Head of Generosity

Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) is on a journey of growing churches at the heart of every community. Through this, we are seeing growth in many exciting ways. Financially we are at a challenging point. We have had an operational deficit for a number of years and this cannot continue. There are current conversations happening with the National Church around how we get to a sustainable platform through partnership. One key aspect of this is for us to increase our Common Fund returns (the giving from our parishes that supports the costs of our life together). We are taking a radical new approach to our finances which includes intentional reallocation of income to support the costs in our most economically deprived parishes and deeper relationships with each parish around finance through conversation rather than correspondence. Over the next five years we are hoping to be able to move to a financially sustainable platform which will enable us to better serve our communities in the future.

We need a Head of Generosity to lead the team, and project, that will focus on developing long term relationships with all of our parishes leading to:

• Greater support for our parishes.
• Increased generosity by, and within, our parishes.
• Increased Common Fund.

A steering Group has been established, which the Head of Generosity will be a part of, to plan, design and implement the activities needed to deliver our vision. Through partnership with the National Church we are expecting that there will be four members of this Generosity Team.

This role, and the team, will need to work closely with Archdeacons and Area Deans, Directors of Mission, Ministry and Finance (and their teams), the Head of Communications and many others. We have one strategy and this is a part of that so needs to link well with all other parts.

The Head of Generosity will also be Bishops Advisor for Common Fund. Bishop Michael is passionate about supporting our parishes and seeing Common Fund increase and this role will both channel his desire to parishes and help reflect what is learnt back to the Bishop as we progress.

The post holder will have the support of the National Giving Team who have extensive experience and resources to support those responsible for giving and generosity. They will also be given access to a strong and growing national network of people in similar roles. Their experience has proven invaluable to people in roles similar to this, building on best practice and learning from others across 41 Dioceses.

The role will have the following key responsibilities:

• Support in the recruitment and the establishment of the Generosity Team.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the members of the Generosity Team.
• Support the delivery design of this project and deliver the actions agreed by the Steering Group.
• Lead on Parish engagement across all areas of generosity, including the spiritual / theological nature.
• Appropriately discern and allocate team members to support different phases of the process and the different and wide-ranging developmental needs of parishes.

Through the team:

• Create a bespoke multi year plan for Common Fund with every parish with key stakeholders including Archdeacons.
• Provide consultancy, resources, and hands-on support to parishes to grow regular giving, legacies, and other forms of financial support. This work will be able to draw on the resources developed by the national church as well as the data held on their Cornerstone Platform. The post-holder will be expected to engage in the work of the National Giving Team as part of the development of these wider resources.
• Develop and deliver training for clergy, lay leaders and PCCs, on financial management and giving and generosity with the Ministry team.
• Encourage and assist parishes in the implementation of the Parish Giving Scheme, introduction of contactless giving mechanisms and related diocesan initiatives.
• Source, develop and curate practical resources (digital and print) to support local stewardship campaigns and initiatives.
• Evaluate the impact of stewardship and generosity initiatives and adapt strategies accordingly to achieve the project outcomes.
• Create compelling communication tools that articulate the impact of generosity with our communication team.

Essential Qualifications & Experience:

• Proven leadership experience preferably in financial management, fundraising, or stewardship within a faith-based or nonprofit organisation.
• Strong understanding of church governance structures and financial operations and requirements.
• Knowledge of generosity principles and Christian financial stewardship.
• A prayerful Christian with a deep commitment to the Church’s mission (Genuine Occupational Requirement).

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Resilient and adaptable, able to handle challenges and maintain momentum in a demanding role.
• Strong people skills, able to engage effectively with parishes and church communities.
• Good communicator being able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and hold their attention.
• Trustworthy and credible, able to build and maintain confidence with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Empathetic towards parishes and deeply committed to supporting the local church.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills, capable of handling difficult conversations with care and professionalism.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and keep track of numerous ongoing responsibilities.
• Team leadership ability. A good line manager able to set a positive team culture.
• Capable implementer, ensuring initiatives are successfully delivered, both at a local and diocese wide level.
• Financially literate, with a good understanding of budgets, stewardship, and sustainability within the Church.

Other Considerations:

• The role requires significant evening and weekend work, demanding flexibility and commitment.
• Local presence is essential—the role must be delivered in an incarnational way, engaging directly with communities.
• Must be able to balance multiple demands, effectively managing several "spinning plates" at once.

The post-holder will be employed by the Diocesan Board of Finance for five years.

Salary and Pension: Salary of £48,000 plus membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with 12% employer contribution. We are open to discussion especially if you are ordained and are moving out of parish ministry.

Hours: Full-time 35 hours (5 days) per week. Weekend and evening work will be required, for which the equivalent time may be taken back from standard working hours. We are happy to consider requests for flexible working, and please do mention in your application if you would be interested in looking at alternative working hours.

Holidays: 5 weeks per year plus Bank Holidays and 3 Discretionary Days between Christmas and New Year.

Employer: Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance

Responsible To: Director of Strategic Transformation

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work.

We welcome applications from any individuals who feel that they meet the person specification for any post, in particular from those who are currently under-represented in or staff teams such as those from Global Majority Heritage or UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQI+.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and other services to our staff teams.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.