Application Pack. Assistant Accountant. Westminster Abbey

Transcription

1 Application Pack Assistant Accountant Westminster Abbey

2 Contents About Westminster Abbey Job Description and Person Specification Working for us Equality statement How to apply WESTMINSTER-ABBEY.ORG

3 About Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey is a major centre for Christian worship, a leading venue for tourism and a treasured part of Britain s heritage. The Abbey has occupied a central place in the celebration of great events for the nation and remains one of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces in Britain. A living Church, Westminster Abbey is the House of Kings, where the coronation of Kings and Queens has taken place since 1066, and where many of the Kings and Queens of England and of the United Kingdom are buried. Principal among them is St Edward the Confessor, King of England from 1042 to 1066, whose shrine is at the heart of the Abbey Church. Beside and around them are buried or commemorated many of the great men and women from almost every century of British history: statesmen and politicians, lawyers, warriors, clerics, writers, artists, musicians. Westminster Abbey is a Royal Peculiar, and the Dean and Chapter of Westminster are directly responsible to the Sovereign. Westminster Abbey s Mission is To serve Almighty God as a school of the Lord s service by offering divine worship daily and publicly; To serve the Sovereign by daily prayer and by a ready response to requests made by or on behalf of Her Majesty; To serve the nation by fostering the place of true religion within national life, maintaining a close relationship with members of the House of Commons and House of Lords and with others in representative positions; To serve pilgrims and all other visitors and to maintain a tradition of hospitality. The Abbey attracts approximately one million paying visitors each year, from all around the world. A large number of people also attend services which take place seven days a week. Daily services are only part of the Abbey s work, for there are also many special services and events throughout the year. Westminster Abbey currently employs around 200 staff in a variety of roles and an even larger number of volunteers. The Abbey receives no regular income from the State, the Church of England or the Royal Family, and relies on monies raised from visitors to ensure that the building can be properly maintained and remain open as an amenity for all.

4 Job Description JOB TITLE: ACCOUNTABLE TO: Assistant Accountant Finance Manager KEY RELATIONSHIPS: Internal: The Dean and Chapter, Canon Treasurer, Payroll Accountant and all staff based in the Chapter Office, and other Abbey and WAEL staff. External: Tour Guides, service providers and suppliers, event organisers. BACKGROUND: JOB SUMMARY: The Finance Department assists the Receiver General by holding overall responsibility for all financial matters for Westminster Abbey, Westminster Abbey Choir School and Westminster Abbey Enterprises Ltd. The Finance Department manages the audit and ensures all returns and reporting requirements are met. To process and control all purchase ledger transactions for the Abbey, Westminster Abbey Enterprises Ltd and the Westmonasterium Trust. To monitor and report to the Finance Manager on key expenditure items e.g. energy usage, council tax and business rates, catering and hospitality expense. To assist the Payroll Accountant and Finance Manager with other key processes: sales invoicing, entry ticket insurance, bank/cash and petty cash payments. To operate credit control and perform supplier reconciliations. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Purchase ledger To be the main point of enquiries arising from purchase ledger transactions. To control the purchase ledger for Westminster Abbey and Westminster Abbey Enterprise Limited. To manage the approval process and prepare for payment by BACS and cheques; to fast track payments together with organizing a weekly run of BACS payments for both entities. To manage the credit application process for new suppliers. 2. Sales invoicing To raise and dispatch sales invoices: in particular invoices for Special Events, Choir School fees, Catering and hospitality. To sell pre-paid vouchers for Tour Guides via Galaxy ticket system, liaising with tour companies to manage bookings.

5 Banking and processing of all cash and cheque payments for invoices. To process Visa/Credit Cards payments for pre booked tickets. To operate credit control process for both entities. 3. Controlling donations Banking and recording of all donations received, including those of Westmonasterium Trust, liaising and reporting to other departments as appropriate. 4. Specific work on key expenditure includes (for example) To monitor compliance by energy suppliers with the current contract. To monitor and pay Council Tax and Water Rates for Westminster Abbey Residents. Manage and control the transfer of Electricity and Gas Accounts to new Energy suppliers, and update meter reading database. To monitor the re-invoicing of catering and hospitality expenditure to relevant departments, or to external clients. 5. General support Managing the diaries for the Senior Accounts team, arranging meetings for various committees, both internal and external. Assisting the Head of Finance with general administration duties including answering phone calls, meeting preparations and some minute taking. Assisting the other members of the finance team during busy periods and providing holiday cover. To undertake any other responsibilities appropriate to the level of the role, as delegated by the Finance Manager or the Head of Finance. WESTMINSTERABBEY.ORG

6 Person Specification PERSON SPECIFICATION: Assistant Accountant This section outlines the knowledge, skills and abilities the job holder needs in order to fulfil the requirements of the post. Essential criteria are those that the job holder absolutely must have in order to do the job. Desirable criteria are those qualities that would be either useful, or an advantage or those which the job holder can be trained to do. Essential Skills/Aptitudes/Knowledge: 1. To be able to prioritise in order to meet deadlines and chase up cheques, so they have been signed. 2. To be PC literate and to use Excel. 3. To be accurate and to have meticulous attention to detail. 4. Demonstrate a high level of numeracy. Experience: 5. To have at least 2 years relevant experience of working in an accounts environment. Personal Attributes: 6. To work effectively within a small team day-to-day without supervision from the Financial Manager. 7. To be friendly and approachable is part of the Assistant Accountant role. 8. To be able to maintain complete confidentiality at all times. 9. To work within the ethos and values of Westminster Abbey. Circumstances: 10. To have a flexible approach and work additional hours as circumstances occasionally demand. Desirable 11. To have experience of a similar role in Finance. 12. To be able to use SUN Accounts and Vision to a high standard. This Job Profile will be kept under review and may be amended by the Dean & Chapter from time to time. Any proposed changes will be discussed with the post holder.

7 Working for Us Pay The rate of pay is 17,700 per annum. Rates of pay are reviewed annually in October. Working Hours Working hours is 24 hours a week over 3 days, Tuesday-Thursday. Annual Holidays The holiday entitlement is 19 days per annum including recognised public holidays, rising to 20 days per annum in the fifth year of service. Training On-site training will be provided in all aspects of the job. Any further training needs will be assessed through the probation period and in annual appraisals. Pension Scheme and Life Assurance All employees can join a Group Personal Pension plan, where the minimum employee contribution is 3% and the maximum employer contribution is 9% (as determined by the level of the employee contribution). You will be auto-enrolled into our qualifying workplace pension scheme after 3 months, if you meet the eligibility criteria. All employees are covered by death-in-service life assurance, whether or not they choose to join the pension scheme. Staff Discount All employees receive a 20% discount on purchases from the Westminster Abbey shop and a 30% discount on purchases from the Benugo outlets within the Abbey precincts which serve refreshments. Childcare Vouchers Parents of children up to the age of 15 can use part of their salary to buy childcare vouchers. Season Ticket Loan A season ticket loan is offered after completion of a probationary period, repayable over 10 months. Medical Insurance The Abbey will pay 50% of premiums to join a nominated medical insurance scheme after one year s employment.

8 Equality Statement and How to Apply Equality Statement The Dean and Chapter aim at all times to recruit the person who is most suited to the job. Recruitment will be solely on the basis of the applicant s abilities and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the job. Qualifications, skills and experience will be assessed at the level that is relevant to the job. We will ensure that our shortlisting, interviewing and selection procedures avoid discrimination in any way, including on grounds of age, disability, gender, marital status or civil partnership, race, nationality or ethic origins, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Please return the Equal Opportunities Monitoring form with your application. This will help us monitor our recruitment practice. The form will not be seen by the people making the selection decision. How to Apply Please complete our application form as CVs will not be accepted. In your application you should clearly specify your preferred post and hours of work. Read the Job Description and Person Specification of the role you are applying for carefully and think about how your experience, skills and abilities help you to meet the requirements listed in the Person Specification. Use the Supporting Statement section of the form to tell us how you meet each of the requirements. As well as your previous work experience, tell us about other relevant experience such as community and voluntary experience. Clear information on how you meet all the requirements of the job, with relevant examples, will help us with shortlisting, and we may not be able to shortlist you for interview if you do not provide this. Please send your completed application to: The Human Resources Department The Chapter Office 20 Dean s Yard London SW1P 3PA or it to us: applications@westminster-abbey.org Applications should arrive no later than Tuesday 21 st at noon. Interviews will likely take place on Friday 1 May If you are invited for interview you will be asked to produce evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK. Offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, a medical and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at enhanced level. We regret that due to the large number of applications we receive we are only able to contact applicants who have been shortlisted for interview. Thank you for your interest in working at Westminster Abbey.