Assistant Secretary Job Description 14th November 2012-2 final

Job title:
Reporting to:
Hours:
Holidays:
Salary:
Secretarial Assistant (in the Master’s & Development Office)
The Master’s Secretary
Part-time: 20 hours per week, Monday – Friday.
25 days’ annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, pro rata.
£17,591 pro-rata (fixed point 16 on the College Salary scale)
Job Description:
To assist the Master’s Secretary and Development Officer in the day-to-day smooth
running of the Master’s Office and Development Office at St Edmund’s College. The
post holder will be expected to demonstrate flexibility with regard to the undertaking of
a variety of administrative tasks.
Main Duties in the Master’s Office:
1. The photocopying and collating of Governing Body and College Council
papers.
2. To maintain and update the Master’s Christmas card address list.
3. Assist the Master’s Secretary with the arrangements for formal College
Calendar events to include the College Garden Party, Annual Alumni Event,
the Norfolk Commemoration and the Shackle Lecture and Dinner.
4. Secretary to the Staff Consultative Forum including the circulation of agenda
and papers and taking the minutes of the meeting and subsequently dealing
with the matters arising. There are three meetings per year (one per term).
5. Assist with the circulation of the College publications (The Blue Book ‘Notes
to Members’, the College Calendar and the dining privilege sheets, etc) to the
Fellows and members of the College at the beginning of the academical year.
6. Filing and archiving papers.
7. To provide general cover for the Master’s Secretary during her absence.
8. To assist the Master’s Secretary in any of her responsibilities.
Main Duties in the Development Office:
9. Help to maintain the College’s development database, ensuring that it is
accurate and up-to-date. Liaise regularly with the Cambridge University
Development Office in order to maintain a constant two-way exchange of
information.
10. Ensure that donations received are recorded and assist the Development
Officer with the preparation of the Annual Development Questionnaire
(ADQ).
11. Organise and publicise the College and Alumni Society events, including
Guest Night Dinners, the College Quiz Night and drinks receptions.
12. Deal with general alumni queries, manage event bookings, process payments
and deal with related enquiries, such as booking accommodation when
necessary.
13. Take minutes at the College Development Committee meetings.

14. Liaise with Tutorial Secretary to ensure that the leavers’ leaflet goes out to all
graduates and assist with collecting the graduates’ contact details.
15. To provide general cover for the Development Officer during her absence.
16. To assist the Development Officer in any of her responsibilities.
The above is not an exhaustive description and other requirements may emerge as
necessitated by changing roles within St Edmund’s College, and its overall objectives.
Knowledge and experience
Essential requirements:
1. Good general education to GSCE standard (subjects to include English
language and mathematics).
2. IT literacy, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, email and
experience in the use of databases.
3. Secretarial/administrative experience.
Desirable:
1. Minute taking skills.
2. Secretarial/administrative qualifications
3. Experience of working in a University Department or College environment.
4. Some experience of organising events.
Personal skills and abilities
1. Excellent spoken and written communication skills.
2. Organisational and administrative skills.
3. Numeracy skills.
4. The Master’s office receives matters of a confidential and sensitive nature
from time to time and it is expected that the post holder will be deal with
them in a professional and discreet manner.
5. Polite and helpful at all times.
Working at St Edmund’s College: General Information
St Edmund’s College is a graduate College of the University of Cambridge, which admits
men and women of diverse academic background and many nationalities. The College
presently has over 400 students with two thirds enrolled for postgraduate degrees and
one third enrolled as mature or affiliated undergraduates. The Master, 50 Fellows,
Visiting Fellows, Visiting Scholars, together with the Von Hügel and Faraday Institutes
and the students, form a single community. As a relatively small College, St Edmund’s
provides a friendly and informal atmosphere for its members and their families.
The Master and Fellows form the Governing Body and collectively own the College and
its assets in trust. Some aspects of the College governance are delegated to a College
Council which is serviced by a number of College Committees which provide for
consultation among the Fellowship. The Student Body is represented on the Council and
most College Committees.
The College stands in about three hectares of grounds in northwest Cambridge, within
easy reach of all Faculty buildings and other Colleges. There are 205 residential units
within the College, comprising study bedrooms in a range of sizes, small flats,
apartments and maisonettes for families. The College has recently completed a

efurbishment of the offices and facilities in its main Norfolk building, and of a cottage
in the College grounds, turning it into student accommodation.
Staff benefits include:
• One free meal per day.
• Free car parking on site (depending on availability)
• 25 days’ annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees).
• Contributory Pension Scheme (eligible to join after 6 months employment)