THE GOVERNORS OF ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM ACCOUNTS AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Application Form Please complete all sections of the form in full and return it by the specified closing date to: The Administrator, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG, Northern Ireland. 1. Surname: Title (Mr. Ms. Mrs.): Other Names: Age and Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Nationality/Citizenship: 2. Home address and telephone number; mobile telephone number and/or fax number, and e-mail address (if any): 3. Second-Level Qualifications and Subjects Studied (e.g. GCSEs and O-Levels, School Leaving Certificate or equivalent qualifications, A-Levels etc.): School(s) Attended Subjects Studied Dates Grades Other Second-Level Qualifications (if any): Subjects Studied Dates Grades 4. University and Post-School Qualifications (if any): Subjects Studied Dates Grades and Awarding Body 5. Please describe your present job (if any) and key responsibilities, and your previous work experience since leaving school or university: 6. Please outline your career aspirations and why you would like to be considered for the position of Accounts and General Administrative Officer at the Armagh Observatory: 7. Please indicate how you satisfy the essential and desirable requirements for the post as outlined in the Job Information (continue on an additional sheet if required). 8. Please note here any leisure activities, hobbies, sports etc. that you may participate in or other pastimes: 9. Please provide any further information on work experience or other skills and experience which you believe is relevant to your application: 10. Work Permit: In certain circumstances, for example if the person is a national of a country other than a full member of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EAA), it may be necessary to obtain a Work Permit. It will be the responsibility of the successful applicant to obtain the Work Permit and to satisfy all the requirements of the relevant immigration authorities. The position may not begin before the Work Permit has been issued. Do you anticipate that a Work Permit will be required? 11. Referees. Please provide the name, contact address, telephone or fax number and/or e-mail address of three people whom we can approach to provide a reference in support of your application. At least one of the references must be from a supervisor or other senior manager from a previous or current employer who is in a position to assess your work-related skills and experience. 12. I confirm that the information provided on this form is correct and I understand that any misrepresentation or omission may render me liable to dismissal if engaged. If offered an appointment, I agree to undergo a pre-employment medical examination if required. I understand that I may also be required to provide documentary proof of all qualifications. Signature: Date: ACCOUNTS AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER JOB INFORMATION POST: ACCOUNTS AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER SALARY LEVEL: The salary is based on the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Administrative Officer scale, currently in the range £11,572 to £15,691. Starting salary will depend on qualifications and experience, and progression on the scale will be based on performance and pay award agreements between the NICS management and staff Trade Unions. STAFF APPRAISAL: The NICS staff performance appraisal scheme applies to the post SUPERANNUATION: The Postholder is entitled to join the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannuation Scheme (NILGOSS), in which the employee's contribution is currently 6%. RESPONSIBLE TO: The Administrator, Mr Lawrence F. Young. CONTACT ADDRESS: Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG, Northern Ireland. Tel: +44-(0)28-3752-2928; FAX: +44-(0)28-3752-7174; web-site: http://star.arm.ac.uk. NORMAL HOURS OF WORK: Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., a total of 35 working hours per week allowing an hour off for lunch. The Postholder may be expected to work occasional additional hours as required to fulfill the full responsibilities of the post. Time off in lieu may be taken for additional hours worked. HOLIDAYS: Entitlement to holidays, both customary and annual, shall take cognisance of the Observatory's holiday regulations for the post, currently 11 customary days and 30 annual days per annum. Main Duties and Responsibilities The main duties and responsibilities of the post are as follows: 1. Accounts Raising orders for goods and services in accordance with the Observatory's purchase order procedures. Scrutinizing, verifying and processing purchase invoices and expense claims for payment, including checking against supporting documentation and with the Observatory's financial rules and procedures, allocating nominal ledger, cost classification and cost centre codes, obtaining approval for payment and raising cheques for signature. Recording and inputting expenditure and grant and other income in the computerized accounting system. Lodging receipts with the bank, preparing bank transfers, and liaising with the bank on banking matters. Maintaining the nominal, creditors and debtors ledgers in the computerized accounting system and updating the fixed assets register database. Completing the accounting month-end routines and preparing bank and other control account reconciliations. Calculating prepayments and accruals for the year-end accounts. Providing financial information and explanations for management and for audit purposes. 2. Administration of Grants Preparing and submitting grant claims in accordance with the rules and regulations of the grant awarding body. Recording details of grants announced in the grants database and recording transactions. Preparing and submitting periodic and final financial statements on grant income and expenditure both in electronic and hard copy form as required by management and/or the grant awarding body and liaising with research staff on various matters associated with the grants. 3. General Administrative Duties Acting as the primary recipient of telephone calls to the Observatory. Filing of accounting and other documentation, and recording media mentions and other miscellaneous information. Copying and faxing various reports and other material for staff and students and preparing and distributing circulars and mailing lists. Providing assistance and information when required about the Observatory and its financial procedures and the facilities and accommodation in the Armagh area for visitors and new staff and students. Welcoming visitors and providing hospitality as necessary. Receiving deliveries and post, and sorting post and recording outgoing mail. Other general duties within the skills and capabilities of the Postholder as directed by the Administrator or Director. Skills and Experience Required Essential At least five GCSE/GCE passes or equivalent including English and Mathematics with a Grade B or higher. At least three years experience in processing accounting information for expenditure and income in a computerized accounting system. At least two years experience or a relevant academic qualification covering the use of basic information technology for the office, including spreadsheets, word-processing and related software. Evidence of effective interpersonal and communication skills. Desirable Higher level academic qualifications. Experience in preparing financial statements for management information purposes using spreadsheet software; in preparing correspondence and other documentation using word-processing software; and the use of database software. Two years experience gained in the last five years in the administration of Government grants. Two years experience gained in the last five years in processing accounting information in a Sage Line 100 accounting system. Wider relevant computing experience. Application Procedure An application pack (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/jobs_armagh.html) may be downloaded from the Armagh Observatory web-site or obtained by writing to the Administrator, Mr Lawrence Young, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG. The completed pack must be returned by 5.00 p.m. on the closing date. Candidates should note that it is their responsibility to ensure that applications are submitted on time and that all forms to be returned are completed and included in the pack submitted. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered. Entitlement to Work in the United Kingdom Employers are required by the United Kingdom immigration authorities to ensure that those employed by them are legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom. If you are invited to an interview you will be required to provide on the day of the interview: your passport; or a document verifying your permanent national insurance number (e.g. P45, P60, National Insurance Card) and your birth certificate which includes the names of your parents (long version). Other acceptable documents are listed at http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk, the Home Office web-site. Should you require any further assistance, please contact Mr Lawrence Young at the Armagh Observatory, e-mail: lfy@arm.ac.uk; Tel.: +44-(0)28-3752-2928. Dates to Remember and Selection Procedure The Armagh Observatory is fortunate in attracting strong candidates for specific vacancies. Applications will be acknowledged, and selection will take place as soon as practicable after the closing date for the receipt of applications. Candidates will be short-listed in accordance with the essential and desirable criteria described in the Job Information for the post as evidenced by the candidate's application form and/or references provided. Candidates must meet all Essential Criteria in order to be considered for the post. A maximum of 6 of those candidates meeting the Essential Criteria and achieving the highest total box mark for the Essential and Desirable Criteria will be interviewed. In making the appointment we will adhere to the timetable set out below, unless you are subsequently notified otherwise. CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 2005 March 4 INTERVIEW DATE FOR SHORT-LISTED CANDIDATES: 2005 April 22 General Information about the Armagh Observatory The Vision of the Armagh Observatory is: "To maintain and build on its position as a thriving astronomical research institute, and to continue to expand our understanding of the Universe and of humanity's place in it." The Mission is: "To advance the knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences through the execution, promotion and dissemination of astronomical research nationally and internationally in order to enrich the intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of the community." The Armagh Observatory (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/) is the oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland, founded by Archbishop Richard Robinson in 1790 as part of his dream to see the creation of a university in the City of Armagh. It stands close to the centre of the City of Armagh together with the Armagh Planetarium in approximately 14 acres of attractive, landscaped grounds known as the Armagh Astropark. The Astropark, which is managed by the Observatory, includes two sundials and scale models of the solar system and the Universe, and features a number of outdoor exhibits and interpretation panels (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/astropark/). A new public outreach facility, the Human Orrery (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/), has recently been opened in the Observatory grounds to the south-east of the main building of the modern Observatory. The principal function of the Armagh Observatory, which is a third-level institution funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), is to undertake original research of a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related sciences. Current key programmes focus on Stellar Astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy, and Solar System - Earth relationships including the Sun's influence on climate and the impact of interplanetary dust, comets and asteroids on the Earth. The Observatory also maintains a unique 210-year long meteorological record and data-bank (http://climate.arm.ac.uk/), the longest in the UK and Ireland from a single site. Senior research staff at the Observatory are employed as Research Astronomers on a scale equivalent to the NICS Grade 7, which is roughly equivalent to the level of a university senior lecturer, reader or professor. Postgraduate students have been registered at various UK and other European universities, but are usually registered at the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), which has recognized the Observatory as an approved institution for the supervision of PhD and MPhil. students. This leads to a fluctuating population of around 20--25 research staff including students, supported by a pool of 2 technical (computer-related) staff, 1 librarian, 1 group secretary, 1 accounts and general administrative officer, and a senior administrator shared (50%) with the Armagh Planetarium. The 14 acres of landscaped grounds and the Armagh Astropark are maintained by a grounds/meteorological support officer, who is also responsible for taking the daily meteorological readings, and an assistant groundsman. Technical equipment at Armagh, which is used primarily for numerical analysis, computer modelling and data reduction, is funded by the PPARC, PRTLI, and the DCAL. Facilities presently comprise some 30 Linux workstations and a range of peripherals, as well as a 30-node computer cluster comprising 30 x 3.0,GHz slave processors with a total of 30,GB memory. These are used mainly for computationally intensive research projects in areas such as solar physics, stellar atmospheres, numerical magneto-hydrodynamics, star formation and jets, and solar system dynamics. The internal network is a 1 Gbps backbone ethernet linked with switched hubs. The external network is connected to the Joint Academic Network (JANET) through a 10,Mbps link provided through the Observatory's participation in the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN). The increase in the Observatory's network capacity together with a continuing programme of equipment upgrades will enable the Observatory to participate in important new developments such as the Virtual Observatory, the UK AstroGRID, the European Grid of Solar Observatories, the ESA SpaceGRID, and GRID Ireland. Access to Grid technology is currently provided via CosmoGrid (http://www.cosmogrid.ie/). This will provide access to three high-performance supercomputer clusters, each comprising 128 x 1 GHz PCs, one in Galway and two in Dublin (DIAS and UCD). Armagh Observatory staff regularly receive awards of telescope time on national and international facilities, and research grants from various grant awarding bodies. The Observatory is also eligible to receive grants from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Within the next two years, with the support of the DCAL, the Observatory will benefit from access to the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), a large (10-metre class) telescope located at the Sutherland Observatory, South Africa, through its membership of the UK SALT Consortium (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/SALT/). Renovation of the historic telescopes and telescope domes at Armagh, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the DCAL, will also bring the Observatory's own telescopes (an 18-inch reflector and a 10-inch refractor) back into use for research and student training. Research interests of Observatory staff currently focus on (i) Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics (including star formation, astrophysical jets, cool stars, hot stars, helium stars), (ii) the Sun (the dynamic solar atmosphere, chromosphere and corona), (iii) Solar System Astronomy (including celestial mechanics, planetary science, and the dynamical evolution and interrelationships of comets, asteroids and interplanetary dust), and (iv) Solar System -- Terrestrial Relationships (including solar variability, climate, accretion of interplanetary dust and NEOs). In addition, Observatory staff participate in an active programme of education and lifelong learning via lectures, popular astronomy articles and interviews with the press, radio and television, as well as providing advice to the general public and undertaking a range of Observatory tours. Further details concerning the research interests of the Observatory staff may be obtained from the Observatory web-site at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/. The Armagh Observatory participates in the UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), held in 1992, 1996, and 2001. This gives external partners, such as UK charities and the research councils, information upon which to base their funding allocations. The RAE also provides a rod by which the Observatory can measure its performance against corresponding groups in university departments. Staff at the Observatory achieved a Grade 4 in the Physics Unit of Assessment in each of the 1992, 1996, and 2001 RAEs, corresponding to "Quality that equates to attainable levels of national excellence in virtually all of the research activity submitted, showing some evidence of international excellence." The census date for the next RAE, called "RAE 2008", is 31 October 2007. Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (Return with your application form) Please note that this form is regarded as part of your application and failure to complete and return it will result in disqualification. Post: Accounts and General Administrative Officer Ref: (Official use only) It is the policy of the Governors of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium to ensure that all eligible persons have equal opportunities for employment and advancement in the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium on the basis of their ability, qualifications and aptitude. The Governors of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium select those suitable for appointment solely on the basis of merit without regard to an individual's religious belief, political opinion, trade union membership, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, colour or ethnic origin. In order to ensure that the equal opportunity policy of the Governors of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is effectively implemented, applications for employment are monitored in terms of gender and community background. Gender Please tick as appropriate Male Female Community Background The Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 (the Order) outlaws discrimination on the basis of religious belief or political opinion. The information below is required in connection with the requirements of the Order. The use and confidentiality of community background information is protected by the Order. It will be used only for monitoring the effectiveness of the equal opportunities policy of the Governors and to comply with obligations relating to monitoring, investigations or proceedings under the requirements of the Order. Please indicate your community background by ticking below: I have a Protestant community background I have a Roman Catholic community background I have neither a Protestant nor a Roman Catholic community background