Regional Net Carbon Zero Senior Project Manager

The General Synod of the Church of England voted in February 2020 for the whole of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. The vote recognised that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice. The Synod asked for a plan to be made, setting out how to get to net zero carbon. That plan of action, called the Routemap, was approved by General Synod in July 2022 in a Motion that asked for the Routemap to be endorsed, requested every Diocesan Synod to debate the Routemap as it applies to them, requested high energy users within the Church to draw up a programme of action based on the Routemap, and called for progress reports to Synod every three years.

The Dioceses of Blackburn, Carlisle and Manchester have agreed to collaborate on the implementation of their diocesan net carbon zero (NCZ) Routemap action plans approved in autumn 2023 and developed by the individual Diocesan Environment Officers in each diocese supported by their local governance groups.

The Regional Net Carbon Zero Senior Project Manager is a nationally funded role to provide additional capacity to:

• Track the implementation of the actions in each of the diocesan action plans during 2024/2025.
• Ensure smooth delivery of c. 175 nationally funded decarbonisation reports for churches, offices, retreat houses across the three dioceses plus Carlisle schools.
• Provide a link with the developing national church Roadmap.

Key responsibilities

• Support 3 x diocesan teams with delivery of the individual NCZ plans including:

• Creation and maintenance of diocesan project plans/risk registers.
• Reporting progress milestones and targets to diocesan governance group(s).
• Co-ordinating with Diocesan Environmental Officers (DEO) and other staff/volunteers in encouraging greater Energy Footprint Tool returns.
• Co-ordinating with Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) officers in supporting the delivery of NCZ development projects.
• Overseeing ‘mini-projects’ e.g. piloting Authorised Lay Minister (ALM) and carbon literacy training in dioceses.

• Convening regional co-ordination meetings.
• Reporting progress on delivery of the nationally funded de-carbonisation reports for churches, offices, retreat houses and schools.
• Engagement with the national team/DEO network to be a conduit for future opportunities released by the national team.

• Ensuring that the reports are delivered to time, cost and quality specifications agreed with the principal and sub-contractors.
• Coordinating support to churches, schools, offices and retreat houses on understanding and interpreting decarbonisation reports.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Educated to at least degree level in a numeric subject.

Knowledge and Skills

• A minimum of five years project management experience.
• A minimum of five years experience of procuring and managing consultant/contract resources.
• At least three years experience of working with senior leaders and subject matter experts towards delivery of organisational objectives.

Attributes

• Teamwork.
• Driven.
• Resilience.
• Impartiality and collaboration.
• Commercial Awareness.

Personal Qualities

• Self starter – able to manage own workloads against a competing set of priorities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills – finding a consensus for action.

Outline of Terms and Conditions

• Employer: Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance.
• Salary: £41,220 per annum.
• Hours: This is a full-time role based on a 35-hour working week, but the post holder may be required to work additional hours as to meet the reasonable requirements of the role.
• Location: The post holder will be based at the Blackburn Diocese Board of Finance, Clayton House, Walker Office Park, Blackburn, BB1 2QE.
• Pension: The default for staff is a Royal London Pension Scheme, 10% Employer contribution 2% minimum employee contribution.
• Annual leave: The full-time entitlement is 25 days (not including statutory bank holidays) in the first year of employment rising by 1 day per completed calendar year up to a maximum of 30 days per year.
• Probationary period: The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
• Notice Period: During the six-month probationary period two weeks’ notice is required on either party. Thereafter you will be required to give three months’ notice should you wish to resign.

The Diocese of Blackburn believes that diversity enables us to thrive and develop and is committed to race equality, welcoming applications from UK Minority Ethnic/ Global Majority Heritage backgrounds. The Diocese of Blackburn is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.