What you’ll be doing
This role provides an excellent opportunity of working in a small, friendly, committed, professional and busy team supporting a complex, detailed and fast-paced portfolio of senior appointments, vocational discernment and associated projects. We work as a close-knit team in beautiful surroundings, part of the Lambeth Palace community and Office of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, supporting each other with care, flexibility and good humour.
Main duties and responsibilities
Working alongside the Appointments and Vocations Adviser and others in the team, you will support the Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments in:
Vocational discernment and development
- Advising, guiding, preparing and pastorally accompanying those discerning a calling to senior leadership roles in the Church, creating frameworks, supporting the process of identifying, sustaining and developing as diverse a pipeline as possible.
- Advising bishops and others on individuals who may have a calling to senior leadership roles, pastorally supporting clergy in their discernment, identifying, supporting and signposting to areas for ongoing development.
- Supporting the engagement with individuals and key stakeholders and networks relevant to, and interested in, the senior appointment process.
- Providing coaching and skills training to individuals or groups to support them in engaging effectively with senior appointment discernment processes, including, but not limited to, courses, webinars, seminars, training sessions and other activity, creating appropriate frameworks for this work.
- Working proactively and collaboratively with others in the team and outside on discernment and development activity, sharing learning and best practice, contributing to its evolution.
- Build networks within the Church to ensure proper signposting of individuals outside of senior appointment discernment processes.
- Senior appointments
- Proactively and professionally engaging with diocesan stakeholders on the planning and delivery of appointment processes and associated consultations within dioceses and cathedrals, drafting high-quality, comprehensive reports that sensitively and appropriately articulate and encapsulate the joys and challenges of the mission and ministry of the Church in a given context.
- Supporting the work of appointment panels, professionally and confidently guiding and advising them in their discernment, whilst following agreed policies and procedures.
- Drafting high-quality role profiles, adverts, candidate briefing packs and other documentation.
- Coordinating and preparing for, advising on and participating in, longlisting, shortlisting and interview processes.
- Journeying alongside candidates at all stages in the process, making sure they are fully and pastorally supported in their discernment, working with colleagues to provide appropriate feedback and advising on areas of ministerial development.
- Other projects
- Using best practice in HR and development to contribute to other projects related to the work of the team, including, but not limited to, policy, frameworks and systems, governance, oversight and communications.
- Carrying out research, drafting and keeping updated high-quality reports, policy and other papers.
- Ensuring that the team is at the forefront of the implementation and sharing of best practice, collaborating with key stakeholders, both internal and external.
About You
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 Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups.
Essential
Education:
- Educated to degree level, or equivalent recent and continuous professional development.
- A human resources and/or coaching qualification commensurate with the scope of the role, with evidence of recent and continuous professional development and demonstrable HR and coaching experience and skills.
- Knowledge/Experience:
- Evidence of, and interest in, the development and implementation of effective HR, policies, frameworks and systems, particularly in connection with development, coaching and appointments.
- Commitment to, and a track record of, supporting individual development.
- Experience of, and a passion for, creating tools and other resources to support individuals with their development.
- Significant experience of, and interest in, selection, resourcing and development practice for senior leadership roles gained in an organisation of scale with complex structures.
- Significant experience of, and interest in, the use of selection and development tools and methods (including psychometrics).
- An affinity with, and hands-on experience of, using technology to support and drive best practice in HR and professional development, together with a vision of its potential, and an ability to develop and implement system change.
- Experience of working within, and supporting, governance frameworks.
- Experience of supporting and increasing participation of under-represented groups, including those from UK Minority Ethnic/Global Majority Heritage backgrounds, or with a disability.
Key Skills:
- Outstanding oral and written communication, public presentation, facilitation and influencing skills, the ability to produce detailed, high quality written reports and policy papers.
- Successful track record of working well with others, both within an organisation and in external networks, with the ability to develop ideas with other people.
- Ability to work both at a strategic and operational level, being comfortable in both and able to move seamlessly between the two.
- Ability to manage a busy workload, be highly organised with the ability to deliver a number of projects at the same time and meet competing deadlines.
- Exceptional attention to detail and consistency.
- Ability to navigate a complex political landscape with professionalism and confidence.
- Ability to discern, encourage and empower gifts in others, including vocations to senior leadership roles in the Church, and associated development activity.
- Ability to have vocational conversations within a Christian context, pastorally support clergy discerning a call to senior leadership roles and give appropriate feedback.
- Excellent planning, organisation and administrative skills, including ability to use IT software (e.g. Microsoft Office and SharePoint) and able to be self-supporting in the planning and organisation of their programme of work.
Personal Attributes:
- Highly resilient with a high level of self-awareness.
- Delivery and stakeholder focused.
- Ability to work effectively and confidently with an intellectually challenging client group.
- A strong empathy and interest in people and effective organisational development and culture.
- A strong understanding of, and empathy with, the mission and ethos of the Church of England and the development and appointments process for senior clergy. Ability to show familiarity with, and be comfortable supporting, different contexts of Church life across the breadth of theological and church traditions.
- Inspiring, enthusiastic, encouraging and supportive to others, both one-to-one and in groups.
- Highly emotionally intelligent.
- A high degree of discretion in handling confidential personal matters and information.
- Highly engaging, with the ability to build effective relationships with people and able to build credibility with senior clergy and staff.
- A demonstrable commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Circumstances:
- This is a demanding and impactful role that will require the post holder to occasionally work hours outside those prescribed. It will also require frequent travel around the dioceses of the Church of England and occasional evening working.
- The Church’s culture and the appointments processes are deeply intertwined with its theological heritage. The postholder will need to be interested in, sensitive to and sufficiently resilient to work creatively with the language and concepts that emerge from this.
- Desirable
- A human resources (ideally CIPD Level 7) and coaching qualification (ideally ILM Level 7), or equivalent.
All staff working at Lambeth Palace share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture with regard to children and vulnerable adults, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.
This role will require a basic DBS.
What we offer
Our benefits include:
- A salary of £66,186 per annum plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of salary30 days annual leave
- Flexible working hours and location, with an expectation of just 1-2 days per week in our office in Westminster.Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships
- Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme Opportunity to the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies
- We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
This role will be offered on a Fixed Term basis of 2 years.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 30 June 2024.
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