DIOCESE OF EXETER

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Growing in Prayer

Making new disciples

Serving the people of Devon with joy

Job Title / Growing the Rural Church: Project Officer
Terms and conditions: The post holder will be an employee of the Diocesan Board of Finance.
Salary / £30,000
Membership of the Board’s Pension Builder scheme.
Diocesan housing is not provided.
Reporting to / The Growing the Rural Church Project Manager
Location of work / The designated place of work will be:
The Old Deanery
The Cloisters
Exeter
Devon
EX1 1HS;
together with extensive travel around the diocese
Hours of Work / 36.25 hours per week and will involve a significant number of evening and weekend meetings.
The role is a fixed term contract of 3 years in the first instance, with the possibility of extension for a further 3 years.
Date of issue / October 2017
Overall Purpose of Post
The Diocese of Exeter’s strategic plan for growth includes a major new initiative, the Growing the Rural Church Project (GtRC). The Project involves creative engagement with rural churches and their communities in order to promote church growth and sustainability. GtRC engages with many rural communities across Devon and increases community involvement in the life of the church, thereby enhancing mission and resulting in long-term innovative and sustainable solutions for rural churches.
This project commenced in early 2017 and will last for a period of seven years. £1M of funding has been obtained from the Church Commissioners with a further £0.8M of funding being committed by the Diocese. This is an innovative and exciting project and the project learning will help inform other dioceses and the national church.
Reporting to the GtRC Project Manager, the Project Officer will support rural churches to partner with their communities and external agencies to find sustainable missional, community, commercial or cultural uses for their buildings, which benefit the whole community. The Project Officer will work in close collaboration with rural priests and Parochial Church Councils (PCCs), the Diocesan Mission Team, Mission and Pastoral Office, Property Team, Communications Team and external partners. This is a hugely exciting opportunity for an individual with considerable experience in project delivery and community engagement to make a significant and lasting positive impact in the life of rural communities, in the church community, and in some of the most highly valued buildings in Devon.
A summary of the key elements of the Growing the Rural Church Project is included in the supporting information for this post.
Key Working Relationships with

· The Diocesan Staff team in particular, the GtRC Project Manager, Mission Community Development Advisers, Mission and Pastoral Secretary, Property Officers, Communications Team and Consultant Mission Enablers.

· The Archdeacons of Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth and Totnes

· Mission Communities, PCCs and their priests

· Parish Councils, local communities and their representatives

· Local authorities and providers of statutory services

· Local businesses

· External partners, for example, Devon Communities Together and the Churches Conservation Trust

Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Key responsibilities and accountabilities include:
Developing and Delivering Projects
The Project Officer will play a key role in initiating, developing and supporting projects which increase the sustainability of our rural churches. With the GtRC team and Diocesan officers, the Project Officer will:
·  work alongside the Mission Community Development team as they support strategic planning with rural churches, focusing on where input from the Growing the Rural Church Project will be beneficial
·  establish and develop relationships with individuals, local groups and agencies, to understand community needs and the potential of rural church buildings to be used for missional, community, cultural and commercial purposes
·  chairing and leading local meetings with PCCs and their wider communities
·  engaging in community research, analysis and consultation
·  finding and delivering creative solutions with community organisations and businesses to secure the viability of rural churches
·  ongoing co-ordination with clergy, PCCs, communities, volunteers and key staff, to progress uptake of initiatives and oversight of ongoing relationships once agreements and solutions are in place
Providing Funding Support
The Project Officer will provide the expertise, support and enthusiasm to develop business planning and promote a wide range of successful fundraising activities and grant applications by:
·  inspiring and supporting volunteers and communities, who are passionate about their local church, to formulate a business plan and funding strategy to raise funds to meet the costs of maintaining, conserving, repairing and adapting rural church buildings
·  encouraging communities to consider wide-ranging opportunities for fundraising, including the development of enterprise initiatives and events, as well as maximising regular and one-off donations
·  providing practical information on availability and suitability of grants, and assist volunteers in the preparation and submission of applications
·  working with the Church Building Advisors in relation to opportunities for extended use of the church to increase income and greater visitor numbers
Relationships and Communication
The Project Officer will build strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and external partners, and will work with the GtRC team to communicate the GtRC’s aims and success in achieving these. They will:
·  Build strong relationships with Diocesan Officers to support the delivery of projects
·  Develop excellent partnership working with a wide range of existing and new external partners
·  Support the delivery of GtRC’s Communication Strategy through speaking engagements and the use of GtRC’s webpages and social media outlets
Monitoring and Administration
The Project Officer will ensure that all projects are underpinned by effective, efficient and appropriate information and data, and monitored according to GtRC processes. They will:
·  Ensure accurate and current data is collected and appropriately stored
·  Monitor, evaluate and report on activities and projects to the Project Manager
·  Contribute to analysis for reports and presentations on the work of GtRC
Generic Responsibilities for all DBF employees
·  To welcome visitors and/or receive incoming enquiries and telephone calls, dealing promptly and courteously with enquiries and ensuring high quality collegiality at all times
·  To ensure that all health and safety instructions are followed and that care is taken to ensure safety for self and colleagues, reporting concerns immediately
·  To be familiar at all times with our equal opportunities policy statement
·  All employees who are involved in the processing or handling of manual and computer data have an obligation to comply with the terms of both the Data Protection Act 1998 and our data protection policy
·  To undertake other duties as may reasonably be expected

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Attributes / Essential / Desirable – some of the following:
Qualifications and Training / Educated to degree level or equivalent, or possess a demonstrable level of intellectual ability in a relevant subject / Qualification in project management
Experience / Development and management of projects, and associated stakeholder and community engagement
Experience of engaging and supporting people to work together to initiate, develop and support initiatives in local communities
Demonstrable skills in facilitation, negotiation and change management
Experience of successfully raising charitable funds through community and volunteer engagement
Experience of identifying suitable grant funding schemes and completing application documentation / Experience of working in the church context, including mission
Experience of working in/development of social/community enterprise projects
Experience of working with rural communities
Experience of working with historic buildings
Knowledge, skills and abilities / Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, including public speaking, with proven ability to communicate effectively and persuasively to a wide range of audiences
Ability to organise work and priorities, co-ordinating with in-house team and external partners to support the development and delivery of projects
Ability to adopt a proactive and entrepreneurial approach to discovering solutions to complex matters
Ability to build trust and work in partnership
Ability to manage and progress numerous projects at any one time / Experience of using marketing tools and social media
Personal Qualities / Diplomacy, tact and patience
Creativity and innovation with the ability to develop new and unique ways to find solutions and to create new opportunities
Resilience and ability to manage sensitive and emotive issues
Self-motivation, dedication, flexibility and adaptability
General / A passion for the project and sympathetic to the aims and objectives of the Church of England
Full driving licence and access to independent means of travelling around Devon
Available and willing to undertake evening and weekend working

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Marian Carson, Growing the Rural Church Project Manager on 01392 294 912.