Accounts and Administration Apprentice

Company: Gainsborough's House

Location: 46 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2EU

Salary: £9.50 an hour

Reports to: Finance Manager

Hours: 35 hours per week, occasional weekends

Holiday: 22 days, public holidays

Closing date: Monday 13 February 2023 at noon

Interview date: Early March

Application Form: https://gainsborough.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Application-Form-Accounts-Admin-Apprentice.docx

Accounts & Administration Apprentice (24 month contract)

Join the team developing Gainsborough’s House as one of the leading heritage attractions in East Anglia. Gainsborough’s House is becoming a major visitor attraction in the East of England as a world-class museum, art gallery, arts and study centre. It has just completed building four new exhibition galleries to display historic and contemporary exhibitions of international appeal and expand its ability to attract audiences. The Accounts & Admin Apprentice will be part of the team that helps to provide an excellent support service in our busy office.

Based in Sudbury, Suffolk, this two year contract apprenticeship post is responsible to the Finance Manager. The role of Accounts and Admin Apprentice will give a thorough and varied experience of working in all aspects of office activities at Gainsborough’s House. Working alongside staff and volunteers the position will be part of a small team delivering support to the highest standard across the Museum and Gallery. Using excellent organisational and communication skills, the candidate will develop and enhance this behind the scenes role providing accounting and administrative support.

The successful candidate will have sound numeracy, accuracy and IT skills. You will be someone who is confident and conscientious and enjoys working in a small team. A flexible, positive and pleasant approach is essential.

Job Purpose:

The position will be part of a small team delivering finance and administration support to the highest standard across Gainsborough’s House. The role will support the office staff with day to day duties including accounting, membership administration, mail processing, answering the telephone and a range of other duties.
At the end of the two year contract, the apprentice will have a sound understanding of office systems to move on to the next step in their career.

Main Duties and Activities:

Learning to use the Sage 50 accounts system to record purchase and sales invoices and other information.
Adding membership information to the ThankQ database, preparing membership packs, creating and sending out renewal letters.
Assisting with regular mailouts.
Dealing with outgoing post.
Supporting shop and reception staff in busy periods.
Answering the telephone and passing on enquiries and messages accurately to the relevant staff.
Filing accounts information.
End of day shop sales reporting.
Maintenance of petty cash account.
Occasionally assisting with events at evenings and weekends.

Other:

Complying with Gainsborough’s House policies and procedures and reporting any concerns to an appropriate person
Other related tasks as deemed appropriate

PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR ACCOUNTS & ADMIN APPRENTICE, GAINSBOROUGH’S HOUSE
Attributes	Description
Skills & Experience	Accuracy, attention to detail, organised Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal Experience of working effectively as part of a team IT skills, including Word & Excel
Knowledge & Qualifications	GCSE grade A-C (Level 4 and above) in English, Maths – essential A Levels or equivalent – desirable
Personal Attributes	Reliable and positive attitude Detail orientated Ability to work independently and as part of a team Adaptable and flexible Willingness to work occasional weekends, evenings and Bank Holidays An interest in art and heritage

About Gainsborough’s House

Gainsborough’s House is a national centre for the art of Thomas Gainsborough at the artist’s childhood home. With Gainsborough as its inspiration it seeks to bring his art and ideals to life to inspire a new generation of visitors. Our mission statement is ‘To promote the wider knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the art of Thomas Gainsborough within the context of the eighteenth century and the inspiration of the Suffolk landscape and to preserve and enhance Gainsborough’s House and its collections for the benefit of present and future generations’.

The House explores the life and art of Thomas Gainsborough. One of the greatest artists of his age, he is renowned throughout the world for his portrait and landscape paintings. Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) was born in Sudbury and lived here until around 1740 when, as a young teenager, he was sent to London to pursue a career as an artist. He returned to Sudbury in the spring of 1749 until 1752 when he painted his celebrated Mr and Mrs Andrews. He never lost the influence of his native town and county. ‘Nature was his teacher, and the woods of Suffolk his academy,’ noted an obituary after his death in 1788.

In 1958 Gainsborough’s House Society was formed to purchase the house and establish it as a centre for Thomas Gainsborough. The Museum opened to the public in 1961 and has remained open for over 50 years. The House has now completed a major development in its aim to bring Thomas Gainsborough to life for a new generation of visitors.

Equal Opportunities

Gainsborough’s House is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all staff and welcomes applications from all individuals for advertised jobs that match their skills and interests. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates.

Applicants should send their completed application form with a covering letter to:

Trudy Pickerin Gainsborough’s House 46 Gainsborough Street Sudbury Suffolk CO10 2EU

or via email: trudy@gainsborough.org

Deadline
Please return your application by noon on Monday 13^th February 2023. Interviews will be held in early March.