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.

This post gives an excellent opportunity to be involved in setting up an new initiative in a small, friendly, busy office, in unusual and pleasant surroundings. The staff members at Lambeth Palace work as a small and close-knit team and support each other at busy periods with flexibility and good humour.

Post Introduction

The Centre for Cultural Witness (CCW) is an exciting new venture, based at Lambeth, yet working in partnership with university theology faculties, other denominations and partners, to share and re-tell the culture-shaping power of the Christian gospel in public.

To curate, oversee, edit and commission (under the oversight of the Director) the content of a website that will give voice to a rich Christian vision of the world, and that will help change the narrative about Christian faith in the English-speaking world. To contribute at a high level to the overall strategy and direction of the CCW.

Please see the document attached below for additional information about the Centre for Cultural Witness.

This post is offered on a fixed term contract initially for 3 years (subject to review and further funding).

Interviews are expected to be held on the 6th June 2022.

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. 

A comprehensive and supportive induction programme will be put in place to ensure that you have all the information, access and contacts you require to learn quickly and excel in this role.

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.

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.

Role Responsibility

The Role

• Overall responsibility for content, tone and editorial direction of the main magazine website, the main outward-facing element of the CCW.
• Working closely with the Director on the overall strategy and direction of the Centre as part of the main leadership group of the CCW.
• Working with the Director to establish and uphold editorial guidelines for the website.
• Ensuring a consistently high level of quality of output for the website, including written, audio and visual content.
• Developing a knowledge of the target audience of the website and how to create content that will appeal to them.
• Strategic direction of the website’s focus and content.
• Chairing the regular editorial meeting of CCW senior staff & editors.
• Overall responsibility for oversight of the editing process for the Centre’s website.
• Monitoring the website’s impact and influence.
• Recruiting a team of writers for the website, along with the Director.
• Cultivating and developing relationships with key contributors, many of whom will be senior figures in Church and wider society.
• Building and managing a team of editors.
• Working with the website manager to establish excellent visual impact of the website.
• Identifying cultural trends and issues to be addressed in the website and commissioning material.
• Liaison with partner universities and other partners in identifying contributors to the website.
• Contributing to and shaping the Learning programme of the CCW.
• Representing the CCW at key meetings when required.
• Line managing staff of the Centre, other than the Director:
  • Global Christianity Reporter / Editor
  • Others as roles develop in time.
• Writing for the website (optional).
• Involvement in fund-raising for the Centre.
• Other such duties as required by the Director.
• 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.

The Ideal Candidate

The Requirements 

Essential

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Creative vision.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Interpersonal skills to relate well and to lead a team of writers and editors.
• A commitment to sharing the Christian faith and a desire to see its culture-shaping power made more widely known.
• A keen strategic mind.
• A proven high level of editorial skills.
• A sense for good writing style and tone.
• Quick decision making.
• Cultural awareness and an ability to plan ahead for issues on the cultural and political horizon.
• Confidence and ability to deal with high-profile academics, politicians, bishops and other contributors, and editing their material with directness yet sensitivity.
• Ability to manage staff with sensitivity and wisdom.
• High level of awareness of good written style and effective written communication.
• Extensive knowledge of the world of written, visual and audio media.
• Well organised with attention to detail.
• High level of dedication and initiative.
• Ability to be self-directed and to organise work effectively.
• Sense of responsibility that the work issued is of a consistently high standard with fast response times.
• Experience and proficiency in MS Word, Outlook, Excel and the internet, as well as a networked computer system.
• Highly discreet and diplomatic.
• Exceptional judgement in understanding and dealing with urgent and complex matters across a wide range of issues.
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• Exceptionally well organised and methodical, with the ability to cope with conflicting priorities.
• A self-starter, able to use initiative and good judgement.
• Proven ability to work calmly under pressure.
• Able to adapt plans quickly in response to change.
• Ability to work collaboratively and as a member of a team.
• Highly resilient with the ability to work effectively within the demands of a busy office.  

Knowledge/Experience:

• Significant experience of journalism, published media and the process of editing at a senior level.
• Knowledge of online communication and what is effective in good writing.
• Knowledge of, and interest in the role and place of religion in general and Christianity in particular in contemporary societies.
• Experience of dealing with a wide range of people in the course of work, including at senior level.
• A knowledge and interest in the work of the Archbishops’ ministry and the Church of England generally.

Education:

• Education to at least degree standard, or equivalent.

Desirable

• Negotiation skills.
• Interest in and commitment to the task of sharing the Christian faith more widely in public discourse.
• Sympathetic to the values and beliefs of the Christian faith.
• Knowledge of the structures of the Church of England.

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.