Job vacancy: Office Administrator/PA to Managing Director

February 2021

This role is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced, motivated, resourceful individual to take on an exciting and challenging role - helping to scale up an innovative, disruptive, leading-edge community-led social enterprise that makes low-carbon life a positive reality at low cost.

For five years a small team of committed environmentalists have successfully built up The C.H.E.E.S.E. Project CIC (Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts) in Bristol and Bath, winning four awards, including the building industry's most prestigious award: The Big Innovation Pitch at Futurebuild last March. We have developed a unique low-cost thermal imaging system for the interiors of homes that allows targeted 'first retrofit' to reduce energy loss by around a third - using DIY methods and a few hundred pounds. We have just been awarded a substantial grant to allow us to develop our Energy Tracing® business and replicate it by franchising UK wide, by starting a new company.

This key position offers the successful applicant the opportunity to make a major contribution to tackling the climate emergency, while also assisting those in fuel poverty. The post involves a degree of management, under supervision, and requires experience/expertise in business development, client management, HR and finance: including budgets, payroll, VAT, NIC and pension contributions. Prospective candidates should be able to handle multi-tasking in a pressured environment.

Reporting to Mike Andrews and also (later) the manager of the new company.

• Contract type: Full time 40hr a week (flexible working considered). Please note it may require working on some evenings or part of weekends.

• Duration of contract: 1st April – 30th June 2021 with likely extension to 31st December 2023 - approx. 3 years depending on achieving project milestones.

• Location: Bristol. At first working from home, in an office 'Hub', and sometimes at the registered office.

• Closing date for application: 12th March 2021.

• Salary: £23,000, with a probationary period until 30th June.

Key Responsibilities

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Work closely with the Directors’ Management Committee as PA to the Managing Director.

• Attend and minute Board meetings.

• Assist with costings, budget tracking and management.

• Assist with bids for grants and reports to other funders.

• Assist with adherence to GDPR and other legal requirements.

• Assist with publicity, marketing and events to obtain customers.

• Act as a contact point for/seek out NGOs, housing associations, climate action groups, etc. interested in joining The C.H.E.E.S.E. Project.

• Liaise with the Survey Manager on finding clients and conduct of Energy Tracing® surveys.

• Liaise with C.H.E.E.S.E. anchor-organisation members in Bristol city wards and Bath to recruit paying customers and deliver free surveys.

• Act as a contact point for/seek out potential franchisees of the C.H.E.E.S.E. operation, UK wide.

• Assist in the development of the new franchisor company.

• In charge of billing franchisees.

• Organise payment of Energy Tracers and office expenses.

• Manage payroll PAYE, VAT returns, etc.

• Assist in setting up training courses for Energy Tracers and franchisees.

• Supervise collation, reporting and analysis of survey results including faults for different building types.

• Help to develop and maintain relationships with other energy and housing-related NGOs eg. Bristol Energy Network, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Citizens Advice, etc.

Necessary skills

The skills necessary for the position are:

• First class English language

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Numerical skills and ability to interpret financial information.

• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy.

• Self-motivation and initiative, ability to work with limited supervision.

• Ability to work effectively both individually and as part of a team.

• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and managerial skills.

• Good organisational and time management skills, with experience of working to tight deadlines and budgets.

• Willingness and ability to respond to additional workloads at short notice and manage conflicting priorities and deadlines.

• Working knowledge of accounting standards and practices, VAT and HMRC regulations in England.

• Experience of using timesheet software to track allocation of staff time to different cost centres.

• Ability to maintain and organize effective electronic and manual filing systems.

• High level competence with MS Excel and competence with other MS Office programmes, in particular Outlook and Word, and Google documents.

• Ability to work from home with workspace, fast internet connection, computer, printer etc.

Desirable skills

The skills desirable for the position are:

• Enthusiastic and outgoing personality.

• Able to work some evenings and part weekends.

• Proven interest in sustainability and energy use.

• Experience of not-for-profit third sector.

• Driving license.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field.

The C.H.E.E.S.E. Project is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

How to apply

If you are interested in this role then please complete our application form (PDF to print or DOCX to fill in) and send it to Mike Andrews, Managing Director, via email at (jobs@cheeseproject.co.uk). The closing date for applications is Wednesday 12th March 2021. Interviews will be the following week.

PLEASE NOTE: please do not send in CVs and we will not accept applications from agencies.