Job Description

Business and Operations Manager Role Description

Hours:

Full time (including some evenings and weekends)

Wage:

40,000pa

Annual Leave:

28 days (including statutory holidays)

Pension:

Auto enrolled in pension scheme

Term:

3 year contract with potential for extension.

Ensuring this post is financially sustainable is part of our vision and embedded into this role, so there is scope for extending the post beyond the 3 years.

Key Relationships:

Priest in Charge, Pioneer Priest, St Cuthbert's PCC, Administrator, Treasurer, key Darlington town stakeholders.

Background:

This post is part of an initiative to revitalise St. Cuthbert's Church as a thriving centre for worship, mission and culture at the heart of Darlington. Through working in partnership with the Diocese of Durham, St Cuthbert's Church was designated a Resourcing Church in 2023. We are building a team of people to help realise the clear worship, mission and cultural potential of the church. You would join St. Cuthbert's at one of the most exciting periods in its history as the church seeks to serve its community by putting the soul back into the heart of Darlington. Over the past 2 years, significant progress has been made in revitalising St Cuthbert's; this post will cement that progress and set up St Cuthbert's for an exciting and sustainable future. As the church plans for its future, a major reordering (the Opening Doors project) will take place during 2026 opening up significant mission and outreach possibilities. Part of the vision of this project is to bring in new income streams to enable new relationships and financial sustainability.

You would be working closely with Priest-in-Charge Rev'd James Harvey to help realise this renewed vision. He is also Priest-in-Charge at Holy Trinity Church in Darlington. Other team members making this vision a reality are: Steph Price (Pioneer Priest), Megan Rawling (Community Music Director), Dionne McCreedy (Children's & Families Worker) and Rachel Wilson (Youth & Chaplaincy Lead). You will be part of a small senior leadership team working closely in partnership with James, the staff team and the Standing Committee. There is also a part time administrative role, which oversees the day to day running of the church.

Note: The NLHF (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Activity Plan is a series of community outreach activities to help St Cuthbert's engage with wider audiences funded by the NHLF.

Summary

This is a new and exciting post at St Cuthbert's combining overseeing church operations with developing a new area of church outreach through utilising our newly developed church building to maximise the church's mission potential.

The role involves 4 key areas:

Strategy

- To help deliver St Cuthbert's church's vision and to develop a business strategy for St Cuthbert's utilising a newly refurbished building designed to open our doors to new audiences.

Management

- To oversee St Cuthbert's management of its buildings, IT and finances, developing effective, efficient and flexible systems and processes, and robust and appropriate structures for leadership, management and governance.

Staff team

- To take a lead (alongside the Priest in Charge) in the management and care of the staff team, helping to develop, promote and champion a healthy staff culture and sense of team.

Administration and Finance

- to oversee the administrative needs and provision, and to increase the financial sustainability of St Cuthbert's.

Strategy

- to help deliver St Cuthbert's church's vision and to develop a business strategy for St Cuthbert's utilising a newly refurbished building designed to open our doors to new audiences.

? Be a full member of St Cuthbert's Leadership Team developing strategic and implementation plans to deliver its vision.

? Oversee the day to day operations of St. Cuthbert's according to our vision, values and strategy.

? Develop an imaginative and appropriate business plan/strategy for increasing the use of St Cuthbert's Church (Church building, Churchyard and Church centre) to maximise its potential as a venue of choice for communities, groups, organisations, businesses in the town and region.

? Develop and implement a marketing strategy to promote St Cuthbert's as a venue for music, heritage, arts, hospitality and education.

? Deliver NLHF (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Activity Plan

Management

-

To oversee St Cuthbert's management of its buildings, IT and finances, developing effective, efficient and flexible systems and processes, and robust and appropriate structures for leadership, management and governance.

? Utilise our church management system (Church Suite) to ensure effective processes for hiring the church and the church centre.

? Implement that management system for all bookings and events and ensure the administrative, financial and customer processes are developed.

? Develop, continually review and implement a pricing strategy for hirers/users

? Oversee the appointment and manage the relationship of a third-party organisation to manage the new cafe to be installed as part of the Opening Doors project.

? Recruit, train and manage volunteers to act as welcomers and to help deliver events at St Cuthbert's using our Safer Recruitment procedures, including paying attention to local people's needs for training, learning and employment.

? Ensure policies and procedures applicable to the use of the church buildings (e.g. health and safety, fire safety, food hygiene etc) are in place so we comply with legislation and good practice.

? Bring management ideas and practices to help St Cuthbert's church as a whole (including the Church centre) operate more efficiently and effectively.

? Manage and appoint staff, volunteers and consultants as required to deliver the agreed NLHF funded programme

? Ensure effective engagement and communication with the congregations, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders.

Staff team - To take a lead (alongside the Priest in Charge) in the management and care of the staff team, helping to develop, promote and champion a healthy staff culture and sense of team.

? Ensure suitable agendas are set, actions are understood, communicated and followed up.

? Develop and oversee an annual programme of team building / development, training and retreat opportunities to underpin a healthy, honest and thriving staff culture.

? Implement the recruitment process for staff team members (where applicable) from advertising to contracts to inductions.

? Ensure annual appraisals (and probationary periods) are delivered effectively.

? Oversee the staff holidays using Church Suite management system

? To function in a supportive role to the board of Trustees (PCC), taking a lead role facilitating their operation as the charitable governance body, helping it to fulfil its statutory responsibilities and function well as a part of the overall leadership structure of the church.

Administration and Finance - To oversee the administrative needs and provision of St Cuthbert's

? Ensure the effective operation of the church office.

? Line manage the Administrative role and their responsibilities.

? Understand the administrative needs of the church (operational and events) and shape the Administrative role accordingly.

? To create and report on a budget for events at St Cuthbert's and ensure good financial management of all events run at St Cuthbert's (liaising with the Church Treasurer).

? To make this post financially sustainable and to ensure events at St Cuthbert's contribute to the financial sustainability of the church.

Genuine Occupational Requirement

Due to the nature of working in a specifically church leadership context, where participating in prayer meetings and biblical reflection is expected as part of the team, the post holder must be an active communicant member of the Church of England, or a full member of a church belonging to Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or the Evangelical Alliance. This post is exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 40,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 07/12/2025
Reference ID: BOM