NORFOLK PTS

Marham is a community situated between Kings Lynn, Downham Market and Swaffham and consists of a medium size village incorporating the RAF Marham Community on its doorstep with a large development of privately owned ex-MOD housing within that area. A hive of activity it is a well-serviced community and has thriving social and recreational heartbeat. 

The Council currently has 10 seats filled by enthusiastic and hard-working Councillors with a wide range of skills and experience, and they are seeking a Clerk/RFO with the skills to complement them and enhance their drive to deliver the best possible service to the community with a precept of c£58k and aspirations of achieving Quality Council status. 

Recruiting a Qualified and Experienced Clerk has proven challenging, and we are now seeking to widen the recruitment to include an unqualified/inexperienced person who has transferable skills and a desire to develop in the role over a 2-year period of mentored employment and training with a view to taking over full roles and responsibilities upon achieving CiLCA qualification. The mentoring will be provided by the current Locum, who would become the Executive Officer, to provide support to the clerk whilst ensuring large capital projects are delivered with continuity. 

As the Clerk you will primarily be home based working, 14 hours per week averaged over the year, with an office in the village hall for storing records and working from as appropriate. A flexible approach to working hours and time management is required. A laptop is provided with reimbursement for home office and supplies provided. Salary will be on the NJC (local Government) pay scale 10 rising with increments and qualifications to the LC2 range, in line with the SLCC job evaluation guidelines. A NEST pension scheme is available; all holiday and other entitlements and allowances are in line with the NALC model contract, and membership of the SLCC is supported. Hours would rise to 18 per week on the removal of the Exec Officer role once the Clerk is qualified. 

The Full Council meets 10 times a year, with a recess in August and December, the meetings are currently scheduled for the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7pm and take place in the village hall. 

The Council is responsible for a variety of facilities and functions, including the Village Hall (Clerk is the bookings manager using Scribe with a contracted Caretaker/Key Holder), the playing field and pavilion (hosting the thriving Shouldham Youth Football Club), a cemetery and closed churchyard, also allotments and a recently improved play park. There are exciting and ambitious plans underway to renovate and extend the village hall, refurbish the pavilion and improve the playing field. 

The ideal candidate will have transferrable administrative and IT skills, be competent with MS365, as well as accounting and budgeting skills, and be willing to undertake the CiLCA qualification with support from the Council. You will also be articulate in written and verbal communications and be able to work cooperatively with councillors, colleagues and the public. You will enact the Council’s resolutions whilst also being able to work with minimal direction, prioritising work and using your initiative alongside the scheme of delegation. 

You will be expected to perform statutory duties and exercise a high level of public body governance; You will build relationships across all levels of local government and within the community. 

As RFO you will have experience in, and be able to demonstrate, sound financial management and budget setting looking to the short to mid-term. 

Duties will gradually be increased to include but are not limited to:

• Organising and attending council meetings, preparing agendas and writing minutes.

• Maintaining the PC website.

• Village Hall and Playing Field bookings manager.

• Burials Officer.

• Managing a Gov.UK Council email system.

• Updating the village noticeboards.

• Maintaining/updating files and documents.

• Implementing the Council’s decision.

• Undertaking continuous professional development inc conferences and seminars.

• Guiding Councillors with professional development in their role.

• Attending to all correspondence including letters and emails.

• Distributing relevant information to Councillors.

• Being the first point of contact for the public.

• As the responsible Financial Officer, manage and report on the Parish Council’s finances, including monthly reconciliation, annual budget preparation and quarterly budget monitoring reports, payment of invoices and prepare the accounts for annual audit using the Scribe accounting system. Payroll is outsourced.

• Preparing end of year accounts liaising with both internal and external auditors.

• Supporting Allotment Management, including invoicing.

• Overseeing the Caretaker Contractor and PC volunteers.

• Acting as the Data Protection Controller for the Parish Council.

• Monitoring planning applications, decisions and appeals weekly and circulating them to the Council.

• Liaising with Borough and County Councillors and officers.

• Monitoring changes to legislation and advising the Council.

• Continuous improvement and championing best practice. 

Please send your CV stating qualifications, work experience and the qualities and skills you would bring to the job with a short covering letter to the Chair of the Parish Council via the clerk clerk@marhamparish.gov.uk. Closing date for applications is 15th of March 2025 with interview to be arranged at mutually convenient time and date in the following week. The successful candidate will be required to supply 2 references. 

For further information please contact the clerk.