We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to join our head office team at Fairhaven Housing Association.

We are recruiting a full-time Office Manager, who will have overall responsibility for bookkeeping, office management and administration. We require candidates to demonstrate relevant work experience and qualifications, such as AAT, equivalent relevant qualification, or QBE. Essential skills include knowledge of MS Excel and experience of Sage 50. Knowledge of Xero accounting software is considered desirable but not essential.

We are ideally seeking someone with excellent interpersonal, organisational and administrative skills.

The full-time position is based within our head office at Penwortham and whilst we are amenable to flexible working, there is an expectation for the majority of working hours to be completed within the office. Therefore, the successful candidate will be working amongst our established management team and will require good team working, people management and communication skills as well as a positive demeanour.

It is important for candidates to understand that Fairhaven’s core business is the management of privately owned retirement properties. Our residents have chosen to live within our communities and have high expectations regarding service delivery. It is incumbent upon every member of staff to provide excellent customer service.

Therefore both our residents and Fairhaven have high expectations of our staff and potential candidates.

About the role

 

Fundamental to the success of Fairhaven is the competent management of the company finances and business administration function.

We require an individual with previous experience in bookkeeping, company record keeping, office administration and staff management.

The core responsibility is to fulfil all aspects of bookkeeping such as collection of service charge, management of arrears, payment of invoices, accurate recording of expenditure and production of financial information to enable the production of quarterly and annual management accounts.

The successful applicant will be heavily involved in setting annual service charge budgets and will therefore, over time, need to develop an in-depth understanding of business and scheme specific expenditure.

Furthermore, we will require the individual to demonstrate effective office management and administrations skills which include accurate record keeping, data entry and data sharing in accordance with GDPR. The individual will also be responsible for PAYE payroll and HR administration and administration staff management.

An element of the job role will be to support the managing director with the provision of board papers and crucially take accurate meeting minutes within quarterly board meetings.

Finally, the successful candidate will be a member of the senior management team and therefore, be expected to demonstrate initiative, problem solving, leadership qualities and interpersonal and communication skills.

You will report directly to the Managing Director and be responsible for setting your own workload, monitoring others and working effectively within a small team.

Details

 

Position: Full-time Office Manager

Location: Crownlee, Penwortham, Preston PR1 0PA

Salary: £32,000 per annum.

Hours: 35 Hours per week – Monday to Friday

Status: Permanent Contract.

Holidays: 20 days plus 8 Bank Holidays

Pension: Auto enrolment, employer contribution.

Closing date for applications: Monday 23rd September 2024.

Provisional interview date: Week commencing 30th September 2024.

Provisional start date: Monday 6th January 2025.

About Fairhaven Housing

 

Incorporated in 1980, Fairhaven Housing Association specialises in the management and development of privately owned retirement properties.

Based in Penwortham, Preston we provide management services to over 200 homes across eight locations in Lancashire.

The core of our service is enabling people of retirement age to enjoy the security of the home ownership within a supported living environment which promotes independence and wellbeing.

This is delivered through the provision of grounds and exterior property maintenance, dedicated community facilities and domestic support services which is delivered by our team of 13 dedicated staff members.

Crucially, Fairhaven operates on a not-for-profit basis. This model ensures that our decisions are not driven by service delivery as opposed to shareholder dividends. We exist for the benefit of our residents and put them at the centre of everything we do. Therefore, it is incumbent of every member of staff to provide excellent customer service.

To deliver these services and ensure sustainability, it is essential that the Association is managed in a commercially astute and professional manner.

Requirements

 

Essential Experience

• Bookkeeping and Accounting.
• Excellent Knowledge of MS Excel and accounting software, such as, Sage 50 or Xero.
• Good organisational skills.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Detail-orientated.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Good communication skills.
• A flexible approach and willingness to work as a team player.

Responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to:

Administration

• Accurate recording and management of resident data.
• Sharing data with key stakeholders in accordance with GDPR.
• Administration of Emergency Lifeline System.
• Procurement of business and office supplies.

Bookkeeping

• Making payments via BACS.
• Creating new supplier/customer accounts and maintaining existing account details.
• Reconciliation of supplier statements and accurate recording of expenditure.
• Managing service charge collection, apportionment and arrears.
• Accurate and timely supplier invoice and HMRC payments.
• Managing petty cash.

Finance Management

• Annual budget setting.
• Provide financial information for management accounts.

Company Secretary

• Company pension scheme.
• Company insurance.
• Office management.
• Arranging board meetings, preparation of agenda, circulating board papers and producing minutes of meetings.
• GDPR compliance.

Staff Management

• Direct responsibility for administration assistant.
• New starter DBS/Contract/holiday entitlement.
• Record staff timesheets and apportionment of working hours.
• Recording staff holiday leave and sickness absence.
• General point of contact for employees.

General

• To attend essential training and updates as required to effectively fulfill the role.
• To understand the role of the Association and the values, policies and principles that underpin it.
• Carry out any reasonable duty which meets the exigencies and are commensurate with the position.
• To act in a professional and courteous manner and treat all individuals with dignity and respect.

 

How to apply

 

 

Applications to be returned to ask@fairhaven-housing.org or posted to:

Fairhaven Housing Association

22 Crownlee,
Penwortham,
Preston
PR1 0PA