This busy centre-city parish wishes to appoint a parish secretary to support the parish team and to manage a busy parish office. A brief description of the parish and the existing work of the parish office, as well as a job description for the post are available from the Parish Office, St Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, Dublin 2, telephone 01-6761270, westlandrow@dublindiocese.ie.

The parish hosts two special chaplaincies – Lithuanian and Chinese – as well as catering for this historic inner-city community and offering a spiritual resource to the thousands of commuters who travel into the area daily.

This is a joint appointment with St Andrew’s Resource Centre, of which the successful applicant will be an employee. The person will be based in the parish office in St Andrew’s Church.

The appointment will be on a full time basis and subject to a six month probationary period and Garda vetting. A salary in line with qualifications and experience will be offered.

Applications with CV to Fr John Gilligan, Administrator, St Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, Dublin 2 by 5pm on 1st May, 2015.

St Andrew’s Parish, Westland Row and the Parish Office.

The parish centres on the historic church of St Andrew, beside Pearse Station. Bounded by Pearse Street, the Grand Canal, Baggot Street and Grafton Street, the parish contains many of Dubln’s key institutions. It is also home to a historic and proud inner-city community, who have been joined in recent years by a young and mobile international population working locally.

The parish team includes the chaplains to the Lithuanian and Chinese communities who worship here, and it supports the chaplains to TCD and Holles Street Hospital. There is an active parish council, an

award-winning choir, an active team of lay ministers and good links to local schools. Many commuters call into the church daily and attend weekday Masses, while we receive many tourists throughout the year. The extensive parish records are an important genealogical resource and sourcing parish records for pastoral and family history purposes is an important part of the work of the office.

The parish has plans to increase the range of facilities and services it provides to the different elements of the community it serves.

The parish sponsors St Andrew’s Resource Centre, an independent organisation that meets the social care needs of the community. The parish secretary is employed by the Resource Centre and the Office cooperates closely with the Centre in disseminating information and in employment programmes. The post entails supervision and direction of staff and employment programme participants assigned to the church by the Resource Centre.

The parish secretary is a key member of the parish team. The post is a demanding one but provides an opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution to an enthusiastic, experienced and flexible person.

Description

Reporting to the Parish Administrator, the parish secretary will be responsible for managing all aspects of the work of the parish office. This will include maintenance and development of all financial and non-financial records; engaging with parishioners and members or the public contacting the office;  supervision of staff, trainees and volunteers working in the office and, as required, other areas of the church;  producing information and reports required for parish, diocesan or regulatory purposes; delivering information on services provided by St Andrew’s Resource Centre and offering other supports to the Centre as agreed; and assisting the parish team to develop the services and facilities offered by the parish and the office.

An indicative list of particular duties is attached.

The person appointed will have at least five years’ administrative experience with strong practical skills;  excellent communication and interpersonal skills; well developed customer service skills with a strong empathetic approach; a proven capacity to work under pressure, both on their own and as part of a team; and a confident and flexible approach as a productive team member.

Significant book-keeping and computerised accounts maintenance experience is essential, as is IT competence with specific experience of MS Office.

Experience of website maintenance, social media operations and staff supervision is desirable.

The successful candidate will be be an enthusiastic and committed person with personal initiative and a proven capacity for teamwork.

The person appointed will be employed by St Andrew’s Resource Centre subject to a six month probationary period and Garda vetting. The appointee will work full time (35 hours) in the Parish Office in St Andrew’s Church and report to the Parish Administrator in respect of the duties of the post, and in respect of personal conduct and other conditions of employment to the Administrator of St Andrew’s Resource Centre.

The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.