Working at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens
The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens is an incredible building that has been around for over 800 years. Home to the Bishops of Bath & Wells, the site and buildings are owned by the Church Commissioners and operated by The Palace Trust, a registered charity which manages the site as a heritage visitor attraction welcoming over 145,000 visitors a year.
Surrounded by a breath-taking moat, drawbridge, and iconic gatehouse you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful and inspirational place to work.
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Financial Controller
Full time (37 Hours pw). Part time hours will be considered
Salary: £47,000 – £49,000 (FTE) per annum
The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens in Wells is recruiting for a Financial Controller to lead our small Finance and Admin Team.
The Financial Controller will support the Chief Executive in financial planning and compliance of the organisation, both long-term and day to day, in a role where they work strategically across the organisation.
You will be responsible for all financial systems and processes and ensuring that risks are identified and mitigated. You will oversee the delivery for the core support functions (Finance/IT). Being a relatively small team, the role will require a hands-on approach to managing the financial functions including monthly accounts, cashflow and monitoring finances and providing timely financial reports. As a member of the management team, you will be key in shaping and delivering the next strategic plan for the continued growth and development of this busy historic visitor attraction.
Key responsibilities of the role include:
- Successfully managing the financial affairs of The Palace Trust in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer.
- Collaborating with other members of the Senior Management Team to create and deliver annual budgets alongside the long-term strategy.
- Preparation and analysis of wide range of data and information that improves planning and decision making including monthly management accounts, board reports, annual statutory accounts and budgets.
You should:
- Be a qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA or ACMA)
- Be an analytical thinker
- Have previous experience of managing a finance team
- Have the ability to inspire and engage others.
- Have a strong commercial acumen and be adept at business planning.
Experience of the charity sector and/or heritage sector would be desirable.
Part time hours can be considered for the ideal candidate and hours can be flexible to work around school hours. This role is office based in Wells, though occasional remote working is possible.
How to Apply
Send your CV along with a Covering letter to [email protected].
Applications will not be considered without a cover letter.
Full details of the role can be found: Financial Controller
Closing date for applications will be 12noon Thursday 15 May 2025.
Interviews are scheduled to take place w/b 19 May
Anticipated start date – Mid June
What you will get for the role (including benefits):
You will be working for an independent charity whose main aim is to share, preserve and protect the 800-year Bishop’s Palace, with its medieval buildings, moat and spectacular gardens. We reinvest in the team and the site and work with local community groups and organisations as part of our community engagement.
We are a real living wage employer.
We provide an induction and training plan for each employee from day one.
25-day annual leave
Wellbeing support and access to the organisational Employee Assistance Programme
Positive working environment
Staff Social events
Free admission for yourself and a guest ticket
Opportunity to join the Palace Trust Pension scheme (min of 12% basic pay contribution)
Opportunity to support the local community through volunteer days
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Seasonal Visitor Experience Assistants
Seasonal Part time contracts available up to 16 Hours per week.
Salary: £12.60 per hour
As a Visitor Experience Assistant, you will be part of the team who manages the day to day running of the heritage site, providing excellent customer service, and maximising sales of tickets, membership, gift aid and generating the income the charity needs to keep the historic Palace and ruins open to the public.
Key responsibilities include:
- Engaging with visitors, welcoming them to the Palace and promoting what the Palace has to offer
- Ensuring all customers receive excellent customer services by remaining knowledgeable of all the activities within the Palace and Grounds
- Contribute to the general and day to day management and upkeep of the site
- Being a key ambassador for the Palace, encouraging visitors to support the Palace by actively promoting entrance tickets, gift aid, membership, and passes to the Palace. You will be confident in face to face sales techniques including cross-selling and up-selling
- Assisting with light maintenance and cleaning for the smooth operation of the site
- Supporting security and health and safety processes
To be part of the Team at The Bishop’s Palace you will have experience of customer-facing sales, working in a visitor attraction, money handlings and using a till system. You will also have fantastic customer service skills coupled with a strong and clear understanding of promoting a heritage attraction to all audiences, be an excellent team player who is adaptable and can remain calm under pressure.
This role will be joining the team for the busy summer months so the role is offered on a seasonal contract which would run until September 2025. Contract hours will be 8 – 16 hours per week. Hours would be worked on a rota basis, and the site is open 7 days per week.
How to Apply
Send your CV along with a Covering letter to [email protected].
Applications will not be considered without a cover letter.
You can view the full job description and person specification: Seasonal Visitor Experience Assistant
Applications will be reviewed on receipt and interviews will be arranged as suitable applications are received.
Anticipated start date: May 2025
What you will get for the role (including benefits):
You will be working for an independent charity whose main aim is to share, preserve and protect the 800-year Bishop’s Palace, with its medieval buildings, moat and spectacular gardens. We reinvest in the team and the site and work with local community groups and organisations as part of our community engagement.
We are a real living wage employer.
We provide an induction and training plan for each employee from day one.
25-day annual leave
Wellbeing support and access to the organisational Employee Assistance Programme
Positive working environment
Staff Social events
Free admission for yourself and a guest ticket
Opportunity to join the Palace Trust Pension scheme (min of 12% basic pay contribution)
Opportunity to support the local community through volunteer days
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Casual / Bank Chef
Casual Hours – kitchen over during holidays or additional support for events
Pay depending on experience – per hour
The Role:
We are looking to add some casual cover/ bank Chefs to join our small kitchen team. The Chefs we are looking for would work on an ‘as and when Basis’ and work as part of the kitchen team to produce exceptional food cooked to order. This would be perfect for a Chef who is looking to share their knowledge and experience with a new generation, whilst helping out and benefiting a charity at the heart of Wells.
This role offers the best work/life balance as hours will be on a casual basis. Rotas are planned in advance so you will have notice of workdays. We are looking for several chefs who are happy to be called upon and added to the rota to cover holidays, sickness, days off or to add additional support during high season or events.
The Bishop’s Table offers breakfast, brunch and lunch in the busy café. The team work day shifts, generally 8am until 4.30pm. The café is open from 9.30am until 5.30pm daily with occasional evenings for special events. Our Kitchen team are responsible for creating menus, ordering and all health, safety and hygiene to ensure an efficient smooth-running kitchen. We are open year-round and part of a busy, historic visitor attraction so welcome both tourists and regular local customers.
Who are we looking for:
We’re looking for Chef with at least 3 years’ experience in a busy kitchen producing fresh food to order.
This might be working 1 or 2 shifts per month or covering one of the chefs’ holidays so could be 8 days out of 14. Shifts could be a full day, or additional cover for a summer lunch time.
You must be a team player, be enthusiastic about creating and producing seasonal menus, be willing to learn and share learning.
Qualifications / Skills:
Ideally our Chef would have NVQ L1 or 2 or City and Guilds 7061/7062.
At least 3 years’ experience as a chef in a fast-paced kitchen
Willing to share skills and experience
Excellent communication skills and ability to place orders and maintain kitchen paperwork.
What you will get for the role (including benefits):
You will be working for an independent charity whose main aim is to share, preserve and protect the 800-year Bishop’s Palace, with its medieval buildings, moat and spectacular gardens. We reinvest in the team and the site and work with local community groups and organisations as part of our community engagement.
We are a real living wage employer.
We provide an induction and training plan for each employee from day one.
25-day annual leave
Wellbeing support and access to the organisational Employee Assistance Programme
Positive working environment
Staff Social events
Free admission for yourself and a guest ticket
Opportunity to join the Palace Trust Pension scheme (min of 12% basic pay contribution)
Opportunity to support the local community through volunteer days
How to Apply
Please send a CV along with a Cover letter to [email protected]
Full details of the role can be found: Bank / Casual Chef
Applications will be considered as received and shortlisted applicants invited to interview.
