Chaplain jobs

Chaplaincy and Collective Worship Adviser

We are looking for a talented and dedicated person with a passion for enabling Church school communities to flourish. You would join an expert and enthusiastic team of advisers supporting schools across the Diocese of Oxford in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, and Oxfordshire.

Position: Chaplaincy and Collective Worship Adviser

Location: Oxford

Hours: Part-time 0.6 FTE (22.2 hours per week)

Salary: £45,378 to £48,887 (pro-rata per annum). There is also the potential for a tied house. 

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: 15 September 2025 at midnight

Interview Date: 24 September 2025 at Church House Oxford, Kidlington

The Role

Are you an experienced and committed professional with a genuine heart for leading the support for chaplaincy and collective worship across our schools, academies, colleges, and trusts? We seek applications from people who have a working knowledge and experience of chaplaincy, collective worship, and spiritual growth within education.

Working closely as part of a team of Diocesan School Advisers, the priorities for the successful candidate will be to develop new chaplaincies and nurturing current provision. The support for collective worship in

Church schools will be a core component of this exciting role.

About You

We are looking for a practicing Christian in sympathy with the Anglican tradition with the ability to articulate the Christian faith. An ability to walk alongside colleagues in schools/colleges and to form positive professional relationships is essential.

Key experience and qualities include:

• A relevant professional qualification in youth/children’s ministry, teaching, ordained ministry or equivalent
• Experience in education settings and with volunteers, ideally including leading collective worship in schools
• Understanding of chaplaincy in schools, with at least three years’ relevant experience
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships, inspire and motivate others
• Emotional intelligence, resilience, and the confidence to take initiative and make sound decisions
• Knowledge of safeguarding in an educational context
• ICT literacy and willingness to embrace new technologies
• A valid driving licence and ability to travel across the diocese

Desirable: qualified teacher status, team management experience, and knowledge of chaplaincy at a local and national level.

The position is subject to enhanced DBS checks. 

Benefits and Rewards:

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working
• Generous employer pension contribution of 12.5% into the auto-enrolment pension scheme, which includes a death-in-service benefit (5% employee contribution)
• Re-accreditation as a Living Wage employer
• Annual holiday entitlement starting at 25 days, excluding public holidays, rising each year by one day to a maximum of 30 days, pro-rata for part-time employees
• In addition to the statutory UK public holidays, the Diocese offers three privilege days to all employees, namely Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day, and Christmas Eve (or the closest working day, where this falls on a weekend)
• Sabbatical leave, after a qualifying period of service
• Access to wellbeing support via Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family-friendly policies and a generous occupational sick pay provision
• Free parking and subsidised on-site café
• Electric car and cycle-to-work salary sacrifice schemes
• EV charging points on site
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme with Octopus Electric Dreams
• Cycle to Work scheme with Green Commute Initiative
• Contributions towards eye examinations and prescriptive lenses
• Access to low-interest rate financial services from Churches Mutual Credit Union
• An attractive and modern working environment

The successful candidate must have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity before submitting your application, please feel free to contact the charity. Contact details are available once you start the process.

We want the organisations commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion for all to be reflected in the composition of staff. We are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates from communities currently underrepresented in the diocese.

This post is exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. The charity supports and promotes the aims of the Church of England. This post has a representational role on behalf of the charity.

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

The University of Essex in partnership with Mid and North Essex Mind offers an exciting opportunity to a graduate with the relevant skills and knowledge to co-produce and implement data-led impact evaluation tools and a community needs assessment framework based on the Theory of Change model for mental health services, leading to improved outcomes for individuals and the wider voluntary and community sector.

DUTIES OF THE POST

This is a full-time, fixed term for 30 months. The position is fixed term due to being part of a government funded innovation programme, however there may be potential to continue in employment with the company partner following the completion of the KTP.

The duties of the post will include:

• Co-producing and implementing data-led impact evaluation tools and a community needs assessment framework, grounded in the Theory of Change model, to support improved mental health outcomes.

• Developing and piloting tools for data collection, analysis, and reporting—such as Power BI dashboards, stakeholder feedback mechanisms, and longitudinal tracking systems.

• Leading the creation of a scalable follow-up review tool to track long-term service user outcomes and support strategic decision-making.

• Producing high-quality research outputs, including academic publications, conference presentations, and a final project report.

These duties are a guide to the work that the post holder will initially be required to undertake. They may be changed from time to time to meet changing circumstances.

Full duties of the post are available in the job pack.

KEY REQUIREMENTS (Essential Criteria)

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Psychology, Social Psychology, Counselling, Mental Health Nursing, or a similar discipline

• An MBA or an MSc in Business and Management, Psychology, Social Psychology (or nearing completion) or a similar discipline, or equivalent level of experience

• Experience of balancing the needs and priorities of a range of stakeholders

• Knowledge of mental health service models and support pathways

• Strong understanding of evaluation methodologies

• Familiarity with ethical research practices

• Ability to work with vulnerable groups including a good understanding of managing boundaries

• Good research skills, including analysis of quantitative and qualitative data

• Proficient with data analysis tools and methodologies, including Power BI

• Ability to apply academic theories in a third-sector setting

BENEFITS

As a KTP Associate, the post will offer a personal development budget of £5,000 (exclusive of salary). Full benefits of the post are available in the job pack.

LOCATION

Mid and North Essex Mind

The Constantine Centre

272a Mersea Road

Colchester

Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. 

You will be joining us at a time that holds the greatest potential for fundraising in our history, following the launch of the UK Government’s Delivery Plan for ME and initial findings of the DecodeME genetics study (co-led by Action for ME) in Summer 2025. 

Building on our charity’s already established level of support from major donors, you will provide exceptional relationship management to existing donors alongside growing our network of high value supporters.

Working closely with the CEO, alongside managing a portfolio of donors and prospects ensuring excellent stewardship, you will support our Breakthrough-ME Group (a group of high net worth and highly networked individuals). There is an established level of support from major donors at Action for ME so this is a role that will require exceptional relationship management to retain our current valued supporters while growing this crucial area of fundraising. 

This would be an ideal role for an experienced philanthropy professional seeking to work for a small but ambitious charity, helping us to achieve our mission to improve the lives of all people affected by ME – better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow.

Key duties

Major Donor Fundraising

• Successfully develop and implement the philanthropy strategy to secure and maximise funds from high value individuals for Action for ME achieving annual income of £250k+

• Set plans and budgets which will deliver income through major gift fundraising and philanthropic giving through family trusts and foundations, including quarterly forecasting.

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors at the £5k to £100k level, to develop and maintain strong and long-standing partnerships

• Work closely with the Director of Fundraising and Development and other colleagues to ensure that plans and activities for fundraising from high value individuals are integrated into the overall fundraising strategy and plan for significant growth.

• Be responsible for our Breakthrough-ME Group with high quality proposition development.  Contribution to Group fundraising activities with a specific focus on ensuring their networks support pipeline growth for future fundraising.

• Lead the delivery of our biennial fundraising gala dinner, maximising income and new opportunities from attendees.

• Develop engaging and inspiring opportunities to steward and cultivate support creating a calendar of activities including events, presentations, approaches, networking and meetings.

• Utilise the CRM database (Raisers Edge) to provide the data required to strategise your approach to philanthropy, monitor progress and provide a high-quality donor experience.

• Ensure utilisation of insight & data, producing management information data to inform planning and strategy development.

• With the Director of Fundraising & Development, create inspiring cases for support and resulting propositions with clear budgets and outcomes.

• Create adequate systems and processes to support the major donor programme.

• Undertake and manage research into prospects and major donors, preparing for approaches and presentations and briefing senior leadership and trustees for donor meetings and events.

• Develop and maintain relationships with donors, a wide range of staff and volunteers from trustee level down.

• Provide regular feedback and internal reporting to line management.

• Work with other fundraisers to ensure that all fundraising opportunities and leads are followed up – particularly in corporate, community and trust fundraising.

• Work with Trustees, the Chief Executive and members of the Leadership Team to develop relationships with major donors.

• Self-administrate including managing your own diary and meetings, keeping accurate and up to date records of activity

• Occasional travel to London, Bristol & events

Other duties

• To positively promote the work and activities of Action for M.E. at all times.

• To contribute to the team’s overall, ongoing and annual planning and budgeting.

• To undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post as requested by the Director of Fundraising and Development, Chief Executive or any other senior Action for ME management.

• Act as an advocate for the Charity and its work.

• To work in accordance with Action for ME’s values of collaboration, equity and empathy.