to learn and adults to earn so that they can provide for their families. Currently, the organisation has programmes operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia, and Sierra Leone.

We need great people to help us on this journey. You do not need to have a public health, eye care or charity sector background to work with us. We need our people to be self-starters, innovators and able to get on and work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Job Purpose

Vision Action seeks a highly dynamic individual for a one-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of an extension. The position is part of the management team, and the post holder will be expected to lead on the financial accounting, management accounting, and budgeting for the organisation as well as taking forward some strategic finance and operations projects as we expand our programmes in existing countries. The individual will also be expected to support the Co-CEOs with administrative, compliance and IT related tasks.

The position holder is required to comply with all of Vision Action’s policies and procedures, including Vision Action’s Safeguarding policy.

The successful applicant must have the right to work in the UK.

Functions / Key Responsibilities:

1. Finance

• Maintain a strong control environment, ensuring accounting records are complete and accurate.

Financial accounting

• Prepare annual statutory accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
• Prepare for the annual external audit and host auditors ensuring the audit process runs smoothly. This includes supporting Vision Action’s country offices in hosting their respective audits.
• Ensure annual statutory accounts are finalised and submitted to Companies House and the Charity Commission by the appropriate deadlines.

Management accounting

• Coordinate the month-end process with the Finance Officer (UK) and Programme Finance Lead, and review transaction postings.
• Prepare monthly management accounts with cash flow forecasts, modifying the format as needed to suit the preferences of senior management and the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare the annual organisational budget and mid-year reforecast.
• Improve existing budget templates to enable straightforward and transparent budgeting for donors.

Support to country offices

• Collaborate with the Programme Finance Lead on a monthly basis to reconcile intercompany accounts, ensuring that reconciling items are cleared promptly.
• Support country office teams in fulfilling any reporting and financial compliance requirements.
• Conduct internal process reviews (internal audits) of country offices where required.
• Review the bi-weekly payment runs for the UK office and the monthly country office fund requests, ensuring cash flow planning is in place for these payments.
• Ensure asset registers are maintained appropriately.

2. Administration

• Support staff in conducting procurement in line with Vision Action’s procurement policy.
• Assist with preparation for quarterly Board meetings.
• Support office management tasks.

3. Other

• Review and develop existing policies and procedures (e.g. the Finance Manual).
• Conduct staff training on relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other task reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Competencies
Essential

• Delivering Results: Dynamic self-starter able to work independently within a small entrepreneurial team.
• Process improvements: Continual review financial processes and identifying areas for improvement.
• Time Management: Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Collaborative: Able to work closely within a small team in the UK and overseas.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Adaptable and sensitive to working patterns and styles in diverse cultural contexts.
• Accuracy: Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Leadership and Management: Lead by example and support colleagues.

Qualifications and experience
Essential

• CCAB fully qualified accountant or finalist, proficient at using MS Office (Advanced Excel)
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in a finance role.
• Preparation of financial accounts.
• Preparation of financial information for senior leadership.
• Preparation of information for and hosting of external auditors.
• Organisational budgeting.
• Budgeting for and reporting to donors.
• Setting up reporting systems to ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting to donors.
• Establishing financial controls and systems.
• Using accounting packages.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience of working in an international charity.
• Preparing charity accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
• Preparing financial information for Board members.
• Involvement in a financial systems upgrade.
• Conducting internal audits.
• Using QuickBooks.
• Experience of working in international development.

We are looking for an experienced Finance Director to join our team of nearly 100 staff, ideally before the end of 2025.

This is a full-time, home-based, permanent position. You can be based anywhere in mainland UK or Ireland, with some travel and occasional overnight stays to meeting and conferences mainly in England and Wales.

We offer flexibility around working hours, including the option of a 9 day fortnight - time off in lieu is also available. We offer 25 days holiday pro rata (rising to 28 days) plus statutory public holidays. We are happy to make adjustments for people with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities, and we welcome applications from all communities.

The role is a grade 7 position with a starting salary circa £75,000 plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution.

The Finance Director (“FD”) works alongside the Chief Executive and Operations Director to manage the finances and governance of The Rivers Trust, a leading conservation charity with three associated trading subsidiaries operating across the UK and Ireland, with a collective annual income approaching £10m.

Given the prospective retirement of the current postholder at the end of 2025, we are seeking a well-qualified and experienced individual to take on this senior leadership role as soon as possible to enable handover to occur.

The role is very varied and wide-ranging, including presenting financial information to the Trustees and senior management on a quarterly basis, reviewing monthly management accounts, leading on annual budgeting, appraising internal project concepts and contracts, statutory compliance administration and liaising with auditors.

The postholder will lead a team of eight in the Finance department and join a very welcoming team of 95 highly engaged and passionate staff at The Rivers Trust.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Working alongside the CEO, the Finance Director will provide commercial, financial and governance management and leadership for The Rivers Trust ("the Charity") and its associated subsidiaries (“The Companies”). The FD will not only be an exceptional accountant, with executive oversight of the finance function, but will be commercially astute and have the confidence to represent robustly the best interests of The Companies. The FD will also be an experienced manager of people.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Act as a business partner to support and constructively challenge the CEO in the general management of the Charity and the Companies, reporting to the board.
2. Lead all aspects of the finance function (including maintaining and developing the financial control environment; robust financial accounting; cashflow management; incisive management information; clear and concise reporting to Board) to ensure that the Charity and the Companies’ assets are secured, risks are managed, and the Board of Trustees, subsidiary boards and committees can make well-informed decisions.
3. Manage relationships with auditors, funders, IT specialists, banks, investment platforms and other external organisations.
4. Provide support to project bids and the development of other commercial opportunities to ensure that bids/opportunities are optimised for the Charity and the Companies as a whole.
5. Provide input to project and programme delivery from time to time, to ensure that performance is maximised for the Charity and the Companies.
6. Attend Board meetings and Business Audit and Risk Committee meetings to guide the Board and the Senior Management Team on financial, commercial and governance issues.
7. Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and Companies House and, from time to time, provide guidance to members of the Rivers Trust movement on good governance practice.
8. Maintain the finance department operational manual for business continuity.
9. Serve as the Company Secretary for the Charity and Companies.

Staff Management:

1. Lead, manage and develop the finance team (who work remotely) and ensure the team understands their respective and collective contribution to achieving the Charity's and the Companies’ objectives.
2. Support the team in their professional development.
3. Ensure the team delivers a high-quality service focused on internal and external customers and funders.

Knowledge, skills, experience, and personal qualities:

Essential

• Significant experience in financial management and senior leadership roles, ideally gained in a range of organisations.
• A strategic thinker, able to see the big-picture, shape long-term direction and balance this with attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills combined with creativity and openness to innovate.
• Strong IT and digital skills, with experience of using technology to improve efficiency and automate processes.
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of managing, developing, and inspiring teams and creating a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Excellent relationship builder, with the interpersonal skills to influence, collaborate, and provide constructive challenge while maintaining positive relationships across the organisation, including with trustees and senior stakeholders.
• Experience reporting to boards of trustees and/or directors, with the confidence to contribute to board-level discussions as a trusted adviser.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, able to distil complexity into pertinent, concise and understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
• The courage to make and communicate tough decisions and be open about risks and setbacks.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, with the ability to maintain focus and steady leadership in challenging circumstances.
• Impeccable standards of integrity and personal ethics, acting as a role model for the organisation values.
• Knowledge of Sage financial software packages.
• Work to a good standard in Microsoft 365, especially Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the charitable sector.
• Experience of being a Company Secretary.
• Understanding of the environmental sector or a passion for making a positive impact.
• Familiarity in using Sharepoint, Sage and Slack.
• Knowledge of Partial Exemption VAT rules.
• A basic understanding of Irish tax law, Irish and UK payroll taxes and corporate governance.

Qualifications/ Education

• Qualified Accountant, preferably ICAEW or ACCA.

Additional information

Everyone who works for us is expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive working culture and follow our policies and procedures including Health & Safety, EDI, Cybersecurity and GDPR.

Please note we can only accept applications made through this site, and not sent by email or other methods.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you through the process, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter.

Closing date: Wednesday 24th September 2025

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a strong pool of applications, so we encourage early submission