Job Description
Role: Project Assistant
Reporting to: Project Manager
Role type: Part-time 22.5 hours per week | Negotiable working pattern Mon to Fri | Hours to be worked across a minimum of three days each week.
Contract: Fixed-term contract for 12 months | 0.6 FTE
Salary: £24,000 FTE (£14,400 pro-rata)
Location: Hybrid: St. Paul’s Learning Centre, Bristol and home-based
Overview
Marmalade Trust is a small but ambitious charity; raising awareness of loneliness nationally and supporting people experiencing loneliness to feel more connected. Since 2013 we have run projects (supported by our incredible volunteers) across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. Each year we run our Loneliness Awareness Week campaign, which is celebrated around the UK and now globally. We do not receive statutory funding but are very well supported by members of the public, regional grant givers and corporate organisations. Each year we have grown and have ambitious plans to continue this over the coming years in order to support more of those experiencing loneliness. We are now recruiting for a Project Assistant to join our team.
As Project Assistant, you will be responsible for helping to respond to incoming referrals from professionals and community contacts in a range of partner organisations, as well as dealing with direct enquiries from existing and new project members. You will handle the data administration for the projects, making sure all data is recorded accurately and managed inline with requirements. You will be a key contact for communication with project members and, where relevant, their referring professional to ensure they have a positive experience with Marmalade projects.
About the Job
Main responsibilities:
· Respond to incoming enquiries from new and existing project members
· Process referrals from professionals and community contacts ensuring accuracy
· Complete data administration efficiently and on time, managing databases and spreadsheets accurately
· Review referrals using the agreed referral criteria and through telephone calls to project members and referring partners
· Call project members regarding their eligibility and deal sensitively with those who we aren’t able to support
· Maintain telephone contact with current project members to ensure they are up to date and informed about the service
· Identify and obtain potential case studies and assist with the evaluation of projects
· Attend network events to promote our projects amongst relevant VCSEs
· Answer our published telephone line on a rota basis within working hours
· Provide cover for the Project Manager as and when necessary
· Identify and escalate any safeguarding or welfare concerns that may arise
· Complete any other reasonable duties that may be requested and be willing to work reasonable out of office hours on occasions as required
Note: The above list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to undertake other tasks and responsibilities as requested by your line manager.
About You
Essential skills, knowledge and experience required for this role
· Experience in a related sector (e.g. VCSE, health or social care)
· Manage competing priorities and responsibilities when working in a high pressure environment, planning, organising and managing workflow to meet demanding deadlines
· Able to have challenging conversations with vulnerable individuals
· Adept at building professional relationships over the telephone
· Strong interpersonal skills - able to communicate empathetically and effectively with a diverse range of people
· Excellent attention to detail, with an ability to spot errors
· High standard of general IT skills, including Excel, Word, G-Suite, Databases
· Creative problem solving, adopting a solutions-focused ‘can do’ approach
· Working understanding of GDPR, data protection and confidentiality legislation and regulation
· Good understanding of, and a commitment to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
· A commitment to Marmalade Trust and its vision
· A willingness to keep up to date with relevant policy changes and best practices
· Passion for working with the target audience
· Empathetic, fair and flexible
· A willingness to undertake reasonable work outside of core working hours when this is necessary
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience for this role
· Experience of using Lamplight or other charity/service sector databases
· Knowledge of the charity sector
· Knowledge of professional boundaries in the context of adults at risk
· Knowledge of safeguarding in the context of adults at risk
· Compassion and an understanding of the additional challenges faced by vulnerable and/or older adults
How to apply
Please submit a CV and cover letter*. Your cover letter should clearly identify how you meet each of the skills, knowledge and experience requirements for the role. You can use headings and bullet points for this.
Please send your CV and Cover Letter as Word documents rather than PDFs so that we can easily anonymise them prior to sending to the recruiting manager(s).
Please note, due to the large volume of applications, you will not be asked to interview if you do not include a covering letter* explaining how your experience meets the role requirements.
We offer flexible working hours – please contact us if you would like more information.
At Marmalade Trust, we want to create a genuinely inclusive workplace, where we embrace the differences of all our colleagues and celebrate diversity. To help ensure all candidates are assessed only against the job description, our selection process uses anonymised candidate applications.
To apply, send your CV and cover letter* to Jade via support@marmaladetrust.org. Remember to send your documents in Word or similar editable formats.
For an informal conversation about the role before you apply, please contact Xanne via xannecarey@marmaladetrust.org.
*You can choose to submit your cover letter as a voice recording clearly identifying how you meet the criteria.
Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months
Pay: £24,000.00 per year
Expected hours: 22.5 per week
Application question(s):
- Please send your CV and Cover Letter as Word documents rather than PDFs so that we can easily anonymise them prior to sending to the recruiting manager(s).
Please note, due to the large volume of applications, you will not be asked to interview if you do not include a covering letter* explaining how your experience meets the role requirements.
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bristol BS2 8XJ
Application deadline: 08/09/2025