With the upcoming retirement of Nina, our Administrator for more than 13 years, we are starting the search for a new Administrator/Office Manager for APRS. Do you know someone who might suit the role?
Summary
We are seeking a well organised, committed and proactive person, who is interested in people, to join our small and supportive team. If you enjoy variety, but are always aware of making sure things get done, and want to make a real difference in a small environmental charity, we would love to hear from you.
This role leads on the administrative and office functions of APRS, Scotland’s countryside charity, which employs three people. As a small charity, making a big impact, this role will allow you to grow and take on responsibility. Our small size means that we can be fleet of foot and take opportunities so there is always variety and challenge. But, above all, this role needs a steady hand and an eye for detail, ensuring that we deliver our reporting, governance and finance requirements, and manage our relationship with supporters, so that we can effectively deliver on our mission.
We are seeking a person who enjoys being part of a team but can also work independently, and with a focus on what matters for the smooth running of the organisation.
It’s our centenary next year and so this is a really exciting time to be joining APRS. We have ambitions for the future, and this post plays an absolutely central role. So if you are looking for rewarding work, with good colleagues, in an environmental charity; and you want to make a difference to Scotland’s landscapes and countryside – please get in touch.
Job Title:
Administrator and Office Manager
Hours/duration:
This is a permanent, three day a week (21 hours) role. There is a six month probationary period for the role before it is confirmed as permanent. This post will require very occasional work out of hours, including at weekends, for which time off in lieu will be granted.
Location:
We work from a small, friendly office in the centre of Edinburgh, which we share with Global Justice Now. We hope to be moving to a shared office with other Scottish NGOs and Scottish Environment LINK in future.
The role is based in the office but with the option of hybrid working. The expectation is that you would be in the office on at least two of the Director’s three working days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).
Due to the nature of the current office, in an old building, it is not currently accessible for all, however, if you have access requirements, please let us know and we will do all we can to accommodate your needs.
If you have any questions about the role please email kat@aprs.scot
Reports to:
Kat Jones, APRS Director
How to apply:
Send your CV along with a covering letter (max. 600 words) outlining clearly how your experience and skills meet the essential and desirable criteria and what it is that draws you to this role.
Save your CV and covering letter in one document, name it [your surname] [your first name] APRS Application and send to Nina Sobecka info@aprs.scot
Closing date for applications: 27 April 2025 11pm
Interview date: 8 May 2025 (in our offices at the Augustine church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh – with the option to request an online interview)
Any questions about the role please direct to kat@aprs.scot
Overall Purpose of Job
This is a key role for APRS – leading on the administrative side of the charity and the office management. The role manages all aspects of APRS office and administration, including financial, governance and membership and supports the Director/project staff in their work.
Job Description
Administration/ Office Management
Manage issues relating to the office (which is sub-let from Global Justice Now) including:
- being main point of contact with the landlords
- managing online filing system
- booking rooms
- managing our subscriptions and use of software to support our work (eg Google suite, Microsoft, virus protection).
- Ensure office health and safety measures are up-to-date and compliant inc PAT testing, office/public liability insurance, IT security and backup, data protection and supporting Director to maintain Risk Register.
- Manage procurement for the team
- Liaise with relevant bodies to ensure non-domestic rates and water charges are correct and payments up-to-date
Finance
Lead on finance for APRS with tasks including:
- Compiling key documents for our accountants, liaising with accountant and the Director over production of the accounts
- Responsible for keeping our finance system (Xero) up to date, reconciling, ensuring sign-off procedure is followed and doing other tasks associated with the banking – eg paying in cheques.
- Pay staff salaries and invoices in timely fashion
- Prepare and submit annual Gift Aid claim to HMRC
- Liaise with banks and payroll providers over any banking issues (including changes to authorised signatories and account holders) and changes to staffing contracts, pay rates etc.
Governance
Work with the Director to ensure that all legal and governance aspects of running the charity are delivered.
- Driving the delivery of various actions during the reporting year to comply with charity law (i.e. making sure the Director does it) e.g. OSCR reporting, timing of trustee appointments, accounts etc.
- Work with the Director to bring together documentation for the AGM and board meetings and ensure they are sent out on time. Take the minutes and circulate them.
- Book venues and catering for Board meetings, AGM, and other Trustee/staff meetings
Policy Support
- Supporting project staff with discrete research tasks as and when necessary.
- Working with colleagues to respond to technical planning enquiries from members of the public. This will involve using some standard responses or adapting previous responses as far as possible, using your own growing knowledge, and referring to colleagues for input. Recording our responses to planning enquiries for reporting purposes.
Membership Liaison and Management
Responsible for managing our membership though tasks such as:
- Ensuring membership records up to date and issue renewals in timely fashion
- Monitoring direct debit and online payments and draw down reports from Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) website and Stripe dashboard
- Submitting any new direct debits to CAF portal and keep membership records on CAF website up to date
- Responding to enquiries from members
Communications and Events
- Responsible for organisational aspects of AGM and other occasional events, including online events.
- Coordinating the annual printed newsletter and printed annual report production with designer and Director and managing all aspects of the production and distribution (not including the content).
- On occasion, where necessary, update the website, adding material like consultation responses, briefings and events to the site.
Other
- First port of call for enquiries that come in, whether about membership, planning issues or anything else.
- Provide administrative assistance to Director, when necessary.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Welcomes the challenge and responsibility of leading on a small charity’s administrative and office functions in the areas of governance, finance, member management and general admin.
Confident working independently and taking on work yourself, but knowing when to ask for help or to pass something on to others in the team.
Interested in people, and able to represent APRS as the first port of call for enquiries, being friendly, professional and helpful.
Flourishes in a small team, taking on responsibility, paying attention to the detail, and working closely with the Director and other team members to deliver our work.
Able to effectively deliver key governance elements of our work, bringing in the Director’s contributions where they are needed, to deliver to critical reporting and production deadlines.
Enjoys variety and flourishes when having many tasks and projects going at the same time, but is able to prioritise effectively to ensure that critical work is completed to time.
Quick to pick up new IT systems and keen to learn (the role requires use of various packages for managing finance, emails, events etc) and can explore new ways of managing our organisational data and admin with the Director.
Keen to learn about our work areas, particularly planning issues, and get your knowledge up to a level that you are able to reply to our most common planning responses.
Commitment to the work that APRS does, and supports our mission.
Desirable
Has experience in using packages such as Xero, WordPress, Zoom, Email Octopus, Eventbrite, Google Suite.
Has some experience in a policy area or knowledge of environmental, landscape or planning issues.
Has previously worked in an administrative role, coping with the wide variety of work across governance, finance, member management and general admin.
Development Opportunities
Depending on the job-holder’s interests, there will be lots of scope to build skills and take on more responsibility in certain areas – especially in terms of gaining knowledge of the planning system and in our policy areas, but also in communications, such as the website and social media, or in fundraising.
About APRS
APRS (Action to Protect Rural Scotland) was founded in 1926 and is the only Scottish organisation dedicated exclusively to protecting and enhancing all Scotland’s rural landscapes and countryside, whether at the edge of towns and cities, or in more remote settings.
Despite having such a long history (in fact the National Trust for Scotland was founded out of APRS), we are a tiny organisation with three part time staff (and ambitions for more!). We campaign with communities, on behalf of all landscapes, from the ones surrounding our towns and cities to the wilder landscapes across rural Scotland. Our current key campaigns are on a new National Park for Scotland, Greenbelt protection and policy, strategic land use planning, and access for all to the countryside close to where they live. We believe that the quality of people’s surroundings is central to their well-being, and that the quality of Scotland’s countryside is of fundamental importance even to those who spend most of their time in towns and cities. We support communities and individuals to look after and make the most of their local landscapes and we believe that Scotland’s countryside has a key role to play in tackling the climate emergency and addressing the nature crisis.
We currently have three staff members, each working three days a week and three volunteers in the office.
Our Mission
APRS is Scotland’s countryside charity. We campaign to protect, enhance and promote Scotland’s countryside and rural landscapes for everyone’s benefit, and we support others to do the same.
Our Values
Knowledgeable: We are respected for the knowledge held by our staff and volunteers and are sought out to provide balanced guidance and advice. Our online publications are seen as a source of authority.
Empowering: We offer help, advice and support to individuals and communities, empowering them to campaign for their local countryside and landscapes.
Collaborative: We work with others and form partnerships so we can make the greatest difference and work to our strengths. Our small size makes us flexible and fleet of foot and we can move swiftly.
Approachable: We are a place where everyone feels included and welcome– those with years of experience and knowledge, and those coming to our work for the first time, whatever their background.
Persistent: Sometimes campaigns take time, but we are persistent and unflappable. We have a century of history and experience behind us, we see the long-view and set out to change things that need stickability and determination. We get things done.
