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.

The Vision & Strategy Consultant (Northern) is a key role in the Vision and Strategy Diocesan Support team working pro-actively with bishops and senior diocesan leadership teams to support their strategy development and implementation, and resource allocation, in line with the priorities of the Vision and Strategy.

Post Introduction

The Vision and Strategy team has been established to support the whole Church in its embrace of and engagement with the national Vision and Strategy for the Church for the 2020s which has three strategic priorities: missionary disciples, younger and more diverse, and mixed ecology. 

The team is also the lead owner of the strategy within the National Church Institutions (NCIs), and therefore responsible for ensuring that the work of other teams within the NCIs is aligned to the strategy and helps ensure its delivery across the Church.  The Vision and Strategy team consults on and manages the distribution of around £60 million per annum of national funding, and helps the delivery of projects funded by previous grants.

A new position of Archbishop’s Mission Enabler for the North began in May 2023 and is focused on promoting Church Planting and Parish Revitalisation across the North, working closely with the Senior Vision and Strategy (V&S) Consultant. The V&S Consultant will therefore be working in close support of both.

This post will be home-based but with extensive travel across the Province of York, and periodic travel to London.  Further details will be discussed at interview. The hours of work are 35 per week with the willingness and ability to undertake local and diocesan visits (including residential events) and work outside office hours (including evening and occasional weekend working) when required, for which time off in lieu will be given.

To arrange an informal discussion about the post please email rod.mcphee@churchofengland.org

Closing date for applications is 8 October 2023.

First stage interviews are expected to be held on 13 October 2023.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to deliver a short verbal presentation, as part of the recruitment process.

The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country.  This is a priority for the Archbishops. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we 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

The actual work of the post-holder will vary over time in line with annual team objectives, but their duties and responsibilities will fall within the following broad headings:

• Provide consultancy support to help, support, advise and partner with Dioceses, to deliver the bold outcomes and strategic actions of the Vision and Strategy, supporting their change management plans in a variety of contextual ways.
• Pro-actively engage and build relationships with diocesan leadership and programme teams to support the implementation of their work. This will include monitoring in-flight change programme plans and learnings against the objectives in associated funding applications.
• Support the Senior V&S Consultant in co-ordinating national Church’s strategic support of senior diocesan leadership teams in alignment with the Vision and Strategy. This will include providing information to support workshops, discussions and decisions.
• Act as a point of contact for a portfolio of dioceses, as directed by or in support of the Senior V&S Consultant, to ensure strategic alignment of national initiatives.
• Support and advise diocesan leadership teams in the design, review and implementation of their strategic funded programmes, including missional and structural design, moving from planning to implementation, introducing appropriate programme governance, attending programme boards and advising on delivery.
• Work with the Funding and Learning team to provide assurance to Trustees on the effectiveness of the national funding distributed to dioceses including supporting an agreed programme of monitoring and evaluation.
• Support the Archbishop’s Mission Enabler for the North in developing strategies and plans for church planting and revitalisation across and between Northern dioceses, in conjunction with and under the direction of the Senior V&S Consultant.
• Apply appropriate resources, including strategy development tools and playbooks, project and programme best practice tools and digital resources, to help dioceses, churches and networks to deliver the bold outcomes and strategic actions in the Vision and Strategy.
• Work closely with colleagues across the Vision and Strategy Team and wider NCI Teams for the furtherance of the Vision and Strategy, in particular working closely with the Funding and Learning team to share insight and learning in terms of what is working well in mission, growth and programme delivery. Collaborate with other national Church teams to provide best support to diocesan teams and to the Archbishop’s Mission Enabler.

The Ideal Candidate

The Requirements

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Experience of working as an advisor with a variety of senior stakeholders in an internal or external consultancy role within or outside the church context.
• Excellent relationship management and communication skills (including experience of working with senior colleagues).
• Experience in the development of strategy in a large and complex organisation or as a consultant.
• Aligning strategy alongside people planning and financial planning.
• The knowledge and ability to support the delivery of complex transformation programmes.
• Ability to think strategically, and to see both the wider picture and attend to detail, including an ability to get to the root cause of issues.
• Knowledge of programme and project management approaches from inception through to delivery.
• Experience of monitoring and evaluating the impact of projects, programmes and other initiatives.
• High intellectual capacity with strong analytical abilities, able to assimilate and analyse quantitative and qualitative information quickly, confident in using data and insight, identifying issues and priorities.
• The ability to present work attractively, persuasively and accurately, orally and in writing.
• Experience in planning and delivering events and conferences for senior participants.
• An understanding of how to support the mission and ministry of the Church effectively and a passion for encouraging the growth of the Church.
• An understanding of the structures and workings of the Church of England and an ability to work effectively within them.

Education:

• Education to degree level or relevant professional qualification.

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
• High intellectual capacity with strong analytical abilities, able to assimilate and analyse information quickly, identifying issues and priorities.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure when required.
• Highly pro-active, demonstrating resourcefulness and energy with a commitment to making a difference.
• A good team member, balancing pro-active initiatives with judgement on how and when to collaborate.
• Ability to apply understanding, judgement, tact and discretion.
• Ability to lead by example, demonstrating enthusiastic commitment to the priorities of the Church of England.

Circumstances:

• Willingness and ability to undertake local and diocesan visits (including residential events) and work outside office hours (including evening and occasional weekend working).

About Us

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.