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 Cathedral and Church Buildings Division (CCB) supports the conservation and development of the Church of England’s cathedrals and church buildings and their contents and churchyards for worship, mission and community engagement. The division provides support for the statutory bodies, the Church Buildings Council and the Statutory Advisory Committee on Closing Churches and the Cathedral Fabric Commission for England, and works increasingly closely with other divisions within the NCIs.

The Cathedral and Church Buildings (CCB) team are in search of an Environmental Sustainability Officer (Church Buildings, including Cathedrals) who will be the lead officer in the Division on environmental sustainability relating to buildings.

Your role will be mainly concerned with supporting the environmental sustainability and resilience of church buildings, and also working with the Net Zero Carbon team on the ambitious target of 2030 set by General Synod as this relates to church buildings. The latter includes delivering the Net Zero Carbon Demonstrator Project.

You will also support the policy priorities of the Division, working with the senior team to identify relevant areas for policy work and support their implementation at national and regional levels.

This is a part time post working 28 Hours per week. The full time salary of £44,359 will be prorated for the hours worked giving a prorated salary of £35,487 per year.

Your normal place of work is Church House, Westminster, but a hybrid working arrangement can be negotiated. In addition, you will be required to travel regularly (by public transport or by car) to church buildings and conference venues around the country, with some overnight stays as necessary – appropriate travel and accommodation expenses will be paid.

To arrange an informal conversation, please contact joseph.elders@churchofengland.org

Interviews will be held on the 12 June 2023.

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.

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

Policy, training and capacity building work

• Supporting the Diocesan Environmental Officers network, including contributing to the organisation and running of an annual conference.
• Working with the Environmental Working Group to ensure delivery of buildings-based elements of its strategic programme.
• Supporting Divisional policy priorities as directed by the Director and senior team. This is likely to include running training events, conducting and analysing consultations, and carrying out policy analysis.

Advisory function

• Providing building sustainability advice (heating/lighting etc) to officers of the Church Buildings Council and to diocesan staff.
• Production of guidance documents to support churches and cathedrals in adapting their buildings to improve their sustainability and resilience.
• Liaison with Parish Resources and Parish Buying to promote new technologies and adaptations to assess and improve the environmental performance of church buildings.
• Giving talks and training on areas of competence, and attending and reporting back from conferences of relevant organisations.
• Working with the Net Zero programme team and CCB and diocesan teams to deliver buildings-related Net Zero projects including the Demonstator projects.

Other

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division.
• Oversee the CCB operational budget for the Environment Programme, working with colleagues to agree priorities each year.
• Support its training, communications and fundraising initiatives.

The Requirements

Essential

Skills/Aptitudes

• An ability to think clearly about administrative procedures and how to implement them in a straightforward way, without losing sight of the values which the procedures are there to serve.
• A self-starter, able to manage a workload and manage time effectively, without direct supervision.
• An ability to write and speak English and present ideas clearly.
• An excellent working knowledge of the use of information technology in the office environment.

Knowledge/Experience

• Proven experience in dealing with environmental and sustainability issues relating to the historic and natural environment.
• Experience of planning events and/or carrying out training.
• Sympathetic understanding of the purposes of church buildings as centres of Christian worship and mission.
• Knowledge/experience of the broad fields of conservation or heritage management in England including planning legislation and the operation of the systems.
• Experience of policy analysis and implementation.

Personal Attributes

• A constructive member of a wider team, able to communicate and work creatively with colleagues.
• A client-focused approach to all who seek our advice, from Bishops and Government Ministers to members of the public.
• Flexibility and adaptability in the face of changing requirements.
• Committed to the benefits of working inclusively and constructively with individuals and communities.

Education

• A degree in a relevant subject, or a high level of relevant professional experience.

Desirable

Education

• Qualifications in environmental sustainability, conservation and heritage management.
• A project management qualification.

Knowledge/ experience

• Knowledge/experience of the problems experienced by the Church of England in maintaining its historic buildings in the face of Climate Change and other often difficult circumstances.
• Previous experience in an organisation concerned with the environment, conservation of historic buildings, and their planned development.
• Experience of project management.

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 by visiting Careers | The Church of England

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.