Membership and local groups administrator

Closing date for applications: Friday 19th September 2025 at 11.59pm

Salary: £25,500

Duration: 12 months

Working hours: 9.30-5.30 Monday to Friday with 2/3 days per week in the office

Location: Bloomsbury, London

Start date: October 2025

Become part of this supportive and inclusive team where collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and helping each other are part of the everyday working culture.

The Society of Authors is the UK's largest trade union for all types of writers, illustrators, and literary translators. We have been advising authors and speaking out for the profession since 1884. With over 12,500 members, the Society of Authors (SoA) provides unlimited, confidential advice on all aspects of the business of authorship, including the clause-by-clause vetting of publishing and other contracts. SoA run and support hundreds of events each year, including professional training and industry discussions, and member-led community events online and around the UK.

Working as part of the membership and author communities team you will be on the front-line supporting members with payments and simple queries, helping to triage contract queries and updating our database. You will also communicate with members regarding local group activities and provide support to volunteer local group organisers and the local groups manager, with occasional front of house duties.

This is an entry level role and full training will be provided in all key areas. We are committed to the ongoing development of our staff, as you grow in this position, you will have opportunities to develop your skills, gain experience in different aspects of membership and events administration, and progress within the organisation.

Key activities

• Communicating with individual members and non-members via email and telephone
• Advising prospective members on how to join
• Answering queries about and taking subscription payments by telephone
• Forwarding queries and contracts to the advisory team
• Responding in a timely manner to members requests and queries
• Inputting and processing membership applications
• Sending correspondence to applicants regarding membership
• Handling member information sensitively, in line with GDPR laws and policies
• Supporting volunteers including resolving issues relating to events organisation, scheduling, member communications and issues arising from local group events
• Updating the database with information about local groups and adding bookable events to the SoA website
• Maintaining and gathering data about local group activity
• Administration for event listings and group communications
• Ensuring group database records and mailing lists are kept up to date
• Supporting member volunteers with member communications, including newsletters and meetings

What you'll learn

In this training role, you will learn how to:

• Respond promptly to members' queries
• Enter data with a high level of accuracy
• Monitor general inbox, membership and local groups inboxes
• Accurately triage advisory queries
• Edit a WordPress website by entering event details
• Write copy to advertise events
• Understand writers needs at different stages of their careers

What we are looking for

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365
• Comfortable working collaboratively
• Experience of website editing and data management
• Good time management and interpersonal skills
• Grade C / 4 or above in GSCE Maths and English

To apply

• Log in to your Creative Access account or register today to apply for this opportunity
• Upload your CV, cover letter and portfolio (optional) as one document
• Applications without a tailored cover letter will not be accepted
• Once submitted, you can no longer amend your application, so proof-read carefully
• Do not contact the company directly
• Please email any queries about this role to Creative Access at this address: recruit@creativeaccess.org.uk

This opportunity is open to individuals from groups that are under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, or people of any ethnicity who belong to the following under-represented groups: disabled people, people with the characteristic of gender reassignment, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, carers and asylum seekers.

The successful candidate for this opportunity will also participate in a Creative Access support programme that sits alongside workplace training. This includes a programme of induction training, monthly masterclasses, wellbeing support, buddying / mentoring and more.

The Society of Authors is also recruiting for a FoH/operations assistant & groups administrator (closing Friday 19th September 2025 at 11.59pm). Candidates are welcome to apply for both roles, but will be required to submit separate applications for each.