Administrative Assistant

The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust was established in 1982 to support UK registered animal welfare charities involved with the rescue, rehabilitation, release and rehoming of domestic and wild animals; the conservation of wildlife and its habitat and the promotion of the understanding of animals and their welfare. By giving to smaller organisations, relatively modest grants can have a significant impact on animals and those who care for them.

As Administrative Assistant you will work alongside the Administrator to ensure this impact is sustained by monitoring and evaluating applications from submission through to awarding and beyond. You will liaise with applicants, guiding them through the process, while also keeping in contact with our Board of Trustees. Meetings are held six times a year to agree awards and you will produce reports and summaries to aid Trustee’s decisions.

This is a fantastic role if you have an interest in animal welfare as there is the opportunity to learn about organisations the Trust supports and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary: £18,000pa (FTE £30,000) 
• Flexible working hours of 21 hours/week - these may vary depending on workload
• Hybrid working  - with a minimum of one day a week at our office (two days a week during the probation period) 
• 28 days holidays pro rata (inclusive of Public Holidays)
• Pension scheme (NEST)
• Central London office: 10-15 minutes walk from Earls Court/Kensington Olympia stations

You will be actively involved in the day to day running of a small office with financial and premises management being core tasks. As you grow into the role there will be opportunities to take on more responsibility and learn about charity administration.

The Trust offers a friendly, supportive environment but also the freedom to work independently. Self-motivation, the ability to manage your workload, work collaboratively and communicate clearly are essential, as is experience of the following:

• Setting up and maintaining accurate records via databases, spreadsheets and electronic filing systems
• Evaluating information against a set of criteria
• Producing accurate, clearly presented reports and documents
• Financial tasks (payments, invoice tracking, monitoring expenditure and income)
• Organising meetings, including preparation of meeting materials and taking minutes
• Creating and maintaining social media accounts for a small organisation

Essential skills are:

• Excellent written and spoken English
• Accurate numeracy
• IT skills including - Microsoft Word and Excel, emails, Teams, Microsoft Sharepoint
• Time management and prioritisation of a varied workload

Experience in the following will be an advantage:

• Creating website content
• Setting up and maintaining social media accounts

Apply by submitting your CV and cover letter. Please note, applications without a covering letter will not be considered. Please make sure your CV gives contact details for two referees and your letter details how your experience and interests make you an ideal candidate for this role. 

The closing date for applications is 07/10/2024 but we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received. 

Interviews are planned for 17/10/2024.

It is anticipated that the successful candidate will start work by 01/01/2025 at the latest, and ideally before this.