Director of Strategy and Engagement OF ENGLAND

Director of Strategy and Engagement, Church of England

About the Church Commissioners

Established in 1948, The Church Commissioners works to support the Church of England's ministry.

The main aspects of the work of the Church Commissioners are:

• Managing the endowment fund – The Investments team of about 85 colleagues manages an £11.1 billion permanent endowment fund, focused on responsible & ethical investments.
• Church‐Facing Commissioner Teams – three teams:
  Church Buildings, Mission & Pastoral Services, and Bishoprics & Cathedrals.
• Central Support and Governance – about 10 colleagues support the Chief Executive, Board, and strategic programmes.
• Church of England Central Services (ChECS) – a 150‑colleague team providing finance, technology, data, communications, etc.

The Director of Strategy and Engagement has direct responsibility for Central Support and Governance, including the Commissioners' Secretariat, the Engagement Manager, and the Strategic Programme Management team.

Additional strategic programme members may be added as needed.

• Strategic focus
  • Support the Chief Executive and Board with development, articulation, and delivery of the strategic business plan.
  • Act as a close adviser and sounding board for the Chief Executive and leadership team.
  • Assist in developing and delivering plans and projects to give life to the business plan.
• Communications and stakeholder engagement
  • Advise on, and support, stakeholder engagement, developing & implementing engagement and communications strategies for key stakeholders.
  • Champion stakeholder views within the Commissioners.
• Project support
  • Manage complex or sensitive strategic projects and issues, considering reputational matters.
  • Facilitate implementation of change plans and cross‑NCI programmes.
  • Use and improve the Project and Programme Methodology with the PMO.
• Lead project teams
  • Lead the Programme Spire team and any organisational structure changes, working closely with Finance and People teams.
• Leadership & wider context
  • Keep up to date with current events and trends affecting the Commissioners and the wider Church.
  • Support the wider Church as a senior leader and contribute to development of NCIs.

We welcome all applicants, with a particular focus on UK Minoritised Ethnicities, Global Majority Heritage and under‑represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we recruit disabled people and offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria.

Salary

• About £95,000 plus age‑related pension contributions (8‑15 % of salary) and an additional 3 % match.

Benefits

• 30 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro‑rated if part‑time).
• Flexible working arrangements considered on case‑by‑case basis.
• Family Friendly Programme: enhanced maternity leave, adoption leave, paternity and shared parental leave.
• Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash, occupational health, and employee assistance programme.
• Access to department of education restaurant, Westminster Abbey, and eye‑care voucher.
• Opportunity to join Civil Service Sports & Social Club and staff networks.

Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy encourages every employee to feel valued. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. Diverse perspectives are essential to advancing our mission.

Please note:

you must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.