PA to the Chief Executive (Permanent
contract)
Full Time – 38 hrs per week
Responsible to: Chief Executive
Responsible for: Museum Administrator
This document contains the following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Details of Post
Duties and responsibilities of the post
Person specification
Museum mission and mandate
Background to the Jewish Museum London
Equal Opportunities Policy and Monitoring Form
To apply, please send your current CV and a cover letter, explaining your interest
in the post and relevant experience and qualifications, together with details of at
least two referees, your current salary and information regarding your availability.
To assist us in arranging interviews, please note if there are any dates when you will be
unavailable for interview as a result of holiday arrangements.
Please also indicate if there are any restrictions on you taking up employment in the UK
and if so, provide details.
The Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form should be completed and included with your
application.
Please send your application to:
Larry Melinek
Jewish Museum London
Raymond Burton House
129-131 Albert Street
London
NW1 7NB
Or by email to: larry.melinek@jewishmuseum.org.uk
Closing date for applications: Monday 29th September 2014, by 5pm.
Interviews will be held: Initial selection interviews will be conducted on Monday 6th
October. If your application is progressed to the next stage, you will be asked to attend
a second interview on Tuesday 7th October 2013.
For further information about the museum, please visit our website
www.jewishmuseum.org.uk
Annual Salary: £25,000
Hours: 38 hours per week including lunch breaks
Holiday entitlement: 20 days per year with an additional allowance for public holidays
and Jewish festivals (approximately 6-12 days per calendar year), increasing to 22 days
after two calendar years.
1. DETAILS OF THE POST
Working at the heart of the Museum, you will provide dedicated PA support to the Chief
Executive, ensuring the best use of time and resources. This role will involve liaising with
a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, representing the Chief Executive’s
views and anticipating her needs by overseeing the management of her diary, preparing
briefings and carrying out research for meetings and presentations. In consultation with
the Chief Executive, the post holder will be responsible for the smooth running for the
day-to-day logistics of all CEO activities.
2. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Managing the Chief Executive’s Outlook and paper diaries, scheduling meetings,
visits and business trips to ensure a smooth running itinerary, including cost
effective hotel and travel arrangements.
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Arranging the Chief Executive’s filing systems (hard copy and electronic).
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To respond professionally to incoming calls, dealing with as many as possible
directly to free up the Chief Executive’s time, whilst presenting a positive image
to callers and providing back-up for the main Museum telephone switchboard.
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To welcome visitors to the Museum and Chief Executive’s office, ensuring their
needs are catered for, including arranging refreshments for visitors and
colleagues when required.
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Managing the Museum’s calendar of activity and coordination of internal office
communications to ensure that all staff are kept informed of key aspects of the
Museum’s plans and activities.
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Managing the Chief Executive’s correspondence and paperwork (paper and
electronic), including drafting and preparing outgoing communications.
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Scheduling and servicing meetings, including staff/team meetings, and drafting,
preparing and collating briefings, papers and reports, for Senior Management
Team (SMT) and Trustee meetings.
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Helping to ensure good communication throughout the organization.
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Co-ordinating and managing specific CEO projects as required.
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Attend and minute meetings as required, circulating minutes/action points and
ensuring that follow up actions are taken.
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Liaising with a wide range internal and external stakeholders and contacts,
including high level contacts such as the Museum’s Board of Trustees, donors
and Government departments.
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Assisting with reporting to the Board of Trustees and other trustee meetings.
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Organising of a range of VIP internal events and meetings, including exhibition
launch events and private views, in liaison with relevant departments.
•
Ad hoc duties e.g. typing reports and letters from manual copy.
•
Overseeing office management and ensure cover during office hours and the
efficient running of the office (e.g. filing systems, stationery, room bookings,
phone cover, incoming and outgoing mail).
•
Liaising with, managing and negotiating with external service suppliers as
required.
•
Some out of hours work, including attending meetings and museum events, as
required.
•
Some personal admin tasks for the Chief Executive as required.
2. PROFILE OF CANDIDATE
The candidates who appear from their application to best meet the essential criteria will
be invited to interview. It is thus essential that your cover letter gives a full but concise
description of the nature, extent and level of the responsibilities you have held. The short
listing criteria are detailed below.
•
Service orientated individual; cheerful and a team player.
•
Excellent communication skills, including very high standards of written and
spoken English and a good telephone manner.
•
Excellent organisational and administrative skills, including ability to work to tight
deadlines, accurately interpret what is of most importance to the CEO and
prioritise accordingly to efficiently complete tasks.
•
Demonstrable inter-personal skills and used to dealing with people at all levels.
•
Advanced user of ICT using the Microsoft Office software suite (PowerPoint,
Outlook, Excel and Word). Grasps new technology easily.
•
Able to work independently but also contribute positively within a team
framework.
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Able to work calmly and methodically under pressure.
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Flexible.
Essential:
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•
•
•
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Educated to degree level in a relevant subject or holds similar qualifications.
Proven track record in a similar role, or demonstrable administrative experience
within a busy, demanding office environment.
High level of professionalism, including ability to exercise tact and discretion and
adept at dealing with confidential and sensitive information.
Good problem solving skills and uses initiative to think ahead to spot potential
issues before time.
Focused, methodical, cheerful and flexible.
Desirable:
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Knowledge of working within a similar sized cultural institution.
•
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Experience of the museums/heritage or cultural sector.
Good knowledge of or proven interest in Jewish history, culture and religion.
4. MUSEUM MISSION AND MANDATE
Mission
The Jewish Museum aims to explore and preserve Jewish heritage, celebrate diversity
and challenge prejudice.
Mandate
The Jewish Museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits material relating to
Jewish history, culture and religious life. It draws on the Jewish experience as a focus for
the exploration of identity in a multicultural society, actively engaging with the shared
experiences represented in the diverse cultural heritage of London, Britain and the wider
world. As a forum for education, learning and interfaith dialogue, the Museum
encourages understanding and respect by challenging stereotypes and combating
prejudice in all its forms.
5. BACKGROUND TO THE JEWISH MUSEUM LONDON
Founded in 1932, the Jewish Museum relocated in 1995 to an elegant, early Victorian
listed building in the vibrant neighbourhood of Camden Town. In the same year it
amalgamated, on a two-site basis, with the former London Museum of Jewish Life, in
Finchley. Following the amalgamation, the Museum operated as a single organisation
with a unified management structure, but with two locations (the Jewish Museum Camden Town and the Jewish Museum - Finchley), with complementary collections,
displays and activities. In September 2007, both sites of the Museum closed in
preparation for a major capital development project, funded by the Heritage Lottery
Fund. The Museum reopened on a single expanded site in Camden Town in March
2010, bringing all collections and activities together for the first time.
The Museum’s collections cover Jewish history, culture and religious life in Britain and
beyond. The Judaica collections were awarded Designated status by the Museums
Libraries & Archives Council in 1997 in recognition of their outstanding importance as
part of the national heritage, and are widely considered to be one of the world’s finest
collections of Jewish ceremonial art. The history collections span from the medieval
period through to the present day, preserving the diverse roots and heritage of different
waves of Jewish migration to Britain, with a particular emphasis on the Jewish East End
of London and the experience of refugees from Nazism.
Since the merger, the Museum has built up a wide range of exhibitions and activities,
including an acclaimed programme of Holocaust and anti-racist education, Discovering
Judaism programmes for young people and events for all ages.
The Jewish Museum plays an immensely important role in bringing to life and
celebrating the diversity of Jewish life, history and culture in the UK as well as helping to
increase understanding across the many communities within our multi-cultural society.
It is in a unique position to do this. The Museum has a world renowned collection, from
which it draws its permanent display. It also hosts a wide range of changing, innovative
exhibitions. Recently this has included the Amy Winehouse, Kitaj and Four Four Jew –
Football, Fans and Faith exhibitions, which have attracted record numbers of visitors and
featured prominently in the national press. Its award winning education programme also
continues to attract more and more school parties each year.
This is an exciting time for the museum and it has ambitious plans to build on these
successes, reach ever more people and enhance its position as a cultural landmark.
6. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY
1. Statement of Policy
The Jewish Museum endeavours to be an equal opportunity employer and has a policy for
this purpose.
The aim of the policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less than
favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins,
age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability or is disadvantaged by conditions or
requirements which cannot be seen to be justifiable.
This policy covers all aspects of employment including vacancy advertising, selection,
recruitment, training, conditions of service and reasons for termination of service.
To ensure that this policy is operating effectively and for no other purpose the Museum
maintains records of employee’s racial origins, gender and disability. The Museum will
ensure that there is ongoing monitoring and analysis of such records to provide the basis
for appropriate action to eliminate unlawful direct and indirect discrimination and promote
equality of opportunity.
The Chief Executive is responsible for the effective operation of the Jewish Museum’s
Equal Opportunities policy.
2. The Policy
2.1 Vacancy Advertising
Wherever possible all vacancies will be advertised simultaneously internally and externally.
Steps will be taken to ensure that knowledge of vacancies reaches underrepresented
groups internally and externally.
All vacancy adverts will include an appropriate short statement on equal opportunity.
2.2 Selection and Recruitment
Selection criteria (job description and employee specification) will be kept under constant
review to ensure they are justifiable on non-discriminatory grounds as being essential for
the effective performance of the job.
At least two people must be involved in the selection interview and recruitment process,
and should have received training in equal opportunities. Reasons for selection and
rejection of applicants must be recorded.
2.3 Personnel Records
In order to ensure the effective operation of the equal opportunities policy and for no other
reason a record will be kept of all job applicants’ and employees’ racial origins and
disability.
Where necessary employees will be able to check/ correct their own record with regard to
equal opportunities. Otherwise access to this information will be protected.
Such records will be analysed regularly and appropriate follow up action taken.
2.4 Equal Opportunities and Volunteers
The Jewish Museum is committed to supporting and developing its volunteers and will
apply the spirit and where applicable the letter of this policy to them.
2.5 Service Users
The Jewish Museum also seeks to provide equality of opportunity for service users of all
backgrounds. Particular effort is made to reach the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged
through its programme of outreach which includes educational programmes, talks and
travelling displays.
Wherever possible efforts will be made to identify and remove unnecessary/unjustifiable
barriers and provide appropriate facilities and conditions of service to meet the needs of
disadvantaged and/or underrepresented groups.
3. General
The objectives of this Equal Opportunities Employment policy are
• To ensure that The Jewish Museum has access to the widest labour market and
secures the best employees for its needs.
• Ensures that no applicant or employee receives less than favourable treatment and
that wherever possible they are given the help they need to reach their full potential
to the benefit of the Jewish Museum and themselves.
The cooperation of all employees is essential for the success of this policy. However the
ultimate responsibility for achieving the policy’s objectives and for ensuring compliance with
the relevant Acts of Parliament as well as the various codes of practice lies with the Jewish
Museum. Behaviour against the spirit and/or the letter of the laws on which this policy is
based will be considered a serious disciplinary matter and may in some cases lead to
dismissal.
THE JEWISH MUSEUM
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
The Jewish Museum is committed to equal opportunities in employment through its policy
statement (attached). This form is used solely for Equal Opportunities monitoring
purposes. All data is confidential and will not be referred to during the selection procedure.
Please complete the form and return it with your application.
Name:
Date:
Post applied for:
Gender
Male
Female
Ethnic origin
Please tick the box that best describes
the ethnic group to which you belong.
Disability
Please indicate whether you consider
yourself to be disabled
White
Chinese
Black African
Black Caribbean
Black – other
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Other
(please describe)
(please describe)
Not disabled
Disabled
(please describe)