Church Buildings Support Officer (Buildings for Mission)

The Diocese is seeking a Church Building Support Officer to join our team on a fixed-term contract, to work closely with parishes to help secure sustainable futures for some of our most historic and cherished church buildings. You'll help PCCs to identify and explore complimentary non-worship uses for their buildings, helping them to become vibrant and viable centres of mission and community life. You ll support them in ensuring the church buildings are fit for the future, fostering greater community engagement, and developing long-term sustainability strategies.

This role offers the opportunity to be part of a developing church buildings strategy, shaping the future approach to church building support within the Diocese. You will work closely with a range of stakeholders to bring these strategies to life, ensuring that churches remain places of worship, community activity, and cultural significance.

This is a new fixed-term post funded by the Church Commissioners of the Church of England through their Buildings for Mission funding. The funding is for an initial period of twenty months, ending in September 2026, unless the funding is extended.

The main responsibilities of the Church Building Support Officer are:

• Work with Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) to develop community action plans that align with local needs.

• Support PCCs in identifying mixed-use opportunities for the church building

• Facilitate the building of strong relationships with local groups, charities, and other partners to promote the wider use of church buildings.

• Help PCCs in maintaining and developing their buildings to accommodate wider uses, and ensure they are kept in good condition

• Foster volunteer engagement, helping churches recruit for new roles and groups to aid long-term sustainability.

• Capture and share key lessons from pilot projects to inform future diocesan strategies.

What we are looking for in a Church Building Support Officer:

• Experienced in project management and/or community development.

• A passion for the conservation and sustainable use of historic buildings.

• Strong relationship-building and networking skills, with experience working with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve shared goals

• An ability to inspire and support volunteer groups.

• A proactive and creative approach to problem-solving.

This post reports to the Church Buildings Development Officer, and is based in the Coventry Diocesan Offices. There will be the option to partially work from home.

For more information and an application form please click apply to be taken to our website