Pastoral and Legal Support Officer in Norfolk

Are you highly organised, detail‑focused with experience of legal or regulatory processes? We’re looking for someone to support the pastoral legal reorganisation that helps shape the mission and ministry of the Diocese of Norwich.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support the administration and governance of pastoral reorganisation including preparing reports for committee review.
• Draft and coordinate proposals for Pastoral Schemes and Orders in accordance with the relevant legislation and set processes, in liaison with senior staff and key stakeholders such as The Church Commissioners.
• Provide advice to senior staff on pastoral, legal and regulatory matters.
• Maintain accurate diocesan pastoral records and update the diocesan database.
• Support legal processes around church closures, property matters and patronage issues.
• Provide secretariat support to the Diocesan Board of Patronage.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience with legal or regulatory processes and handling confidential information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, organisation and IT skills.
• Ability to manage a high‑volume workload and work independently.
• Understanding of Church of England structures.
• Driving licence and access to a car.
• Supportive of the mission and values of the Church of England.

What We Offer

• Pro rata of 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays + Christmas closure.
• Simply Health healthcare plan.
• Free car parking at the office.
• A supportive, purpose-driven team environment.
• Opportunities to shape the future of the Diocese.

The Parish Support Team aims for everyone 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 purpose, living out our values of kindness, commitment, and collaboration. We are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who are passionate about our purpose.

Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience, we are looking for then we would like to hear from you. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance. If you’re ready to bring your expertise to a role that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.

Appointment will be subject to a basic DBS check.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement for Applicants

As part of our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, we ask all applicants to complete our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form. This information helps us understand the diversity of people who apply to work with us and supports our efforts to create an inclusive and representative workforce. Completion of the form is compulsory, and all information is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. All applications are checked to ensure this form has been completed before they are forwarded for shortlisting. Responses are viewed only by our HR team and are anonymised before any analysis is carried out. The data is never shared with shortlisting or interview panels, and it plays no part in the recruitment decision. We use this anonymised statistical information to: Monitor the diversity of applicants for each role and across the organisation Identify areas where we can improve our recruitment practices Ensure we are meeting our commitments to fairness, equality and inclusion.