Overview

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.

In February 2020, the General Synod of the Church of England set a target to be Net Zero by 2030. This excluded the investment portfolios of the national investing bodies which have a 2050 target. This goal, and the work needed to achieve it, is of huge importance to the whole Church – it is an imperative for the planet, and it is a mission priority for the Church, as reflected in the five marks of mission.

In July 2022, the General Synod supported a Routemap to Net Zero 2030, prepared to help groups across the Church of England to understand what is needed and can be done to help deliver net zero across the churches, cathedrals, houses and schools of the Church of England.

£190 million of national church funding has been secured over three triennia (2023-2031) in support of this goal.  This will not be sufficient to deliver all that is needed but must be wisely invested to have the most significant enabling impact across the Church.  Key to the use of this funding will be exploring the potential for it to generate additional funding and income through grant applications, partnership projects, strategic social investing, and potentially some elements of revenue generation.

Post Introduction

As Net Zero Programme Director you will be responsible for planning and delivering the central aspects of this complex and highly ambitious programme, working closely with colleagues across all parts of the Church.

Delivery can only happen if the Church works together - the role is not one of delivering a fully funded centrally planned programme, but one of inspiring, supporting, influencing and providing key and critical funds to ensure that the Church as a whole delivers this vision.

You will need to embrace the importance of delivery by all parts of the Church which will be needed to ensure success.

Normal hours of work will be 35 per week however an appointment on a part-time basis (not less than 0.8 FTE) would be considered.

To arrange an informal conversation please contact Catherine Truelove catherine.truelove@churchofengland.org

Interviews will be held in Leeds the afternoon of Thursday 22^nd September 2022

We are taking a flexible approach to work, with many colleagues opting for a hybrid approach to their working week, with a mixture of home and office-based working. Further details will be discussed at interview.

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 people with disabilities.

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.

Role Responsibility

The Role

• Work with the Third Church Estates Commissioner, Lead Bishop for the Environment and senior colleagues from across the Church to design the Net Zero programme, ensuring that the programme is clearly scoped around the Routemap to NetZero. Lead on the planning and delivery of the central/national aspects of the Programme.
• Work closely with key stakeholders from across the Church to develop a virtual programme team and a joined-up stakeholder management approach.  Design clear communications and change management plans for, and in conjunction with wider stakeholders.
• Communicate the programme’s vision, imperative and progress, as well as the impact of the funding.  Develop and oversee communications to the General Synod, House of Bishops, Archbishops’ Council, Church Commissioners and the wider church.
• Develop the process for prioritising and allocating national Church net zero funding, as well as the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of its deployment, with a focus on local delivery and optimising impact and innovation.
• Establish and support the Net Zero Funding Programme Board.  Ensure that informed high-quality advice is provided to the Board to aid decision making, and that the Board has good secretariat support.
• Manage the programme budget on behalf of the Programme Board and of the relevant funding bodies, monitoring expenditure and costs against delivered and realised benefits as the programme progresses.
• Lead the work on monitoring, evaluation, insight and effective learning from net zero projects, with a view to developing and improving the programme over time, as well as optimising the deployment of funding.  Ensure that projects funded as part of the programmes are effectively evaluated and that key learnings are shared widely.
• Monitor and report on overall progress of the programme and the net zero funding.
• Work closely with the Finance, Data Services and other relevant national church (NCI) teams to ensure a close partnership around tracking progress, financial management, insight and learning.
• Ensure effective quality assurance and the overall integrity of the programme.
• Identify and manage risks to the programme’s successful outcome.
• Demonstrate best practice in applying programme and project management principles and practices.
• Oversee and co-ordinate the work of programme staff members. Lead and manage any programme team members as appropriate or work to co-ordinate and support those who are line-managed elsewhere as part of a virtual team. Role model our NCI Values and belonging and inclusion commitments and play a part as one of the NCIs’ senior leadership group.  Manage the relevant budget.
• Maintain strong and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders including the Programme Board, NCI Chief Officers and relevant Trustees and Directors, and leaders from across the wider church, ensuring a culture of collaboration and trust pervades the project.

The Ideal Candidate

The Requirements

Essential

Skills/Aptitudes 

• Think strategically - can see both the wider picture and attend to detail.
• Ability to build and lead large and diverse teams and alliances, ensuring buy-in to the agreed outcomes, and to the stepping-stones to deliver these, whilst role modelling our Values.
• Comfort in managing significant budgets and good knowledge of strategic financial management and budgeting.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills - ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships with nuance and subtlety.  Aptitude for communicating with and influencing/persuading at all levels of seniority and expertise. Able to build relationships, trust, and credibility with a wide range of diverse stakeholders.
• Strong analytical abilities, able to assimilate and analyse information quickly, identifying issues and priorities.
• Ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and occasionally work under pressure when required.

Knowledge/Experience 

• Deep experience of programme / project management, with a track record of delivering benefits / outcomes successfully. Experience of monitoring and evaluating the impact of programmes / projects and sharing learnings.
• Understanding and experience of managing environmental / net zero / sustainability issues.
• Good understanding of change management disciplines and how they might be applied in delivering a major programme across a complex organisation.  
• Experience of managing financial matters, perhaps involving significant finance allocation and/or grant-making decisions.
• Experience of managing risk in a complex environment.
• Experience of working at a senior level within a complex governance framework, including presenting and influencing at Board level.
• Experience of team leadership and management and role modelling key organisational values. 

Personal attributes 

• Passion for the delivery of the Church’s Net Zero target.
• Sympathetic to the aims and goals of the Church of England.
• Comfortable with considerable complexity and ambiguity.
• Highly pro-active and resilient, demonstrating resourcefulness and energy with a commitment to making a difference.
• Ability to apply understanding, judgement, tact and discretion.

Desirable

• An understanding of the structures and workings of the Church of England and an ability to work effectively within them.
• Qualification in Programme / Project Management methodology.

About Us

We in the National Church Institutions support the mission and ministries of the Church all over England. We work with parishes, dioceses (regional offices), schools, other ministries and our partners at a national and international level.

Excellence, Respect, Integrity

We follow these three values in everything we do, whether we are of Christian faith, another faith or no faith. To learn more about working for National Church Institutions and our benefits, please click here

As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively look to attract, recruit and retain those of you who are disabled.

As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, we welcome applications from those of you who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to ensuring that everyone, job applicants, customers and other people with whom we deal, are treated fairly and not subject to discrimination.  We will do whatever is necessary to provide genuine equality of opportunity. We continuously review our policies and processes to support our aim to create a workforce as diverse as the nation the Church of England serves.