Conservation Officer

Conservation Officer

We have a great opportunity to join the team as a Church Buildings Officer to help support the long-term sustainable future of historic church buildings across the diocese and assist individual congregations to care for them and adapt them for today’s needs.

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated conservation professional, who is a strong team player but able to take the initiative.

Position: Church Buildings Officer

Location: Oxford/hybrid

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week

Salary: £35,412.95 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: 08:00 on Tuesday 28 May 2024

Interview Date: Wednesday 12th June 2024, Langford Locks

The Role

Working within the Church Buildings Team, the Church Buildings Officer will be responsible for:

• Managing, processing, and assisting with DAC casework (including formal DAC site visits), providing pre-application advice, project management support, and managing the consultation processes with amenity societies
• Making recommendations to the DAC committee as necessary and utilising delegated authority to progress cases outside of the committee structure
• Supporting the Head of Church Buildings in proactive projects to ensure the long-term sustainability of churches within the Diocese
• Assisting in providing information, training, and guidance for parishes in all aspects of managing their churches.

About You

You will embrace the challenge that such a varied role brings, with an organised approach, and the ability to navigate differing stakeholder views, finding pragmatic solutions under pressure.

With a strong understanding of conservation philosophy, legislation, and techniques, and experience in providing advice to building users on the care, alteration, and management of historic buildings, you will play a key role in this small and hard-working team of conservation professionals. Your ability to problem solve and mediate will ensure that you are able to support parishes in utilising their church buildings and that the best possible outcome is achieved in a timely manner.

You will be flexible in your working style, with confident communication skills, and excellent organisational and monitoring abilities, handling a number of complex schemes at once and managing relationships with colleagues throughout the heritage sector.

You will be from an architectural, surveying, or Conservation Officer background with strong knowledge of conservation techniques and philosophy. Ideally, you will have or be willing to work towards IHBC (Institute of Historic Building Conservation) accreditation. A keen eye for detail and the skills to manage stakeholders will be essential.

You do not need to be a practising Christian or have a faith to work here - around 50% of staff are not practising Christians but are comfortable with the Christian ethos that underpins our work. However, all staff do have a desire to make a difference.

Benefits and rewards:

• 25 days holiday per annum, rising each year by one day to a maximum of 30 days
• In addition to the statutory UK public holidays, the Diocese offers three privilege days
• Hybrid working
• Free parking and subsidised on-site café
• Generous employer pension contribution of 12.5%, including 1% death in service benefit (5% Employee Contribution)
• Electric car and cycle to work salary sacrifice schemes
• Access to wellbeing support via Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family friendly policies and a generous sick pay provision
• Access to low interest financial services from Churches Mutual Credit Union including loans
• An attractive modern working environment

The Organisation

The Diocese is the administrative area of the Church, broadly speaking, covers the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. There are 815 churches in the Diocese – more than any other diocese in the Church of England. So, in many ways the best description is that it is the family of the 55,000 or so regular worshippers in these churches.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. If you do not hear back, your application has not been successful.

We are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates from communities currently underrepresented in the diocese.

You may also have experience in areas such as Church Buildings Officer, Historic Buildings Officer, Heritage Officer, Architect, Historic Buildings, Heritage, Conservation, Church Buildings, Architecture, Building Conservation, Engineering, Surveying, Estates Manager, Estates Officer, Facilities Manager, Architect, Surveyor, Conservation, Heritage Conservation.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.