ESTATE MANAGER
We are seeking someone with estate management skills and experience or who is a fast learner and who is keen to work with the Parish Priest and parishioners to support and develop this beautiful community in Chessington & Hook. The role involves strong personal engagement with parishioners and other members of the public who may wish to hire the large Parish Hall and Community Centre. The job-holder will work with significant autonomy, working with IT, heating, lighting, CCTV, Health & Safety, WiFi and audio-visual systems in support of the Parish Priest.
- Role Title: Estate Manager
- Place of Work: St Catherine of Siena, Chessington & Hook Parish, Chessington KT9 2HY
- Salary and contract: part-time up to 10 hours a week at £13 per hour with 20% of the income generated from hiring the Parish Hall and Community Centre. Permanent.
- Hours: Standard up to 10 hours per week (or as negotiated with the Parish Priest) with flexibility to vary the pattern of working hours.
Closing date: Friday 9 October
Job title
Parish Estate Manager
Location
St Catherine of Siena, Chessington & Hook, Archdiocese of Southwark
Accountable to
Parish Priest
Responsible for
N/A
Hours
Up to 10 hours per week as necessary
Salary
£13 salary / hourly rate and 20% of Hall Hire income
Contract
Part-time (with 12 month probationary period)
Purpose of the role
Overseeing and managing the maintenance of the church and church hall buildings and the church grounds.
Arranging and managing the hire of the church hall and associated practical and administrative work.
Key responsibilities
Area
Key responsibilities
Maintenance & grounds
- Carry out or commission routine maintenance and minor repairs across the church, hall, presbytery and grounds.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the premises (undertaking or overseeing cleaning) and manage waste.
- Keep the grounds and gardens in good order.
Hall Hire - Bookings & hirers
- Manage the hall diary and all booking enquiries; take bookings, deposits and payments.
- Prepare and issue hire agreements and ensure hirers meet the terms (insurance, licensing, capacity, safeguarding for children’s activities).
- Vet bookings for suitability and consistency with the Catholic ethos; manage regular and one-off hirers.
Hall Hire - Finance & administration
- Set and review hire rates in agreement with the Parish Priest and Finance Committee.
- Invoice hirers, collect payments and deposits, and record hall-hire income accurately.
- Maintain booking, compliance and income records for reporting.
Hall Hire - Operations & safety
- Coordinate room set-up, access, keys and turnaround between bookings, liaising with others as necessary, especially the Health & Safety Manager.
- Ensure health and safety, fire safety, capacity limits and cleaning are in place for each event, liaising with parish cleaner and Health & Safety Manager.
- Handle complaints, incidents and disputes, and promote and market the hall to increase usage and income.
Caretaking & security
- Open, secure and lock the premises and manage keys, alarms and CCTV.
- Ensure heating, lighting and services are working and monitor energy use.
- Prepare and set up spaces for services, events and hall hire, and reset them afterwards.
Compliance & contractors
- Support building compliance — fire safety, legionella, PAT testing, emergency lighting, asbestos awareness — and keep accurate logs.
- Obtain quotes for, arrange and supervise contractors for larger works, and check work on completion.
- Monitor the condition of the estate, plan repairs, support quinquennial and other inspections, and respond to emergencies and call-outs.
Safeguarding
- Comply with the Archdiocese’s safeguarding policies and the national Catholic safeguarding standards, work with the Parish Safeguarding Representative, and report any concern immediately. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check at the appropriate level.
General
- Uphold the ethos and values of the Catholic Church; maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection; take reasonable care of health and safety; and undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role.
Person specification
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Qualifications & training
- Good standard of general education. Knowledge of basic management of buildings and utilities
Experience
- Experience in bookings, administration or customer service.
- Marketing or promoting a venue.
Skills, knowledge & abilities
- Well organised and numerate; confident with invoicing and record-keeping.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Able to apply health and safety and safeguarding requirements to events.
- Knowledge of premises management and licensing, health and safety, or event management.
Personal qualities & ethos
- Personal drive to seek out new hirers.
- Professional and welcoming; willing to work some evenings and weekends.
- Sympathetic to, and willing to work within, the ethos of the Catholic Church.
- Willingness to learn about marketing hall venues
- Willingness to learn about maintenance of an estate
Eligibility to work
You must have the right to work in the UK. The Archdiocese is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role, and applicants must already hold the right to work in the UK.
This job description is not exhaustive and may be reviewed and amended, in consultation with the postholder, to reflect the needs of the parish and the Archdiocese.