Research officer jobs

About the Role:  We wish to appoint a Social Media Coordinator to join our small Communications and Engagement team.  This is an exciting opportunity to increase the engagement of the Diocese of Winchester through digital media channels.

You will be responsible for sharing the life of the diocese and positive content about Christian faith through social media with particular relation to sharing news and stories about the 2025 Bid for national funding (awarded by the national church to dioceses to support them to undertake transformational programmes aimed at revitalising mission and ministry and growing the Kingdom of God in terms of numbers of worshippers and depth of faith). 

This role also includes equipping our churches to reach out using digital tools and social media platforms with a particular emphasis on younger audiences, in line with our Bid’s priorities to grow younger and more diverse as a diocesan community. 

Our values

• Serving - Our diocese has played a major role in shaping this nation, and the life of the diocese is still marked by loving service, in innumerable ways, reaching out in love to those on the margins, serving the wider community, the nation and the wider world.
• Learning - Our diocese has been a major engine of Christian learning and education, from the time of King Alfred onwards, and remains a centre of education, learning and discipleship, through its universities and colleges, through its schools and churches.
• Growing - Our diocese has been a huge catalyst for church growth and mission. Today, we are still working for the revitalisation and renewal of our churches, equipping and enabling them for the challenges of this generation and beyond, nationally and internationally.
• Loving - Our diocese has emanated love that has changed our communities and the wider world. Today, as people encounter our churches, schools and chaplaincies, they find themselves brought face to face with the love of God in Christ, and find their lives changed as a consequence.

Job Summary

• Developing the diocese’s social media presence on its current platforms – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn– developing content and campaigns according to an annual content plan which incorporates all church seasons, awareness days, liturgical events, as well as sharing the key messages and events from the Diocese particularly in relation to the 2025 Bid for national funding. 
• Working closely with the Comms team, Strategic Development team and senior staff to identify stories and examples of good ministerial practice and creative ideas that can be communicated with our wider diocesan community through social media, fostering a culture of information and ideas sharing across the diocese. 
• Being part of wider strategic conversations to consider the role of social media in how the diocese can effectively communicate information about the Bid process and how benefices can engage with it, particularly in communicating with children, youth and families and youth leaders. 
• Assist with the development of a strategic plan which grows the diocesan presence on new platforms, such as TikTok and BlueSky, with the specific aim of generating content that reaches younger audiences and that is more missional and ‘gospel-centred’, keeping up to date with online trends.
• Working closely with Mission and Ministry Team to communicate their training and events in ways tailored to younger audiences, and building collaborative networks of young people and youth leaders and comms people around the diocese who will share our content. 
• Equipping our parishes with digital skills in using social media through training, getting them started on appropriate platforms and advising them on content and strategy to connect with existing and new audiences, as part of a suite of interventions offered as part of the 2024 Bid for funding and aligning with aims to help our diocesan community grow younger and more diverse. 
• Using online tools in data analysis, reporting on social media engagement, and scheduling tools such as Buffer. 
• Engaging with other social media users within and outside our community, including regularly interaction with parishes and diocesan communities, sharing their stories and commenting, replying to messages and queries, and being an ambassador for the diocese and our Christian faith and values. 
• Ensuring our social media platforms allow stakeholders to provide comments and feedback on all that we do and to create a culture of shared ownership and storytelling. 
• Working consistently within and upholding the diocese’s brand values/tone of voice and within the Archbishop’s social media guidelines as well as the diocese’s own social media policy.
• Supporting the other members of the comms team with creating designed content using tools like Canva and video for use on social media sites and offering creative ideas within the team context.

Key role requirements

This is an office-based role, with the expectation to work from the office 1 day per week.

About you

We are seeking someone who can demonstrate the following qualifications, experience and skills:

• Educated to at least degree level is preferable
• An excellent level of English is essential
• Good skills in both written and verbal communication
• Experience of using social media and designing campaigns to share stories of Christian faith, grow online community and reach younger audiences
• Some experience with audio, photography, video editing for multi-channel use
• Familiarity with graphic design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite or other editing tools
• Experience of working within, or alongside, the Church of England or another Christian charity or mission organisation desirable

Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.

What we offer

Your Salary

• A salary of £30,366 per annum.  Approx £12,146 per annum for part-time – 2 days/14 hours per week.

Your Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Employer’s pension contribution of 10% of your salary
• A recently refurbished office environment with landscaped gardens and plenty of on-site parking
• Access to Health Assured, an Employee Assistance Programme 

For an informal discussion about this role please contact Jemima Lewis, Head of Communications and Engagement via email.

CVs not accepted. To apply, please complete and return the 2-part application forms.

Applications must be received by 12 noon on 11 September.  Interviews will be held on 25 September in person at Old Alresford Place, SO24 9DH. 

St John Ambulance is partnering with Robertson Bell in their search for a Finance Business Partner (Volunteering) to join their high performing team on a permanent basis. St John Ambulance is England's leading, volunteer-powered first aid charity dedicated to first aid education and emergency response across England. They are committed to ensuring that everyone receives the help they need in a health crisis from those around them.

The Finance Business Partner in Volunteering is responsible for providing the first line of support and assistance with the development of financial plans, analysis of the financial performance and forecasts of the Volunteering businesses. They will be a key member of the Financial Planning and Insight team to ensure delivery of the annual three-year budgeting process, that is aligned to strategic operational plans.

The organisation:

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 30,000 volunteers, united by their goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning.  As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, they are proud of their past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future. 

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. They do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them. There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.

The key duties of this Finance Business Partner will be as follows:

• Provide impactful and effective finance business partnering to St John Budget Holders, the Senior Management and Executive Teams.
• Deliver high quality business and financial analysis, with detailed outcomes and benefits, to identify and present coherent rationales for change, to support effective delivery of services.
• Work with the relevant stakeholders, to timetable in the production of the charity’s monthly management accounts, the annual budgeting and in-year forecasting process.
• Drive continuous improvement in St John’s financial management reporting, forecasting and analysis.
• Utilise technology and tools to continuously improve the presentation and content of the charity’s financial management reports.
• Provide clear and understandable narrative to stakeholders and the rest of the team, advocating good accounting principles.
• Identify and implement cost and efficiency savings, without compromising the quality of the service and accuracy of the reporting.
• Work with business partners to provide the financial analysis and appraisal for business cases.

The successful candidate will have:

• A full professional accountancy qualification (CCAB or CIMA).
• Ideally, experience in the charity sector and working in large complex organisations.
• Significant experience in management accounting processes.
• Demonstrable, previous, extensive experience in a finance business partner role.
• Track record of supporting the end-to-end processes for in-year forecasts and annual budgets.
• Experience in dealing with a stakeholders at all levels, internal and external.
• Excellent influencing skills, with confidence and gravitas to respectfully challenge.

This role is being offered Nationwide within the UK, with only occasional travel required to an office for key in-person meetings. Applicants must be willing and able to attend occasional meetings in the evenings, via Teams. TOIL and flexible working arrangements facilitate this.

The closing date for applications is on Sunday 7^th September, with first stage interview due to take place the week commencing 15^th September. Applications will be under continuous review in advance of this date so please do not delay in applying to make sure you don’t miss out!