Our aim is for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.

The Vision and Strategy team has been established to support the whole Church in its embrace of and engagement with the national Vision and Strategy for the Church for the 2020. The three priorities of the strategy are to become younger and more diverse, a church of missionary disciples where a mixed ecology of many forms of church is normal. Its role is to support the whole church in engaging with and living out the emerging Vision and Strategy.

The team is the lead owner of the strategy within the National Church Institutions (NCIS), and therefore responsible for ensuring that the work of other teams within the NCIs is aligned to the strategy and helps ensure its delivery across the Church. The Vision and Strategy team consults on and manages the distribution of around £100 million per annum of national funding and helps the delivery of projects funded by previous grants. The team also supports the implementation of a number of complex change programmes.

As Programme Office Manager, you will lead the Programme Management Office for Vision and Strategy and the Emerging Church of England programme, managing governance arrangements, risk, reporting of metrics and milestone planning.

You will support the Co-Directors in planning and governance for the Vision and Strategy team, including oversight of the project portfolio and business planning. You will have the opportunity to lead specific projects within these programmes of work

The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minority Ethnic Backgrounds and disabled people.

For an informal conversation please contact debbie.clinton@churchofengland.org

Closing date for applications will be on the Tuesday 11th April 2023.

Interviews will be held on Thursday 27^th April 2023.

In return we offer a unique environment with opportunities for continuous learning, generous annual leave for work life balance, season ticket loans and a range of benefits including discounted entry to attractions and what we feel is a market leading package when it comes to our pension scheme.

The Role

• Leading the Programme Management Office.
• Co-ordinate business planning for the Vision and Strategy team including supporting directors in producing a business plan and the associated project portfolio and monitoring progress against this including the use of appropriate tools and technology.
• Leading and delivering specific projects as allocated.
• Supporting the shaping of projects in initial stages in alignment with the NCI project processes.
• Providing executive support to the Co-directors for Vision and Strategy by conducting research, drafting papers, presentations, responses and communications and leading or supporting events as required.
• Supporting the Directors in overseeing the Archbishops’ Council project portfolio.
• Organising steering group meetings with trustees and bishops and any other programme boards as required, including creating agendas, documenting and following up actions and minutes, coordinating papers and logistical arrangements.
• Updating the team, project and programme risk register. Ensure these are updated and work with the Co-Directors to ensure risks are regularly reviewed and mitigations acted on.
• Liaising and forward planning with Central Secretariat teams regarding items on General Synod, House of Bishops, Archbishops’ Council and Church Commissioners agendas, ensuring production of timely papers and supporting resources in required formats.
• Acting as first point of contact and drafting for all General Synod and Parliamentary questions directed to the Vision and Strategy team..
• Supporting, including invoice payments and allocating the time of the Executive Programme Administrator and being a point of connection for workstream leads including project managers, contracted or seconded staff as needed.

Within the Vision and Strategy team, about 20% of working time would be used on cross team projects, most of which would involve offering for particular limited term groups. This role is by its nature a cross team role supporting such projects.

The Requirements

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Project and/or programme management skills including understanding of the project lifecycle and experience of developing and implementing projects.
• Good knowledge of governance within the Church of England and programme governance.
• Planning skills including business planning experience.
• Excellent writing and research skills, including summarizing material from a range of sources and drafting clear papers and responses.
• Time management skills, including ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to deal with people at all levels, get on with people easily, create and work within teams.
• Excellent IT skills, including experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Knowledge of the Church of England including its governance and structures.
• Understanding of Vision and Strategy and the Emerging Church of England work including its context, aims and impact.
• Experience of organizing governance meetings, including minuting.

Personal Attributes:

• Discretion in dealing with confidential matters and sensitive issues.
• Professional, well organized, and creative when appropriate.
• Self-motivated and well organized, able to demonstrate initiative.
• Ability to maintain focus to complete tasks under pressure.
• High sense of responsibility, consistently completing work of a high standard.

Desirable

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Excellent IT and presentation skills including formal papers, presentations, and basic design.
• An understanding of budget management and payment processing.
• Experience of a similar role in a programme office, strategy or planning context.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Degree level education in a relevant discipline and/or project management qualification.

In the National Church Institutions (NCIs), we support the mission and ministries of the Church of England. We work with parishes, dioceses, schools, chaplaincies and other ministries, and with national and international partners including mission agencies, and other denominations and faith groups.-.

Find out more about working for the National Church Institutions at Careers | The Church of England

Our NCI values

• We strive for excellence
• We collaborate
• We act with integrity
• We show compassion
• We respect others

We welcome everyone and we accept and value people for who they are and what they contribute, treating others in the way we would wish to be treated ourselves. We actively listen to and include others, encouraging and enabling everyone’s voice to be heard in discussions and decisions. When we disagree, we aim to disagree well with respect and kindness.

We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you. If there is anything we can do to support you in your application please get in touch via email to hr.recruitment@churchofengland.org.

• As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively look to attract, recruit and retain those of you who are disabled.
• We are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and welcome applications from those of you who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.