Senior Administrator for the Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)

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Job description

COMBAR is the Specialist Bar Association (SBA) of the English and Welsh Bar for commercial barristers advising the international business community.

Combar represents just over 1,600 individual practitioner members of the English Commercial Bar and 38 leading barristers' chambers, all of whom are self-employed or employed barristers providing specialist advice, advocacy and mediation services in relation to commercial law for businesses, individuals and other organisations. The Administrator is not involved in any aspect of the barristers' legal practice.

Responsibilities

The main duties of the administrator over the course of the year include

• Support to the officers
• Providing general support to the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Executive Committee
• Minuting the Executive meetings (held monthly) and sub-committee meetings
• Co-ordinating the administration of monthly continuing professional development lectures including email advertising, reminders and booking of venues
• Assisting in the preparations for the AGM (end July).
• Communicating with Court, regulatory, governmental and representative bodies in response to queries about consultations, events, schemes and other business

Membership management

• Managing the annual COMBAR membership renewals and subscription payments (November)
• Dealing with membership applications in collaboration with the Secretary of COMBAR
• Maintaining contact lists of members and Honorary Overseas Members
• Co-ordinating the international grant programme for Junior COMBAR members
• Working with Inner and Middle Temple on the student scholarship Programme

Event management

• Assisting the relevant sub committees in organising the annual overseas North American Meeting (June) and India Roundtable Meeting (September)
• Organising and booking travel arrangements for VIP guests for these events

Administration

• Assisting the relevant sub committees in managing the website, posting news, recordings and events
• Providing input where necessary to the eNewsletter for distribution to the membership
• Liaising with the COMBAR accountant in the preparation of the end of year accounts and annual budget
• Being responsible for ordering stationery, office insurance etc, as and when required
• Communicating via email or phone with enquiries from the COMBAR membership or general public

Person requirements

• Reporting to the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary of COMBAR, the ideal candidate should accordingly have the following:
• Proven senior administrative experience
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritise work
• Ability to work independently without supervision
• Attention to detail and problem solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of office management systems and procedures
• Proficiency in the MS Office suite of software
• The ability to work comfortably under pressure
• Experience of liaising with senior members of the legal profession both in the UK and abroad
• Basic book keeping skills working alongside the accountant
• Ability to manage budgets and communicate with the bank

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be entitled to private healthcare and 25 days paid holiday per annum.
• Pension contribution equivalent to 3% of salary (£66,500 per annum).

Further information

COMBAR is willing to discuss the successful candidate working in part from home and in part from its offices at Outer Temple Chambers. COMBAR is also willing to consider a candidate who wished to work four days a week, provided that there was flexibility at certain specifically identified periods of the year.

How to apply

Please send a covering letter setting out why you think you would be the ideal candidate and a CV (two pages only please). Please send to Veronica Kendall via the button below.

Deadline for applications

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Friday 17 December 2021.