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JOB OPPORTUNITY - EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Are you looking to start a career in events administration?  Do you believe in the value of education for all?  If so, we'd love to hear from you.

Background

The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society is looking to recruit a third member of staff to support our plan to grow membership numbers, develop our programme and professionalise the administration of the Society.  The Society was established in 1781 with the object of promoting the advancement of education and public interest in any form of literature, science, arts or public affairs and we currently organise a programme of 30 lectures each year by acknowledged experts in a wide range of subjects.  This is an exciting time to join our organisation as we work on key projects to increase our profile.

Purpose of role

The Events and Development Administrator will carry out routine, but nonetheless essential administrative tasks which contribute towards the smooth running of the Society. With an overall workload prioritised and managed by the Partnerships and Membership Development Manager, the Events and Development Administrator will also play an important role in flexibly assisting in a friendly manner all staff, officers, Sections and Council in our joint effort towards growth.

Key responsibilities

• Events management
• Co-ordinating membership
• Finance and Administration
• Assisting the Partnerships and Membership Development Manager and Operations and Volunteers Manager with projects to support our plan for growth

To be successful in this role you will need to:

• Have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office – including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.
• Be able to communicate confidently and clearly both orally and in writing.
• Be able to work as part of a team.
• Have an ability to follow instructions and excellent attention to detail.
• Display a positive, flexible and helpful attitude to fellow staff, officers, all members and wider partners.
• Have a commitment to the beliefs of the Lit and Phil.

For further information about the role please see the job description.

To apply please send a full CV and covering letter to admin@manlitphil.ac.uk saying why you are the right person for the job, paying close attention to the key responsibilities and skills listed in the job description.

Please note that we will be assessing applications as and when they are submitted, so interested candidates should apply as soon as possible.

As we are currently working from home shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online.

We are very excited about going online this term!  It will be the first term of our 239th year, the society having been formed in 1781. Usually we offer a variety of lectures at venues such as the Royal Northern College of Music and the Manchester Conference Centre, as well as external events, and smaller seminars.  However, we cannot safely access these places yet, and we want to continue to offer our members the usual high standard of lectures.  So, during this term there will be lectures every 1-2 weeks, and the emphasis will be on lectures organised by the Science and Technology Section of the Society, though not exclusively. In 2021 we intend if at all possible to offer ‘live in-person’ events as soon as it is safe and practical to do so, especially as the social side of the Society is greatly valued by members.

We also encourage our current members to use the online facilities - in particular, our online forum: https://the-manchester-lit-phil.mn.co/

And we look forward to welcoming new members (please see here for details on how to join). Members have the benefits of priority booking, special invitations to ‘members only’ events and full access to our annual ‘Manchester Memoirs’ publications.  Guests and non-members will be welcome too, though a small donation will be requested when you register for the event.  Towards Christmas we shall have a clearer idea of how we continue into 2021 but be reassured that we have many lectures already planned for the rest of the academic season.

Dr Susan Hilton, President

*Please find a downloadable pdf version of the brochure below.

 Autumn 2020 brochure

I hope that you are all keeping well and beginning to enjoy a little more freedom of movement during these uncertain times.  The new ‘normal’ seems to change by the day, but we must all remain very vigilant.  However, I look forward to the day when I can hug our grandson properly!

The Lit & Phil staff and committees continue to actively plan future events though for now we cannot book any of our normal venues.  We very much hope to do so when it is safe and practical.  Be assured we are in regular contact with each venue and are constantly on the lookout for any alternatives.  The full series of online lectures starts on 7 September, and the autumn programme is about to be sent out, containing all the details.  

Please have a listen to the two most recent podcasts, delivered by Jessica White and Adam Waddingham, two PhD students from the University of Manchester History Postgraduate Network.  Their respective themes are ‘Health’ and ‘Tourism’ and have been created specifically for the Lit & Phil.  I want to express my enormous gratitude to the two of them and applaud their creativity.

Also, please see the message from the Honorary Secretary regarding the AGM and membership of the Section committees (Arts, Science and Technology, Social Philosophy and Young People) and Council.

Our website contains all the up-to-date information. Rachel and Aude continue to work from home for now, though the office space is checked weekly for any mail. Do contact them if you have any queries.

Best wishes,

Dr Susan Hilton, President

Lockdown is about to gradually ease, but we all need to be cautious, to avoid the risk of more local lockdowns.  However, I for one am going to enjoy more social contact than we have all experienced over the last 3 months!

Here at the Lit & Phil we have done lots of behind-the scenes work, and getting fully conversant with online meetings, where we have fully planned the autumn season.  News of this will be going out to you within the next few weeks, but I want to confirm that we have set up a full series of online lectures, starting on 7 September. The AGM will take place on 22 September (online) and full details will available in August.  All members who are unable to access online events will be kept fully informed by post as well.  If at all possible live lectures at our usual venues may restart in January 2021, but uncertainty of course remains.

The ‘short-term’ strategic planning group has met frequently – this is the ‘emergency’ group set up when the pandemic started, in order to be able to plan to continue to offer members our usual standard of lecture content and available information.  And we are looking at thoughts about our archives and artifacts, currently held at the Church House offices.  There are some very interesting documents and memorabilia, and it would be good to make them more visible in the future – more on this as ideas are developed.

Please continue to check into our website for up-to-date information, and if you have any queries, please get in touch.  Our very efficient and resourceful staff, Rachel and Aude, despite their ‘office’ space being their own homes, continue to work very hard, are always willing to help you.

Best wishes,

Dr Susan Hilton, President