Events Coordinator

Events Coordinator

Up to £40,000

London EC4

Introduction to working at St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s draws together a very diverse set of activities, projections and aspirations. It is the Cathedral of the Diocese of London and the seat of its Bishop, a national church and an international spiritual focus, a space for worship and holiness, a place of debate and challenge, an icon of resilience in the face of adversity, an architectural heritage centre, a partner in the City of London, and a commercial enterprise. In addition to holding four services every day (five on Sundays), St Paul’s is open for sight-seeing six days a week, and last year welcomed 680,000 paying visitors.

Our Vision

St Paul’s Cathedral seeks to enable people in all their diversity to encounter the transforming presence of God in Jesus Christ.

• As a community of worshippers, staff and volunteers we work with care and imagination to be a centre for welcome, worship and learning which inspires successive generations to engage with the richness of the Christian faith and its heritage.
• We aim to do this with confidence, compassion and creativity, promoting dignity and justice for everyone.
• We work with the Bishop and Diocese of London and the wider church, as a spiritual focus for London, the nation and the world.

Our Values

• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control;
• To uphold integrity, honesty and openness in what we do;
• To aim for the highest possible standards in everything we do, acknowledging that we cannot do everything;
• To make our operations as just and as sustainable as we can;
• To foster and encourage diversity, being inclusive and challenging to ourselves as well as others.

Purpose of the Job

The Events Coordinator has a pivotal role in the very busy life of St Paul’s Cathedral, controlling the cathedral diary using the Artifax Event diary management system and ensuring all events and bookings fit together without any clashes. The post-holder is also responsible for coordinating the planning of special services and events within the Cathedral to ensure their smooth running, including the many prestigious and high profile special services. This work directly supports the work of Chapter, the Cathedral’s governing body, and the Precentor is the Chapter member with oversight of this area of work. As a senior member of Cathedral staff, the Events Coordinator is a Head of Department, reporting to the Registrar and is supported by the Assistant Events Coordinator.

Key tasks

Under the direction of the Registrar and the guidance of the Precentor:

1. Diary management

a) To manage the Artifax Event cathedral diary to coordinate all entries (services; meetings; special events, bell-ringing, organ tuning, organ practice, works maintenance etc.); enter and amend bookings; check existing bookings are accurate and up to date; look at the forward diary on a regular basis to ensure smooth operations, avoiding double bookings and clashes.
b) Work in close collaboration with colleagues at the Cathedral who run events such as corporate events for commercial clients, events for the St Paul’s Institute, Adult Learning and Development/Fundraising etc. to develop effective procedures and event coordination practices for the Cathedral.
c) Run the weekly diary meeting.
d) Record the monthly recorded information messages.
e) Prepare and distribute diary reports, guided tour reports; monthly and six monthly closure lists; special services and events lists as required.            f) Provide information about special services and events for the website as required and amend the diary pages of the Cathedral website as appropriate.
g) Work with the Head of IT to promote the adoption of the Artifax Event diary management system in other Cathedral departments as required.
h) Coordinate requests from external organisations for special services and events on the Cathedral floor and in the OBE chapel and compile monthly lists of these requests for discussion by the Welcome, Worship and Events Sub-Committee. Follow up and confirm or decline these requests once they have been discussed by Chapter.

2. Special services and events

To coordinate the planning of special services and events (including concerts, lectures, exhibitions etc.) with colleagues, acting as the main contact for outside clients.
b) Set up and attend planning meetings for all special events and services as required.
c) Produce agendas for planning meetings and Cathedral worksheets and other associated documentation following planning meetings.
d) Follow up detailed action points from planning meetings with colleagues or other authorities
e) Produce cost estimates and service/concert agreements for special events and services on the cathedral floor.
f) Conduct Cathedral reconnaissance tours for organisers and security personnel associated with special services and events as required.
g) Liaise with City of London Police and other external organisations (e.g. Corporation of London) in connection with visits by Royalty and other VIPs in conjunction with the Clerk of the Works as appropriate.
h) Prepare seating plans, tickets, seating labels, invitations and guest lists for special services and events on the Cathedral floor as required.
i) Act as central point of contact for seating, access points, rehearsals and ticketing for all special services.
j) Book first aid cover for Cathedral floor events.
k) Maintain an awareness of all scheduled events in the Cathedral and Chapter House.
l) Work with external clients and all departments in the Cathedral to ensure that all special events and services are delivered efficiently and to the required standards.
m) Prepare notes and reports after special events for future reference and ‘lessons learned’.

3. Head of Department, Line Management and General

a) To carry out all the roles and responsibilities of a Head of Department including contributing to the senior leadership of the Cathedral and conducting Head of Department activities, for example in connection with health and safety.
b) To work in pursuit of the Cathedral’s vision, mission and objectives; to work within its diversity and other policies and procedures, to support and promote its values.
c) Carry out role as line manager to the Assistant Events Coordinator - coaching, developing, supporting and reviewing performance etc.
d) Any other appropriate duties that the line manager, senior management or Chapter may request from time-to-time.
The job description is an operational document that does not form part of your contract of employment. It may be that from time to time you are expected to perform tasks that may not be expressly in the job description but are nonetheless necessary in the day to day performance of your duties. St Paul's Cathedral reserves the right to amend the job description as may from time to time be necessary to meet the changing needs of the organisation.

Person Specification

• Education, Knowledge and Experience
• Educated to degree level or equivalent, with an excellent command of English, both written and oral.
• Strong experience of working in a comparable role, with project management skills and experience an advantage.
• Experience of the organisation of high profile events an advantage, ideally with experience of ecclesiastical, royal, or diplomatic protocols. Such experience is an advantage but not essential as this is primarily a coordinating role.
• Experience of dealing successfully with people at all levels.
•  Advanced Microsoft Word and Outlook skills; good working knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint; previous experience of working with Artifax Events or a comparable electronic diary management system an advantage.
• An understanding of costings and basic accounts and the ability to produce accurate costings.
• A working knowledge of the Christian faith and the ability to apply it to the context of controlling the Cathedral’s diary.

Personal qualities

• Be proactive and quick-thinking.
• Be able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Be prepared to take responsibility for decisions, tasks and the organisation of events.
• Have a good telephone manner and be accurate in giving information.
• Have an analytical mind with an ordered approach to tasks; be administratively competent, dealing efficiently with paperwork and correspondence.
• Have the ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with a range of people, including Cathedral colleagues and external organisations.
• Have the gravitas and credibility to represent the Cathedral including in high profile contexts; be well-presented.
• Have the ability to prioritise work, to multi-task and work to deadlines.
• Be willing to work in a very busy environment and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Have a tolerant, flexible disposition, with a good sense of humour.
• Be entirely trust-worthy and able to work successfully with confidential information and with complete discretion. Be prepared to undergo Security Clearance.

The successful candidate will understand, and in their work support, the Christian aims and mission of St Paul’s Cathedral.