The Diocese of Derby covers an area of around 997 square miles and consists of 255 parishes. It is one of 42 Dioceses of the Church of England.With its Cathedral in Derby City, the Diocese covers the whole of Derbyshire and four parishes on the fringes of the county in Staffordshire.

As a senior leader in the Diocese, your part in the vision will be to structure, resource and enable the Diocesan Board of Finance team to enable Archdeacons, deaneries and parishes to deliver against their priorities and missional objectives. To come to Derby as Diocesan Secretary is both exciting and challenging. It is exciting to join a relatively new and vibrant senior leadership team which, working alongside Bishop Libby, has great aspirations to grow the Kingdom of God in this place in order that we fulfil the objectives of our shared Diocesan vision.

As Diocesan Secretary, you will be a key participant member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team, advising the Bishop on all matters of governance and process, and holding responsibility for delivery of Diocesan priorities.

You will be responsible for building effective partnerships across and beyond the Diocese. You will act as Secretary of the Business Committee, Bishop’s Council and the Diocesan Synod, and Vacancy in See Committee advising and leading delivery on matters of Diocesan governance structures, policy, finance, and strategic development.

For an informal conversation with Bishop Libby, please contact bishop@bishopofderby.org

Closing date will be 27th November 2022

Interview date will be the week commencing 5th December 2022

We offer a unique environment with opportunities for continuous learning, generous annual leave for work life balance, and a leading package when it comes to our pension scheme.

Role

• You will act as Company Secretary to the Derby Diocesan Board of Finance Limited and to manage the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor.
• You will play a significant role in returning the Diocese to a financially sustainable position, by reducing annual deficits to the budget.
• You will exercise overall strategic responsibility for the Diocesan policies, schemes, and strategies, including the Common Fund scheme, buildings strategy, housing policy and communication strategy.
• You will pay particular attention to the responsibilities of safeguarding and the culture of safe space in the Diocese.
• Your role includes leading the review of Church House to transform culture, enable best working practice, support and develop staff, ensure better use of space and physical resource.
• You will deliver Diocesan programmes and projects to meet operational objectives.
• You will also be responsible for ensuring the effective management and delivery of all Church House functions, including HR, People, Finance, Communications, Safeguarding and DAC, giving clear leadership to respective Directors or Heads of Departments, and leading necessary process of review, restructure, and recruitment of such. By virtue of your role, you will be a member of the Diocesan Multi-Academy Trusts.

The Requirements

INSPIRATION AND RESILIENCE

• A committed and practising Christian.
• Ability to drive change, formulate, implement and deliver key objectives and to inspire and influence at all levels.
• Able to demonstrate and sustain resilience during challenges, turning setbacks into opportunities.
• A collaborative mindset with an ability to disagree well and commit to collectively agreed positions.
• Delivery driven with inspirational and proactive leadership.

RELATIONAL

• Ability to build partnerships with parishes and communities, and with other institutions and organisations.
• Ability to drive change, formulate, implement and deliver key objectives and to inspire and influence at all levels.
• Someone who enjoys people and brings interest in holding strong relationships with wide and varied groups and individuals.

LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• A track record of recent successful senior management experience and leadership, gained in a diverse environment in the public, private or voluntary sector.
• Be able to lead creatively within the unique context of the Diocese of Derby in particular.
• Experience of leading organisational change whilst ensuring optimum day to day operational delivery.

TECHNICAL

• An understanding of the Church of England, and demonstrable experience of church communities.
• Expertise in financial planning, identifying the key strategic imperatives and timely and thoughtful analysis.
• Experience in asset management, together with ability to interpret and communicate data to ‘nonfinancial’ audiences.
• Ability to develop and implement entrepreneurial initiatives, identifying and exploring potential new income streams.

The Diocese of Derby is of great contrasts, with the beauties of the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales and prominent rural life, the City of Derby, and East and South Derbyshire with both hi-tec design alongside established industry, and some very deprived areas within its urban and rural communities.

The population of the Diocese was 1,018,438 in the 2011 census, around one quarter of whom live in the city of Derby. Derby and Derbyshire has a strong and diverse economy, with many large international corporations supported by a thriving SME and entrepreneurial culture. It reflects a number of different demographic and cultural contexts; each is diverse and complex with a mixture of communities. We also benefit from a range of partnerships across Derby and Derbyshire with local authorities, key agencies and other faith denominations.

We are called to a vision of the Kingdom of God which is good news for all people of the Diocese in Derby and Derbyshire and beyond. We yearn to see life in all its fullness flourish across our diocese in generous faith, courageous hope and life-giving love. We commit ourselves to joining in what God is doing in transforming lives through growing church and building community.