Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Richmond & Hounslow Methodist Circuit is looking for a reliable and committed individual to support the life and work of our group of churches in SW London. They will play a crucial role in ensuring the proper organisation and management of our finances to enable our mission.
Key responsibilities:
- overseeing the Circuit’s day to day financial management
- supervising payroll and staff expenses
- financial reporting
- working with our accountants to produce annual accounts
- helping the Circuit to plan for the future
- advising on all financial matters
Benefits:
- £12,376 per annum based on 14 hours a week (£17.00 per hour; equivalent to £33,592 pa full-time)
- pension contribution of 6%
- working from home, with occasional in-person meetings
- flexible working
- 30 days a year annual leave (f/t equivalent, including bank holidays)
- annual leave increases with long service
- opportunity for additional hours, by mutual agreement
- supportive staff team
- helping local communities thrive and serve those in need
For more details, please see the detailed job and person specification, and the terms & conditions.
This is a new role for the Circuit, replacing a volunteer. In designing the position, the Circuit has aimed for maximum flexibility to secure the best candidate for the role. Initially, the person will need physically to attend some meetings to familiarise themselves with the Circuit's operations and ensure a smooth hand-over. For the right person, though, there will be considerable flexibility about how the duties are fulfilled in the longer-term. It is specifically expected that the role will allow for flexible scheduling to accommodate other responsibilities, including caring.
The Richmond & Hounslow Circuit comprises seven churches in southwest London. As with all Methodist circuits, these churches function autonomously yet collaborate closely in their ministry and mission efforts. The Circuit oversees joint resources, including staff and property. Presently, it employs four full-time ordained ministers, one full-time lay pastor, and a part-time administrator. As a part of the Methodist Church, its mission is “to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission”. To fulfil this mission, the Circuit fosters a broad spectrum of ministry within its congregations, focusing on worship but also engaging in outreach to the homeless, asylum seekers, new parents, and various other groups. Joining a welcoming team, the successul applicant will be a crucial part of an organisation committed to serving Christ and the community.
Closing date for applications: 10 May, 2024 (to begin work as soon as possible)*
* Please note that we will offer interviews earlier than the closing date for suitable applicants, so we strongly encourage you to apply as soon as possible, if interested.
The successful applicant will have the right to live and work in the UK. Although this post is home-based, the Officer will need routinely to attend meetings in London. Owing to the nature of the employment, we are unable to offer support in obtaining a working visa.
To apply, please send an expression of interest of no more than 500 words on how you meet the skills required for this post and a CV to Rev’d Geoffrey Farrar, Superintendent Minister, Richmond & Hounslow Circuit.
To respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
ABOUT START NETWORK
The Start Network is made up of close to 100 aid agencies working across six continents. Together, our aim is to transform humanitarian action through innovation, fast funding, early action, and locally driven humanitarian action. We're tackling what we believe are the biggest systemic problems that the sector faces. Problems including slow and reactive funding, centralised decision-making, and an aversion to change mean that people affected by crises around the world do not receive the best help fast enough, and needless suffering results. Our work focuses on responding to these problems. This includes shifting power closer to where crises happen, providing fast, early and predictable function and sharing learning and innovative ways of working.
The Start Network is at a critical point in its journey. We have grown and diversified our membership over the past 10 years. We are now set to evolve into a decentralised “network of networks” in line with our vision and principles. We are currently working with 10 national and regional networks (called hubs) made up of predominantly civil society organisations. They are developing locally owned ways of anticipating and responding to humanitarian crises. We aim to support the emergence and development of further hubs in the coming years. Our ultimate ambition is to devolve leadership, membership, programming, and decision making to the hubs, while the central team transitions to become a service provider.
Start Network is committed to protecting people, particularly children, at-risk adults and affected populations from any harm that may be caused due to their encountering the Start Network as well as responding effectively should any harm occur. We are also committed to safeguarding staff from any forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power as outlined in the Dignity at Work policy.
Start Network embraces diversity, promotes equality of opportunity and eliminates unlawful discrimination. We are an equal opportunities employer and treat every application on merit alone. We particularly welcome applications from disabled, black, indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), and LGBT+ and non-binary candidates. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet our essential selection criteria set out in the Skills section.
JOB PURPOSE
This senior management role will enable strategic thinking and design, influence diverse stakeholders, adapt agile ways of working and drive change in line with the vision of the Network.
You will enable the development of country and regional civil society hubs, driving decentralised decision-making, devolving power, and enabling local hub leaders to meet their needs defined and owned by them. You will work with the hubs and their members to understand their support needs, then facilitate and coordinate that support working with peer hubs and relevant members of the Start Network team expertise.
The role requires a good understanding of and experience in the humanitarian and/or development sectors, and an ability to work with local civil society. Awareness of power and political dynamics and sensitivity to different contexts and cultures is crucial. It also requires high levels of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, using your position connect, enable and influence others. You will be skilled at building relationships and brokering partnerships with empathy, credibility and equity. Listening and valuing diverse perspectives to build an inclusive team will be key to success. Solid programme and budget management will be critical to enabling the hubs vision and activities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Design, development planning
- With members and hubs, co-design, develop and enable the evolution of Start Network of Networks, including hubs.
- Coordinate and facilitate the delivery of support, expertise and services to hubs
- Work closely with the Membership and Assurance teams to support iNGO and member intake through hubs.
- Work closely with the Funds, Finance and Innovation teams to facilitate the co-design and development of programmatic initiatives, based on hub priorities.
- Work with hubs and the Start Network team to create a culture of evidence-based decision making, feedback and learning so that we can adapt support to emerging needs.
- Advise senior leadership on hub issues and strategy Partnership brokering and relationship management
- Foster and broker positive and enabling relationships and partnerships within hubs, between hubs and between hubs and Start Network Secretariat.
- Effectively manage complex issues which arise out of shifting power dynamics ensuring teams and stakeholders work towards a common vision; Resolve any conflicts and address issues that may arise within hubs, promoting constructive dialogue.
- Work with the Advocacy and External Affairs team to help raise hub voices and perspectives in local and global forums.
- Influence and advocate internally and externally for locally driven humanitarian action, creating and holding space to support the emergence of hubs based on their aspirations, priorities and needs.
Management and leadership
- Inspire, lead and motivate a high performing, diverse global team
- Management of direct reports, including recruiting, training and playing an active role in building an inclusive team culture in line with Start Network values
- Monitor individual and team performance and ensure objectives and outcomes are met or exceeded; address poor performance and recognise good performance
- Manage consultants and other third party contractors as required
- Commitment to the learning and development needs of the team,
- Actively support the ongoing professional development, learning and upskilling of team members
- Demonstrate commitment to own ongoing learning and development
Start Network culture and values
- Uphold, embody and model the values of Start Network
- Carry out the responsibilities of the role in line with the Start Network Code of Conduct and with a commitment to safeguarding adults and children
- Commit to positive humanitarian outcomes and systems change through a programme of well managed, quality initiatives;
- Support the innovative and risk aware culture of Start Network to support the strategy and its delivery,
PROFILE AND SKILLS
- At least 7-10 years’ experience in a management/senior management role in the humanitarian, development or social enterprise sectors
- Demonstrated ability to think and operate at both strategic and operational levels
- Demonstrated experience in inclusive leadership
- Demonstrated experience in relationship management, partnership brokering and influencing across a diversity of geographies, skillsets and personalities.
- Demonstrated experience in managing programmes and budgets
- Demonstrated experience in inspiring, motivating and managing a diverse and high-performing team
- Demonstrated problem solving skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, an ability to manage complexity and ambiguity
- Demonstrated curiosity and growth mindset, including experience in testing, learning, and iterating.
- Knowledge of and political sensitivity to the broader political context and power dynamics within the humanitarian sector operates.
- Ability to work flexibly across different time zones.
- Excellent verbal communication skills in English, working knowledge of French, Spanish or another hub language desirable.