New Parish Administrator in Culcheth

This is a 24 months fixed term contract for 16-20 hours per week (negotiable) with some fixed meeting points evening/weekend work - Specific times negotiable, family friendly hours possible. The post is located in Winwick Deanery. Possible work base Newchurch Parish Hall, 7-9 Common Lane, Culcheth, Warrington, WA3 4EH. Opportunity for hybrid work. Some meetings across the area and at St James’ House, Liverpool (own means of travel needed).

We are excited to be part of a new project in the Winwick Deanery which seeks to bring together a significant number (12 of 14) of the Church of England parishes on many aspects of church life, change the way we organise ourselves at parish level, facilitate greater collaboration between congregations and streamline governance structures. The aim is to be more effective in providing more opportunities for people in the deanery to experience church and faith and for the church to serve the needs of the local community and through this change to grow the church both numerically and spiritually. This change project is called Fit for Mission.

In this exciting two-year role, you will provide efficient administration support to the Winwick Deanery Fit for Mission Team Lead and Navigation Team who co-ordinate this local project. Excelling at building positive relationships, creating new systems and championing clear communication, you will be responsible for ensuring written and verbal communication is shared effectively across the deanery, overseeing the co-ordination of events and meetings, as well as the development and handling of data. Familiar with traditional and modern communication strategies, you are a confident, flexible and professional administrator with an eye for detail.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing effective administrative support to the Change Facilitator, Team Lead and the Navigation team, you will be integral to the successful programme delivery.
• Developing and implementing effective systems to communicate to church leaders, PCCs, change teams and church members in relation to Fit for Mission; this includes a new website and social media pages, events and meetings.
• Scheduling meetings & producing agendas and minutes with a quick turn-around; collating the required documentation.
• General administrative support to local clergy including organising service rotas, preparation of orders of services, arrangement of parochial meetings.
• Helping to establish the future Support Services function.
• Liaising with a range of team leads to feedback and keep the project on track.
• Preparing documents and reports, proof reading and editing documents written by others.
• Collecting and inputting measurement data and maintaining spreadsheets.
• Liaising with Finance, HR and other departments.
• Providing data input support for local parish finance teams (training will be provided).
• Initiating and maintaining a digital filing system (SharePoint).
• Managing data in compliance with GDPR.
• Other administrative tasks that are required to support the navigation team lead, portfolio leads, and change facilitator to achieve a successful and timely transition as they balance this role with ongoing parochial responsibilities.

There will be a requirement to occasionally attend meetings in other locations of the Diocese.

What We Can Offer You

• A varied role with support to learn and to put your broad range of communication skills into practice.
• You will be a part of a fun and friendly team with a shared sense of purpose.
• 25 days annual leave pro-rata, plus up to 3 days over the Christmas period.
• Non-contributory pension scheme with generous employer contributions (additional voluntary contributions may be made).
• Employee Assistance Programme giving you 24-hour access to support for your health and wellbeing.
• A supportive culture that values work-life balance including flexible working around core hours in a 35-hour week.
• Employee discount in Cathedral shop and bistro.
• Free on-site parking at St James House, secure bike storage and easy access to public transport when meetings are held in Liverpool.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Liverpool Diocese is committed to treating our whole community with dignity and respect. We desire to represent diverse identities within our community whether this be by race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or social background of each person to ensure they fulfil their potential within a proactive, loving and caring environment.

About The Diocese Of Liverpool

The Diocese of Liverpool is the Church of England in a corner of the North West with churches from Southport to Widnes; Wigan to Warrington and throughout the city of Liverpool all working their hardest to fulfil our vision of asking God for a bigger church making a bigger difference with more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world. As we work towards that vision we have four priorities:

• Introducing people to Jesus.
• Deepening discipleship.
• Developing Christian leaders.
• Working for justice.

About Fit For Mission

The Diocese of Liverpool is on a transformation journey called Fit for Mission, a six-year strategic programme to support our vision of asking God for a bigger church to make a bigger difference. The goal of Fit for Mission is to enable all parishes, church plants, fresh expressions, schools and chaplaincies to fulfil God’s mission and to make new disciples where they are. The Fit for Mission programme will provide focus and support to work together to face the significant issues that hold back mission and growth. Fit for Mission will support each deanery in the Diocese of Liverpool to create their own future.

There are six elements to this, and for each of them the programme will make available help and specialist resource:

• A focus on developing our discipleship culture through training and support, including delivering ‘Cultivate’, a successful Local Missional Leadership programme.
• Creating core support-services in deaneries to support and resource your mission.
• Creating missional leadership teams of lay and ordained people over larger areas with responsibility for specific mission and worship communities.
• Developing agreed mutual support and accountability structures for all leaders.
• Work towards each deanery having one Larger Parish.
• Fewer parishes, but more worshipping communities and more justice initiatives.
• Less bureaucracy, more mission.
• With a local strategic approach, more diversity of worship will be possible.
• Making sure buildings are fit for purpose, with buildings expertise available to assist in making good decisions on use, investment, or closure.

Earth Justice is an identified priority, being high on the priorities of young people, as well as a mandate set out by national synod. The Diocese of Liverpool has a strategy that sets out how we propose to meet our carbon net zero targets by 2030. This reinforces our objective to be a sustainable flourishing church equipped for the future.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• Administrative experience in an office or church setting (paid or voluntary).
• A member of the Church of England with a knowledge of the structures and organisation within it.
• Working alongside and communicating with a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience in the voluntary sector.
• Understanding of a variety of worshipping traditions.

Knowledge & Skills

• Good time management skills to order and prioritise workload effectively, communicating to key stakeholders including teams, employees, volunteers and members of the churches.
• Working knowledge of website content.
• Excellent personal organisation and administration skills.
• Knowledge of financial processes and procedures.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High level of IT proficiency using Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, MS forms, SharePoint.
• Experience of using ‘ChurchSuite’ or similar church management system.
• Highly effective communication strategies including social media and written updates.
• Events co-ordination and bookings.
• Minute taking and writing up of meeting notes.

Personal Qualities

• Likes to connect with people over the phone and in person, not just email.
• Person of integrity who can keep absolute confidentiality.
• Ability to take responsibility to ensure tasks are completed.
• Good with detail, able to suggest suitable processes and a completer/finisher.
• Ability to build good relationships with a variety of people and maintain them.
• To have an understanding of, and be in sympathy with the Church of England.

Qualifications

• Min 5 GCSE or equivalent at Grade C or above which demonstrate ability in English and Maths.
• A-level/BTEC Or Equivalent Qualifications.
• NVQ Business Administration level 2 or equivalent.

The post holder must be in sympathy with the aims and ethos of the Church of England. The post holder must also fully support the Values of the Diocese of Liverpool.