Operations Assistant

This is an opportunity to play an important role at St James, Muswell Hill by providing operational support to our ministries under the supervision of the Operations Manager.

 

Job Title:     Operations Assistant (St James Muswell Hill)

Responsible for:       Church database management, Safer recruitment administration, Church and Church Hall bookings administration,

Church rota management, Documentation of operational practices, Providing cover for other Operations Team

members

Context:             Part-time, 24 hours per week, across 3–4 days (to be discussed at interview), Occasional evenings/weekends by

agreement, with TOIL or additional pay.

We welcome flexible working. Alongside this, the post-holder will work at least 12 hours in the office across 3 days

and be contactable during agreed windows, provided deadlines and on-site needs are met.

There will be a 3-month probation period.

Salary:                      £15,240 - £17,285 (£25,397 - £28,808 Full-time Equivalent)

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment. If you are in any doubt about this matter, please consult the UK Border agency website for further guidance on employment.

 

Our Team

You’ll join a committed staff team in an enthusiastic, Christ-honouring culture. We work hard, care for each other, have fun, and seek to be straightforwardly loving and honest. You’ll have been recruited for your gifts and character, so you won’t be micromanaged—and you’ll have clear expectations. We value rest and want you to take all your time off. We rely on one another’s ministries, set high standards, and welcome new ideas.

The St James staff team exists to equip our members for ministry, and we encourage one another in our spiritual walk through a regular team devotional time in which all staff participate.

Purpose of Job

To assist the Operations Manager with safer recruitment, rota and bookings administration; to ensure our sites are ready for events and services; and to maintain the church database—so that the ministry of the church is well supported.

Reporting to: Operations Manager

 

Safeguarding

St James is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.

You will need to attend all relevant safeguarding training and work according to our safeguarding policy.

The Safeguarding Policy Statement of St James Church can be found here: https://www.st-james.org.uk/s/Parish-Safeguarding-Policy-2024.pdf

Key tasks:

1.       Safer Recruitment Administration

  • Guide volunteers through obtaining required DBS check and Safeguarding training

  • Liaise with our Parish Safeguarding Officer, as well as our Youth, Kids and Community Ministry Heads

  • Responsible for ID checks and the safe retention of safer recruitment records, both physical and digital

  • Liaise with the Church of England Diocesan Safeguarding Officers and other partner organisations on matters of safer recruitment

  • Stay up to date with any changes to the policies and process implemented by the Diocese and keep accurate procedure notes.

 

2.       Church and Church Hall Booking Administration

  • Assist the Operations Manager in managing bookings for St James premises and the Birchwood Centre, including site readiness and invoicing.

  • Maintain the Booking Diary on the ChurchSuite platform.

  • Undertake routine inspections of church premises, ensuring they are functional, secure, and well-maintained.

3.       Church Administration and Rotas

  • Attend and minute the Service Planning Meeting; issue briefing notes and follow-up emails.

  • Oversee selected Sunday service rotas, including updates and reminders.

  • Recruit additional volunteers during busy seasons.

  • Maintain service-planning software (Planning Center).

  • Maintain past service records

 

4.       Database Management

  • Add and update contact details in ChurchSuite.

  • Maintain data quality (archiving old entries, removing obsolete tags, etc.).

  • Provide administrative support to projects that use the church’s database.

 

5.       General Operations Duty

  • Provide cover for other Operations Team members (general logistics and Sunday preparations).

  • Monitor and respond to the Church Office email.

  • Perform routine fire-safety checks.

  • Document operational practices.

  • Undertake other operations duties as required.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

§  Good communication skills (in person, telephone and written

§  High level of personal organisation

§  Confident in dealing with suppliers, contractors, local community and other external contacts.

§  Competent with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook/Office.

§  Good numeracy to ensure the invoices are accurate

§  Comfortable with learning new IT software

§  Be supportive of the Christian ethos at St James Muswell Hill Church

§  Ability to work alongside others, demonstrating principles and behaviours appropriate for someone working in a Christian church.

Desirable Criteria:

§  Experience of database management.

§  Experience of bookings administration.

§  Experience of website management.

§  Experience of working in a church context.

§  Experience and knowledge of safeguarding at a church context.

§  Experience and knowledge of ChurchSuite or other church database software.

§  Experience and knowledge of Planning Center or other service-planning software.

§  Regular attendee at a local church.

 

Key attributes required for success in the job:

§  Physical fitness sufficient to undertake the tasks required safely, including the use of stepladders

§  Self-motivation and ability to work unsupervised as well as part of a team

§  Honesty and integrity

§  Diligent with an eye for detail and willingness to take on a variety of tasks

§  Patience and courtesy with the church family, users of the buildings and the general public

 

We believe the right person can grow into the role. If you don’t meet every desirable criterion, you are still encouraged to apply. We’d love to see how your gifts could shape the role.

We would love to see your contribution in shaping the role as well, bringing your unique gifts to the team and the church.

Summary of Benefits

Salary:                                  The job holder will be offered a salary of £15,240 - £17,285 dependent on experience.

Pension:                               St James will make contributions to your pension, currently 3% of your salary.

Holiday Entitlement:       Full-time staff receive five weeks paid annual leave plus bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year when the office is closed. Part-time entitlement is pro-rated according to hours worked.

Training, Development and Support

The role will be demanding from time to time, but equally rewarding; and so the job holder will receive ongoing support from within the church staff team.

The job holder will be expected to undergo safeguarding training, and in discussion with the line manager, be proactive in finding appropriate training courses.

Applications

Informal enquiries (including about flexible working) are welcome: enoch.cheng@st-james.org.uk.

To apply, please complete the form here or email gabrielle.moris@st-james.org.uk.  Applications without the form will not be considered.

This post is subject to satisfactory references.

The closing date for applications is 14 October 2025.

Interviews will provisionally be in the week commencing 19 October 2025.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint exceptional candidates prior to the closing date, so please do not delay in submitting your application.

Safer Recruitment, Whistleblowing and Ex-Offenders policies are available for viewing.