Franciscan Centre Team Member

An exciting opportunity has emerged for the right candidate wishing to work in a busy Franciscan Centre. We are recruiting for a highly flexible, energised, organised and detail orientated person to look after the daily requirements of our Franciscan Centre, as part of a dynamic team. Reporting into the Director for the Franciscan Centre, you will provide hospitality and welcome, as well as high quality, effective administrative support to enable the Centre to deliver its mission through the programmes it delivers and how visitors experience the Centre. It is essential that you work in partnership with staff across the site, and the sisters living on site. This position is carrying out a mix of ministry and administration in a fast-paced environment that is also prayerful, spiritual, and faith-centred. This key role will require a strong alignment with the Congregation’s Franciscan spirit and charism. This is a full-time role, working 5 out of 7 days a week, where there will be the need for weekend work on a rota basis and occasional over time, so you will need to have a degree of flexibility. The ideal candidate would understand Catholic values and be a practising Christian. Accommodation, near site with other team members as part of a faith community may also be available.

Set within the beautiful backdrop of the Surrey countryside, Ladywell Convent is the motherhouse of the Catholic Religious Order - the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM). The FMDM is a women’s Catholic Religious Congregation who have had their Motherhouse and Congregational offices at Ladywell, Godalming, Surrey since 1956.

We offer residential retreats to groups and individuals who come to avail of the beauty and peace of Ladywell so as to engage more deeply with God. We look after the needs of these guests. We also welcome groups to engage in our own Franciscan focussed events where we offer input and accompaniment. We welcome youth groups and offer programs for them to deepen their life of faith. A candidate for this role would engage in all of this and the administrative needs of the centre also.

A warm hospitable heart and professional competence will be key to what success looks like in this role. As part of your role, you will be a member of the Franciscan Centre Ministry Team and act as a support function to the Director ensuring the smooth running of the centre. You will be a go to person and point of contact, for general queries and be heavily involved in the day-to-day bookings, through to a front of house presence at events and the welcoming face of the centre, along with the other team members. Comfort with meeting new people is essential. Working in an environment that is peaceful and quiet, though often fast paced, and busy, is an essential part of this role. This is an exciting place to work with capacity to develop many skills.

A person who desires to work in a Catholic faith-based organisation and who wishes to develop or further use their ministry skills would be ideal for this role.

For this role, you will:

• Be professional and organised, with a high level of integrity and reliability
• Have outstanding accuracy and be highly literate, both verbally and in writing
• Communicate clearly at all levels of seniority
• Be technically adept at using MS Office 365 applications
• Enjoy being a problem solver, who is able to think creatively to solve any issues that may arise
• Respond to a given situation appropriately and sensitively at all times
• Respect and act within the ethical framework of a religious organisation and in a manner which upholds its mission and ethos
• Be able to work well with people from different parts of the world, being positive, supportive and encouraging of others.
• Be capable of multi-tasking and working under pressure.
• Willing to put your hand to a variety of tasks including administration, youth ministry and adult ministry.

As part of this role, you will:

• Be a face of the centre, on behalf of the Director and alongside the FCL Team. Model the charism and values in action, fostering positive relationships with the local community, guests, and visitors to the Centre. Work with other Mission Partners to develop a culture of team spirit across the Charity. Demonstrate excellent customer service.
• Provide excellent administration: learn to navigate and master the comprehensive guest booking system, be a great problem solver and manage questions from guests. Compile reports and statistics. Compile kitchen and house-keeping lists. Attend meetings and note taking when required.
• Communicate the work and vision of the Centre: Preparation of material, including bulletins and leaflets: final layout, printing and despatching, Administer the Centre’s website and social media platforms when needed, ensuring that all information is kept accurate, up to date and engaging.
• Ensure the operational running of the Franciscan Centre: Supporting the on-going day to day running of the Centre, Reflect the mission of the Franciscan Centre and FMDM in everything the Centre does. Ensure up to date IT and audio-visual resources are available and accessible. Be a point of contact for all guests to the Franciscan Centre. Ensure workplace Health and Safety standards and systems are adhered to across the Centre. Setting up rooms and conference spaces for groups when required.
• Maintaining office systems, including data management and filing.
• Support the Franciscan Centre Director and Team where needed, with ensuring that all enquiries and visitors are dealt with timely and appropriately with a Franciscan heart.
• Engaging in ministry alongside the rest of the team for key events throughout the liturgical calendar by leading prayer (training provided), leading workshops (when ready) and a willingness to develop your own ministry longings.
• An open desire to engage in prayer and discernment with the team and Director about the needs of the centre going forward.

To succeed in this role, you will need to be organised, thorough, and accurate. You will also need to be a good listener, have a heart for people of diverse backgrounds and be willing to listen, grow and develop. You should have experience working in a similar role and have outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal. You will be able to use your initiative, plan ahead, work independently and be able to prioritise accordingly. Proficient IT skills are a must, including working knowledge of MS Office 365.

Key Duties:

• Learning to use the booking system and ensuring guests and groups are booked in appropriately.
• Setting up spaces to welcome guests.
• Offering hospitality and welcome as a face of the centre.
• Uploading Facebook and Instagram posts.
• Phone and email correspondence with guests and enquirers.
• Helping out with youth and adult ministry as part of the team.
• Living in community with others sharing life and mission together in prayer, discernment, fun and laughter.
• Leading prayer as and when required (training and support offered).
• Engaging with youth ministry as and when needed (optional if you desire to develop ministry skills).
• Engaging with adult ministry with the rest of the team as and when required. (support offered).
• Setting up for liturgical events as and when required.

Given the nature of this role the post-holder will be required to be fully flexible, and the role may be reviewed and updated with the post-holder in line with service requirements and changing circumstances relevant to the post. The post is subject to 2 satisfactory references.