Personal Assistant to the Bishop of Guildford
Company
Location
Guildford, England, United Kingdom
Posted At
7/30/2025
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Description
Summary
The Bishop of Guildford is looking for a Personal Assistant (PA) to provide excellent administrative support for the Bishops of Guildford and Dorking.
About the Department/Role
The Bishop of Guildford is looking for a Personal Assistant (PA) to provide excellent administrative support for the Bishops of Guildford and Dorking.
About the Department/Role
This role as The Bishop's PA reports to the Bishop of Guildford, but will report functionally to the Bishop's Chaplain who is ensuring the bishop's office is running smoothly during an interim period.
The role comprises offering highly competent and efficient Personal Assistant administrative support to the Bishop of Guildford based out of his office and home, Willow Grange, Jacob's Well, Guildford. The work requires being a primary point of contact with the public and colleagues from across the Church, requiring a positive and professional attitude. If you seek to use your skills and knowledge to serve with integrity and your personal values are in sympathy with the aims and mission of the Church of England, this role may suit you.
A comprehensive induction programme will be developed to ensure that the Temporary Bishop's PA understands the running of the bishop's office, and also its interaction with the Bishop of Dorking's office, the Appointments Team, and operations at Church House Guildford.
What you'll be doing
The purpose of this role is to provide comprehensive and professional personal assistance (administrative, secretarial and clerical support) to the Bishop of Guildford.
This will involve:
This will involve:
- Managing the calendar and appointments of the bishop accurately and efficiently
- Offering support for key meetings (preparing paperwork, agendas)
- Welcoming visitors to Willow Grange and offering hospitality
- Answering the telephone promptly, handling all enquiries and forwarding them as necessary
Key role requirements:
About You
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.
What we offer
Your Salary
'A' level standard education, or equivalent professional experience, knowledge and skills.
Diploma level in secretarial or administrative skills, or degree level in any other field (unrelated or related)
Extensive administrative experience in a professional environment
Experience of office and facilities management, including management of service contracts.
Experience of pro-actively managing work activities and prioritising activities.
Experience in handling highly confidential information with tact and sensitivity.
Experience of working in a church or charitable organisation
Experience of providing PA support at a senior level
Contract management.
Confident and competent in the use of technology with the ability to adapt to new equipment, software, systems and processes.
Good working knowledge of best practice electronic file management systems.
Knowledge of the Church of England and its structures.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to adapt your style to suit different audiences.
Advanced IT skills, including expertise in PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook and file management systems.
Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to respond flexibly to rapidly changing and conflicting priorities that impact staffing, resources and deadlines.
Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
Tenacious approach to the delivery of high quality services and support.
Ability to solve problems through a pragmatic approach.
Ability to summarise information concisely and clearly, tailored to respective audiences.
Proven attention to detail and accuracy.
Highly competent in the use of technology with the ability to adapt to new IT equipment and software.
Advanced IT skills, including expertise in PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook and file management systems.
Project managements skills.
Ability to establish credibility and respect and build strong working relationships with wide range of colleagues.
A high level of flexibility and adapts quickly and positively to changing priorities; understand and appreciate different perspectives.
Good listening skills and ability to respond appropriately.
Ability to work on own initiative as well as being a team member.
An approach to work that is characterised by commitment and energy.
A willingness and ability to step out of comfort zone and take action where guidance is not always available, but where trust is assumed.
Good levels of self-awareness and a commitment to professional development.
A commitment to our diocesan values, summarised as: We trust, We hear, We value each other, We collaborate, We invest, We nurture spiritually.
Confidence in moving between the professional and the pastoral, and knowing which is appropriate when, as befits the office of a senior bishop in the Church of England
A 'can do' attitude and sense of humour, with an ability to be flexible during the peaks and troughs of the workload
In sympathy with the aims and mission of the Church of England.
A high level of integrity and discretion, ability to handle confidential information with diplomacy and sensitivity.
A warm and open demeanour and collaborative working style.
Presents a professional and positive image at all times.
An ability to work with a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds.
A personal Christian faith and passion to contribute to and engage in fellowship with others.
- 'You will need to be A' level standard education, or equivalent professional experience, knowledge and skills an have extensive administrative experience in a professional environment
- This role is based at Willow Grange, GU4 7QS Monday to Thursday but with the option of homeworking on Fridays
- Please note that this is a 6 month fixed-term contract
About You
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.
What we offer
Your Salary
- A salary of £16,102.50 (£32,205 FTE) per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.
- 25 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays
- We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department's needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
- We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave.
'A' level standard education, or equivalent professional experience, knowledge and skills.
Diploma level in secretarial or administrative skills, or degree level in any other field (unrelated or related)
Extensive administrative experience in a professional environment
Experience of office and facilities management, including management of service contracts.
Experience of pro-actively managing work activities and prioritising activities.
Experience in handling highly confidential information with tact and sensitivity.
Experience of working in a church or charitable organisation
Experience of providing PA support at a senior level
Contract management.
Confident and competent in the use of technology with the ability to adapt to new equipment, software, systems and processes.
Good working knowledge of best practice electronic file management systems.
Knowledge of the Church of England and its structures.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to adapt your style to suit different audiences.
Advanced IT skills, including expertise in PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook and file management systems.
Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to respond flexibly to rapidly changing and conflicting priorities that impact staffing, resources and deadlines.
Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
Tenacious approach to the delivery of high quality services and support.
Ability to solve problems through a pragmatic approach.
Ability to summarise information concisely and clearly, tailored to respective audiences.
Proven attention to detail and accuracy.
Highly competent in the use of technology with the ability to adapt to new IT equipment and software.
Advanced IT skills, including expertise in PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook and file management systems.
Project managements skills.
Ability to establish credibility and respect and build strong working relationships with wide range of colleagues.
A high level of flexibility and adapts quickly and positively to changing priorities; understand and appreciate different perspectives.
Good listening skills and ability to respond appropriately.
Ability to work on own initiative as well as being a team member.
An approach to work that is characterised by commitment and energy.
A willingness and ability to step out of comfort zone and take action where guidance is not always available, but where trust is assumed.
Good levels of self-awareness and a commitment to professional development.
A commitment to our diocesan values, summarised as: We trust, We hear, We value each other, We collaborate, We invest, We nurture spiritually.
Confidence in moving between the professional and the pastoral, and knowing which is appropriate when, as befits the office of a senior bishop in the Church of England
A 'can do' attitude and sense of humour, with an ability to be flexible during the peaks and troughs of the workload
In sympathy with the aims and mission of the Church of England.
A high level of integrity and discretion, ability to handle confidential information with diplomacy and sensitivity.
A warm and open demeanour and collaborative working style.
Presents a professional and positive image at all times.
An ability to work with a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds.
A personal Christian faith and passion to contribute to and engage in fellowship with others.
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