Full Time – 35 hours per week
The Diocese of Chester is seeking to recruit a Diocesan Secretary who will be:
1) A senior member of the Bishop of Chester's core staff team,
2) The chief officer of the charitable business that undergirds the Diocese of Chester, and
3) The most senior, 'lay' officer of the Diocese of Chester.
The role is complex as well as important. You will need an open heart and deep courage, patience, kindness, humility, determination, and constantly reflective practice. We value competence founded on transparent good character, grounded deeply in Christian faith. You will need to be able to see over the horizon without missing the personal needs of team members, enabling both with persistent grace and strategic focus.
The successful candidate will be inspirational, humble, skilled and experienced in leadership in both ‘first-’ and ‘second-chairs’, a change manager, relational and the technical ability to fulfil the role.
This role is based in Church House, Daresbury, Warrington which is a key operational centre for the life of the Diocese.
For informal conversation, contact the Bishop of Chester - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button.
The recruitment pack, including job description, person specification and application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan website: Please see website address in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button.
Completed application forms should be returned by email - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button
Closing date: Sunday 23rd August 2026
Interviews: Tuesday 8th September 2026
The Diocese of Chester is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
An Enhanced DBS Disclosure will be required for the successful candidate.
An Occupational Requirement exists for the postholder to be a practising Christian, in accordance with the Equality Act, 2010.
Registered Charity 
51 - 100
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Senior Systems Accountant
(SEO)
£42,450 to £46,636 (National)
plus an Accountancy Allowance of £5,000 pa (Fully Qualified) or £2,500 (Part Qualified)
The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 50% of the government’s office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. We are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.
Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading ground-breaking programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern and cost-effective real estate service solutions.
Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged, and we’re dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces.
Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.
The responsibilities of the Senior Systems Accountant will include:
- Systems administration and maintenance for Microsoft Business Central, Proactis, Horizon and Power BI.
- Act as a finance system expert to manage and resolve day to day queries and issues occurring on the finance systems, and communicating with users.
- Provide technical guidance and day-to-day task direction to junior team members.
- Quality assure finance system inputs and output, monitor system integrations, and lead on resolving any problems that occur.
- Build, test and maintain finance system reports.
- Lead specific finance system improvements, systemising currently manual processes, and assist with finance system testing.
- Lead specific finance systems and process training to colleagues across the GPA.
- The post holder may be required to undertake additional responsibilities as expected in relation to the role and grade.
Key Skills & Experience:
- Ideally, AAT Qualified, or working towards CCAB qualification.
- Experience of using financial systems in an admin capacity, ideally Business Central, Proactis or Horizon, and have a working knowledge of finance integrations.
- Highly IT literate and experienced at using multiple software tools, including Power BI, Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets.
- A good understanding of financial processes and terminology, preferably in a public sector environment
- Strong attention to detail and organisational skills to meet deadlines in a fast paced environment
Behaviours Assessed:
- Working together.
- Managing a quality service.
- Changing and improving.
- Delivering at pace.
For more information contact Emma Fuller at our retained search agent, Robertson Bell at . To apply, please send your CV to .
The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
