Executive Assistant - Chaplaincy

Role

Title:

Executive Assistant - Chaplaincy

Grade and Salary: Grade 5, £26,707 - £31,236 per annum

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35hrs per week) Fixed Term (9 Months)

Reward and Benefits
: 28 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator:  to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

The Chaplaincy is a place of welcome and hospitality, a cultural meeting place, and a place for prayer and worship. It is essential that the Executive Assistant has a warm, welcoming personality and will easily interact with groups of students, visitors and with individuals.

Part of the Student Wellbeing Service, the Chaplaincy is based in its own premises at the Edinburgh campus where there are approximately 9000 students. The purpose of the Chaplaincy is to enhance the student experience by promoting spiritual and social wellbeing to people of all faiths and no religious faith, and by providing a multi-cultural meeting place for mutual support and interaction.

It has a key place in the University’s Strategy of Building Flourishing Communities. It plays a key role in delivering events that form part of the student experience and in particular for our international students.

The Chaplaincy building is used for a wide variety of spiritual and social activities and events and is run by a team of staff and volunteers. Some of the key activities taking place in the building or organised by the Chaplaincy are as follows:

• A soup lunch on Tuesday and a weekly meal on Wednesday evenings caters for 70+ students
• Worship provision– a Sunday service is held each week
• Social and cultural events (some run by the Chaplaincy and others by student or staff groups)
• Regular weekly groups e.g. Discussion Group
• Trips to the Scottish countryside for international students
• Distribution of kitchen equipment at beginning of semesters

Major university events such as the Anniversary Church Service, Annual Public Lecture and Christmas Carol Celebration

This post plays a key role in delivering a front-line service to students and staff.

You will work in a team consisting of the Chaplain, Executive Assistant, Chaplaincy International Worker, part-time Muslim Chaplain, part-time cook, plus two student residents who reside in the building and several volunteers. You will contribute to the hospitality offered throughout the week, including catering activities, ensuring compliance with food hygiene regulations and kitchen cleanliness. You will be responsible for the administrative work of the Chaplaincy – e.g. databases, diaries, publicity, purchasing, bookings, website and social media, preparing items for print, and the operational side of events and the Chaplaincy itself.

• Shared responsibility for the day-to- day organization of the Chaplaincy, responding to enquiries from students, staff, residents or the general public regarding the use of the facilities.
• Assist with planning, organising and publicising the Welcome Week programmes, Pots and Pans Recycling and major annual events such as the Christmas Carol celebration, Anniversary Church Service and Annual Public Lecture
• Publicity: prepare and ensure accurate information about Chaplaincy activities and events is published on all digital platforms including HWU website, Facebook and Instagram
• Hospitality: contribute to student support initiatives including cake and coffee sessions and other outreach events as may be organised
• Responsible for kitchen hygiene for Chaplaincy events (excluding when the Chaplaincy Cook is on site)
• General administrative duties:
  Scanning, filing, photocopying, maintaining Chaplaincy noticeboards, preparation for Sunday services,…