Full Time for a fixed term of 3 years

Salary £55,769 - £60,414

The Diocese of Chester is seeking to appoint a Strategic Programme Director to be responsible for co-ordinating definition and delivery of the diocese’s strategic plan, taking direct responsibility for overseeing projects on behalf of the Bishop’s Core team and ensuring that all support functions (Ministry & Outreach, HR, Finance etc) are aligned with the delivery of the diocese’s vision.

An understanding of the organisational structure, breadth and dynamics of the Church of England will be necessary.

There is an Occupational Requirement for the post holder to be a practising Christian of a denomination which is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland in accordance with Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

The job description, person specification and application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan website: https://www.chester.anglican.org/support-services/job-vacancies/other-vacancies/

PLEASE NOTE: Applications should be made via the Diocesan website using the diocesan application form, not through Pathways.

Completed application forms should be returned to Mrs E A Geddes, Diocesan Director of Human Resources, preferably by email to liz.geddes@chester.anglican.org

Or by post to Church House, 5500 Daresbury Park, Warrington, WA4 4GE

Closing date: Sunday 25^th June 2023

Interviews: Monday 3^rd July 2023

Job Title: Strategic Programme Director

Reports to: Diocesan Secretary

Accountable to: Bishop of Chester

Salary Range: £55,769 - £60,414 dependent upon qualifications and experience. Fixed Term post for a period of 3 years

Hours of work: Full time – 35 hours per week

Normal place of work: Church House, Daresbury, WA4 4GE with the option for hybrid working with up to 40% working from home.

Key Responsibilities

The Strategic Programme Director is responsible for co-ordinating definition and delivery of the diocese’s strategic plan, taking direct responsibility for overseeing projects on behalf of the Bishop’s Core team and ensuring that all support functions (Ministry & Outreach, HR, Finance etc) are aligned with the delivery of the diocese’s vision.

Planning

• Facilitate and co-ordinate the development of the diocese’s strategic plan, working closely with senior clergy and lay leaders across the diocese.
• Drive the activity to produce a clear definition of the programmes and projects necessary to deliver the vision of the diocese.
• Align strategic and tactical plans with financial and deployment (people) plans.
• Define the programme governance framework, including the approach to effective planning, monitoring and delivery of the desired outcomes.
• Ensures the ongoing alignment of this change programme with the strategic direction of the diocese.
• Assist with the preparation of and assure the quality of applications for any external funding.

Delivery/Reporting

• Day to day oversight of the overall portfolio of programmes and projects, proactively monitoring progress and ensuring delivery to agreed quality, time and budgets.
• Ensure that the key strategic risks facing the programme are managed and mitigated.
• Ensure dependencies are managed between programmes, identify constraints and work to overcome them with the key stakeholders involved.
• Report progress to senior stakeholders at regular intervals, including tracking the delivery of outputs and outcomes.

Change Management & Communications

• Act as an advisor to the Core Team helping to create a positive environment for change, demonstrating an understanding/sensitivity to the impact of proposed changes.
• Assess the influences, interests and attitudes of key stakeholders and working with the Director of Communications align the communication and engagement plan accordingly.
• Proactive day-to-day stakeholder engagement, building on positive feedback and identifying/addressing any barriers or resistance to change.
• Track how well changes are being delivered and monitor the capacity of the organisation to cope with the level of change being introduced.

Please note: this list is not exhaustive and the post-holder will be required to undertake duties commensurate with the role.

Date: May 2023

Note – this job description does not form part of your Contract of Employment

The successful candidate will have experience of strategic planning and delivering significant organisational change/transformation within complex institutions. Educated to degree level or equivalent, they will have the ability to think strategically and act pragmatically, will be comfortable moving easily between strategic context and detailed planning and be able to operate in situations of ambiguity with resilience, passion and energy.

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The work of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) is operated from within Church House and is located at Daresbury Park, Warrington.

The DBF is the body which oversees the central financial and administrative work of the Diocese of Chester, provides support, teaching and trained personnel to advance the mission and ministry of the parishes within the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and the mission and ministries of the bishops of the Diocese.

The DBF is part of the Church of England, the established Church of the land, which proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and aims to proclaim the Kingdom of God in an open way to all people, of all races, cultures and backgrounds.

For many posts within the Diocese those who are not members of the Church of England are welcome to apply. We respect their right to express different religious and philosophical opinions but require them, as employees of the Diocese, to respect our ethos as an Anglican Christian organisation and not to undermine it. These posts will require the post-holders to be in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Church of England.

Some posts may include an Occupational Requirement for the post holder to be a practising Christian in accordance with the Equality Act, 2010. Where this applies the recruitment documentation will state this.

The Diocese of Chester is in the province of York in the Church of England, part of the global Anglican Communion. For more information about our life, ministry and work please visit our website www.chester.anglican.org We are linked with the Anglican Church of Melanesia in the Solomon Islands and the Dioceses of Aru and Boga in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Diocese covers an area of 1025 square miles, approximately the old Victorian County of Chester, including parts which subsequently became absorbed into Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The Rivers Mersey and Tame approximately delineate the boundary with Liverpool and Manchester. There are areas of dense urban population, mainly in the north, stretching from Birkenhead to East Manchester. There are prosperous suburban regions of West and South Wirral, Chester and south of Manchester, with a mainly rural heartland, bounded by the Derbyshire Pennines and the Welsh Border. The overall population is around 1.6 million.

The diocesan bishop is Mark Tanner. He is supported by two suffragan bishops: the Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty and the of Bishop of Stockport, Sam Corley.

The Cathedral for the Diocese is in Chester.

The Diocese is divided into two archdeaconries: Chester covering the western half and Macclesfield the eastern, each with nine deaneries. There are 273 parishes, about 100 of which can be described as rural. Compared with many dioceses, there are few teams, and few multi-parish benefices. There are approximately 231 stipendiary clergy. The ministry of Readers and Pastoral Workers is important, with over 400 licensed. The role of self-supporting ministers is increasing, with over 80 in post at present.

Roughly speaking, the Archdeaconry of Macclesfield covers that part of the diocese to the east of the M6, plus the area around Crewe and Nantwich. The Archdeaconry of Chester covers the rest of the diocese to the west of the M6. Each archdeaconry has a broad mix of urban and rural parishes. The Archdeacon of Chester lives in Chester, and the Archdeacon of Macclesfield lives in Congleton. Both now work from Church House, Daresbury.