Office Manager & Assistant to the Senior Minister
Job Description
1. Christ Church
a. Our beliefs
We are a Christian Church. We believe in one God who has revealed himself supremely
through his Son, Jesus Christ. Knowing God the Father means believing in Jesus his son and
trusting his death on the cross for our sins. The great work of God the Holy Spirit is to bring
people to faith in Jesus Christ.
We are an Evangelical Church. We believe that the Bible is God’s authoritative word and is
therefore the definitive guide for us in all matters of faith and conduct. We believe that the
study and exposition of the God’s word will be the means by which God will transform the
lives of individuals and the church body as a whole. We seek to apply the Word of God to
every aspect of our lives, both private and public, individual and community, in order that
we may live out and demonstrate the truth of the Gospel.
We are an Anglican Church. We stand in the tradition of the Anglican Reformers of the 16th
century, holding with them to the great truths that were rediscovered at the time of the
Reformation, including the sovereignty of God in salvation, justification by faith alone and
salvation in Christ alone. However, we have church members from many different
denominational backgrounds and we unite under Christ, not under one particular
denominational banner.
b. Our church family
Around 350 adults and 100 children attend regularly on a Sunday – the largest group being
those in their 20s and 30s, many of whom have primary school aged children. We seek to
be a people ‘speaking the truth in love’ to one another as we grow into the ‘whole
measure of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4). In a well-worn phrase we seek to be a
‘hospital for sinners’ not a ‘museum for saints’. We also seek to be a church accessible to
the ‘unchurched’ and work hard on Sundays to be aware of the visitor and not assume
that all those present are believers.
2. The role
The role comprises two main parts:
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60% of time will be spent leading an office team that provides high quality, pro-active,
effective, timely and godly administration, thereby supporting other staff and the church family
40% of time will be spent acting as Executive Assistant to the Senior Minister, providing him with
effective operational and administrative support.
The post-holder will report to the Senior Associate Minister (currently Jon Tuckwell) but will work closely
with the Senior Minister (currently Steve Midgley). The post-holder will undertake the day-to-day line
management of the Christian Ministry Trainees (currently three trainees). Christ Church is committed to
prayer and it is expected that the successful applicant will pray for the ministry of the church during
daily staff prayer meetings, and at other times.
As for other senior staff at Christ Church, this role requires up to 6 days work a week including the
requirement to work some evenings and on Sundays. We are open to exploring different working
patterns within the constraint of the role remaining full-time.
Annual leave is six weeks per year, to be taken at times agreed with the Senior Associate Minister
and in conjunction with other members of the staff team. In addition, statutory bank holidays apply.
Team members are encouraged to make full use of days off and annual leave.
The salary will be determined according to the past experience and training of the successful and is in
the range £29,000 to £35,000 per annum. Reasonable working expenses are paid by the PCC and
employer pension contributions will also be made.
3. Key skills & attributes
Key attributes for this role are:
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A Christian believer with a passion for serving the local church
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A proven track record of providing administrative support and leadership
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Able to line manage Christian Ministry Trainees and to delegate and discharge duties as
appropriate
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Excellent organisational and administrative skills demonstrating a structured approach to tasks
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A careful attention to detail and an ability to prioritise and use initiative to meet deadlines
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Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in
written communication
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Able to deal with enquiries which are spiritual in nature, and be able to respond with
appropriate discernment, understanding and empathy
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Proficiency in a range of software packages including Word, Excel and PowerPoint and
generally a high degree of computer literacy
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An ability to handle pressurised situations with tact and wisdom
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A good “team player”, happy to work under instruction, but also capable of working on their
own and making unsupported decisions where circumstances dictate
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Able to demonstrate financial responsibility and experience including basic financial record
keeping, cash handling, paying of bills and invoicing
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Agreement with the core doctrinal beliefs of Christ Church as set our here
http://www.christchurchcambridge.org.uk/about_us/what_we_believe.shtml
4. Primary responsibilities
The following outline indicates the anticipated shape of this role, but we would be open to explore
variations in order to make best use of the particular gifts of the person appointed.
a. Leading the Christ Church Office Team (60% of time)
i. Office management
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Overseeing the efficient running of the Church Office
Ensuring the office team provides a first point of contact for all church enquiries
ii. Line management of Christian Ministry Trainees
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Acting as day-to-day line manager for team of Ministry Trainees (currently 3)
This includes effective distribution of tasks and responsibilities and assisting with
recruitment of Ministry Trainees
iii. Staff team support
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Providing ongoing operations and administrative support for other members of
the staff team
A key aspect of this area is overseeing the church diary and scheduling events
for the year ahead
iv. Church building management
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Overseeing office team in the set-up of the building for various activities and
hall-bookings
Assisting the Buildings Manager in the oversight and upkeep of the building
v. Leadership and Strategy meetings
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Attending staff strategy meetings and helping to set direction and vision for
Christ Church
Attending leadership meeting and assisting in the resourcing of leadership roles
in church life
vi. Compliance
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Working with other members of the staff team to ensure compliance with the full
range of church policies is achieved
b. Executive Assistant to the Senior Minister (40% of time)
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Diary management
Managing enquiries and speaking requests
Assisting with drafting emails and email management
Making transportation arrangements
Populating preaching programme by liaising with other staff members and
occasional preachers regarding availability
Assisting with administrative support for conferences arranged by the Senior
Minister
Production of handout materials or presentation slides
Proof reading
Undertaking ad hoc tasks as and when they arise both proactively and
responsively
5. Application process
Interested candidates should send the following:
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A CV including two referees
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Completed application form
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Covering letter outlining your reasons for applying for this post and the contribution that you
would bring to the role
An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a practising Christian in accordance
with the Equality Act 2010. An enhanced DBS Disclosure will be required for the successful applicant.
Application forms are available on request from the church office
(office@christchurchcambridge.org.uk)
Informal enquiries welcomed by Jon Tuckwell, Senior Associate Minister of Christ Church, Cambridge
Email: jon.tuckwell@christchurchcambridge.org.uk
6. Closing date and Interviews
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Closing date for applications: Friday 30th October 2015
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Anticipated interview date: Monday 9th November 2015
7. Travel expenses
Christ Church normally reimburses reasonable travel costs to and from interview within the UK.