Job Opportunity: Administrator & Office Manager with Children’s Books Ireland

Children’s Books Ireland is seeking to hire an Administrator & Office Manager to join their team.

Closing date for applications is 4pm, Friday, 13 May 2022.

This is an opportunity to join the growing, dynamic team at Children’s Books Ireland. The successful candidate will be the first point of contact for all public queries by phone and email, representing the organisation in a positive and professional manner which promotes its strategic aims. They will be responsible for the smooth running of the office and for financial administration. The Administrator & Office Manager with report to the CEO and work closely with the organisation’s Financial Controller (a new role currently being recruited for). As the organisation plans to move premises in 2022, the successful candidate will be crucial in the setup of the new office, facilitating the moving process, liaising with suppliers and setting up essential services. The ideal candidate will be extremely organised with an ability to work efficiently on various tasks

The Administrator & Office Manager will:

• Be the first point of contact for all phone and email queries to the organisation.
• Oversee the smooth running of the office including maintenance of equipment, purchasing of office supplies, waste management, insurance, liaising with service providers.
• Manage couriers and post.
• Maintain a clear and transparent accounting system using QuickBooks online. This financial administration will include:
  • Recording and filing all supplier bills received and preparing fortnightly payment runs
  • Processing staff expenses and filing receipts for payments
  • Raising invoices for sales of products, tickets and services
  • Recording website sales, donations and membership purchases
  • Preparing bank reconciliations
• Maintain membership database, migrating where possible to a new automated system, facilitate mailouts and send renewal reminders.
• Administer Garda vetting processes.
• Generate and review relevant policies with the CEO, including but not limited to Covid-related office polices and work from home policy.
• Run reception desk at Children’s Books Ireland events including our annual conference and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
• Maintain the organisation’s offsite archive.
• Support the Children’s Books Ireland team more broadly; duties may include minute-taking, travel booking, onboarding of incoming staff members in relation to equipment, email etc.

Requirements:

• Must be able to confidently carry out the responsibilities outlined above while working independently and as part of a small, creative, fast-paced team.

• At least two years experience in a comparable role including financial administration, ideally in the arts, education or charity sectors.
• Strong interpersonal skills: the ideal candidate will be friendly, professional and able to work with a wide range of partners and teammates.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, responding quickly and efficiently to queries as they arise
• Being a self-starter with strong organisational skills.
• Excellent digital literacy, with a high level of proficiency in QuickBooks, MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Dropbox, Zoom and Slack.

The following are desirable, but not essential:

• Proficiency in written and spoken Irish
• An understanding of and experience working in the arts or charity sectors and/or an interest in children’s books

Children’s Books Ireland’s vision is simple: every child a reader. Our mission is:

• to inspire a love of reading in children and young people in Ireland,
• to share our expertise and enthusiasm with the adults who guide and influence them, and
• to champion every child’s right to excellent books and live literature events and support the artists who make that goal possible across the island of Ireland.

Children’s Books Ireland is a registered charity. They deliver numerous projects that bring the joy of reading to children all over the island of Ireland including Laureate na nÓg (the children’s literature laureate), the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinics, a magazine and annual reading guide, an annual conference and various book-gifting schemes which ensure that children and young people in areas of need have access to books. Children’s Books Ireland is the go-to organisation for children’s book coverage across various media. For more information, see www.childrensbooksireland.ie and read their Strategic Plan here.