Job Description for Weekend Buildings’ Assistant & Verger

A. Overview

To provide day-to-day hands-on facilitation of the work of St Marylebone Parish Church.
As a key member of the St Marylebone Team, you will be responsible for assisting in the
smooth day-to-day buildings’ management of the parish church.

You will be line-managed by the Senior Verger &Building Manager

Due to the nature of this work, flexibility in the composition of working hours will be
required. A basic working day of 8 hours between 9am & 5pm will include 1 hour break.
The job will require flexibility working as necessary, and as specified by the weekly
staffing rota. The requirement is to provide continuous Buildings’ Department cover to
the parish church and events held in it, for the hours necessary in any given day.
Overtime will be paid as your usual hourly rate working outside your contracted hours.
There will be some restrictions on when you are able to take holiday leave over the
principal religious festivals such as Christmas, Holy Week & Easter.

St Marylebone Parish Church pays the London Living Wage.

The person appointed must operate within the parish’s established Safeguarding Policy
and will be subject to Safeguarding and must obtain an enhanced DBS Disclosure.

No alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to be consumed on or near the site.

You may from time to time be required to undertake other duties consistent with your
position.

Place of Work: St Marylebone Parish Church, London, NW1 5LT

A minimum of four weeks’ notice should be given by staff terminating employment.

B. Person Specification. The ideal candidate should:

1.  Have a good health record and be able to undertake moderate manual tasks within

Health and Safety guidelines.

2.  Possess an excellent command of spoken and written English.

3.  Be accustomed to dealing with the public, from all walks of life, in a friendly and

welcoming way.

4.  Be used to working within a team.

5.  Ideally have some experience of working in and caring for complex, historic

buildings

6.  Be able to juggle priorities easily and be able to cope with complex demands on

you time.

7.  Have a good technical and practical grasp of the buildings’ electrical and

mechanical services and be able to undertake minor repairs when required to do
so.

8.  Be IT literate and be able to initiate and handle room bookings and be able to use

the parish church’s electronic diary (Microsoft Outlook) with confidence.

9.  Be able to undertake verging duties, during parish church services, as required.

Training will be provided.

10.  Be open to further training, professional and personal development, and annual

review.

11.  Be in sympathy with the Christian ethos of the parish church and be comfortable

working in a Church environment.

12.  Possess a Safeguarding / Enhanced DBS clearance, as advised by the diocese and
sign to say that s/he has read and understands the parish church’s relevant
policies.

C. Job Description

Duties related to the care of the buildings and their environment.

To ensure that the parish church, crypt, and its environs are maintained in a clean

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and presentable state, prepared for all services, concerts, conferences and meetings, and
that the facilities are made clean and tidy before and after each event, returning the
building to its normal state.

To conduct a daily ‘walk through’ of all spaces, including lavatories, and the

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immediate environs of the parish church building.

To ensure that the parish church is open to the public as necessary and as agreed

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ensuring a welcoming presence and dealing with visitor enquiries.

4)
To maintain security in the building, at all times, keeping a vigilant eye in relation
to safety and security, providing an effective presence within the building and removing
the occasional difficult person from the premises. Monitoring the CCTV system and
retrieving images where necessary will be essential.

To ensure that the building is opened and closed at the beginning and end of the

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day.

To ensure that the surrounding curtilage of the parish church, including the small

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car park and portico, are kept free from litter and nuisance.

To discourage any rough sleepers, removing cardboard boxes left by them and

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occasionally hosing down the portico or other outside areas.

8)

9)

To carry out any minor DIY as required.

To be available to receive contractors and accompany them when necessary.

To ensure the efficient and tidy storage of chairs, tables, etc. and keep store

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cupboards in good order.

12)

To replace any failed light bulbs and maintain adequate supplies.

In the absence of contract cleaners to carry out necessary cleaning to the highest

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standard.

14)

To keep the church noticeboards up to date in conjunction with the Parish Office.

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To check toilets and toiletries regularly.

16)

To be able to affect the emergency evacuation of the building when necessary.

17)
In the absence of the Building Manager & Technical & Operations Manager, to
manage room hire - receiving enquiries, answering questions of availability and rates,
taking provisional bookings.

18)

To ensure that all equipment is kept in fully functioning order.

Liturgically related duties

1)  To prepare the parish church for public worship. To be responsible for the laying

out and ordering of vessels, liturgical books, candles, and other supplies as
necessary.

2)  To prepare for and participate in worship on Sundays and other special or Holy

Days as required.

3)  To be on duty at weddings, funerals and memorial services and other occasional

services or provide alternative arrangements as required.

4) To be responsible for the sound system and ensuring its effective working and
appropriate volume settings.  When on duty at services to set correct lighting levels
during the worship.

5) To ensure that all furniture, altar frontals and hangings etc. are set out correctly.

6)  To ensure that the Sacristy is kept clean, tidy, and well-ordered; ensuring a
sufficient supply of church requisites such as candles, communion wafers and wine;
cleaning and care of the silver, vestments and altar frontals etc. and ensuring there is
sufficient fresh linen.

7)  To ensure that all candles are replaced as necessary, and that the votive candle
stand is kept clean and replenished and all main candles are topped up with oil every
Saturday ready for Sunday.

General duties

1)  To be aware of the different groups, organisations and individuals that make up
the family of St Marylebone and be conversant with who is responsible for
different areas and tasks.

2)  To liaise with volunteers and keep people ‘happy’ and ‘on board’.

3)  To co-operate positively and in a friendly way with individuals and organisations

coming into the parish church for services and events.

4)  To distribute service leaflets, concert programmes, posters, handbills and generally

helping to advertise services and other events locally when required.

5)  To provide occasional administrative, clerical and other support e.g. purchasing

supplies, answering the telephone, sorting and delivering mail, displaying notices
and posters, replenishing toiletries and other such items, receiving delivery of
items.

6)  To replenish leaflets, visitor guides, post cards etc., around the church.

7)  To provide assistance as appropriate to the Operations’ Director, Buildings’

Manager, Rector, Assistant Curate, Healing and Counselling Centre, Marylebone
Health Centre, Churchwardens and others, as appropriate, in pursuance of their
duties.

8)  To appear well turned out at all times.