VACANCIES

Job title: Head of Operations

Department: Operations

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Direct reports: Comms & Media Manager, Fundraiser, Cleaners

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible (flexible for the right candidate)

Working days/hours: Full-time (Monday to Friday)

Salary: £28,000-35,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Permanent, subject to successful completion of probation period.

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church.

Context: River Church currently has 11 staff, plus 3 vacancies and varying numbers of River College interns. The church has grown from an initial team of 15 people, to more than 250 (mainly under 35s) in its first 3 years, and we anticipate significant further growth.

• Work with Senior Leaders to develop and implement strategy in line with the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• Establish and manage systems and processes for the effective running of River Church and its office, including the ChurchSuite database

• Oversee the management, maintenance and development of all venues and facilities, including any on-going building or repair works, liaising with the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) where applicable, and leading the Site Team

• Oversee venue bookings, working with other staff and volunteers, and liaising with external and internal users of the building

• Manage all aspects of Fire Safety, Health and Safety, Food Hygiene, and Safeguarding, maintaining and implementing compliant policies

• Oversee the organisational architecture of River Church, including Human Resources, training, contracts, holidays, payroll, and staff and volunteer recruitment

• Oversee IT, technology, and communications (website, social media, and branding managed by the Comms and Media Manager)

• Oversee legal and financial functions of River Church, including insurance, budget setting and forecasting, procurement, making payments, cash flow, timely preparation and submission of accounts and annual reports, and expenses, and using ExpensePlus software

• Oversee the submission of regular, high-quality grant funding applications to grow the financial capacity of River Church (with much of this work carried out by the Fundraiser, currently vacant)

• Oversee gathering of metrics and impact reporting for internal use, as well as for the Diocese, Revitalise Trust, and grant funders

• Co-ordinate all aspects of the operational running of events and activities at River Church

• Recruit, lead, develop, and co-ordinate the volunteers within the Operations Team, discipling and pastoring Operations volunteers and staff

• Line manage staff and volunteers as appropriate, enabling them to work independently and efficiently

• Attend and contribute to Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting, and when required also, Sunday Services and other River Church events such as Focus

• Regularly pray for the financial and operational life of River Church

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible

• is demonstrably committed to their own discipleship (i.e., praying, serving, giving, and sharing faith)

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• is passionate about church operations

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has excellent organisational skills and time management

• is self-motivated

• has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, and grammar

• has the ability to teach, train and develop leaders and volunteers in the Operations Team

• has excellent attention to detail and high production values

• is able to manage an organisational budget

• is flexible, with a can-do attitude

• is teachable, humble, and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, ChurchSuite, Squarespace, and Expense Plus

• has excellent financial management skills, including the ability to produce and manage budgets and cash flow, apply for grant funding and Gift Aid, manage payroll and expenses, and submit reports and returns

• is capable of understanding and creating legal documents, including those related to employment and premises leases, for example

• is able to efficiently manage room bookings, hires, and relevant invoices

• has a good understanding of premises and facilities development

• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of statutory child protection and safeguarding requirements, health and safety legislation, and other legal aspects of operations

• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification), ideally in a field related to the role

It is desirable that the role holder:

• has prior experience managing staff, and ideally leading a department

• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting or another large church

• has prior experience working with contracts, employment, and legal proceedings

• has other relevant qualifications in a field related to the role (i.e., accountancy, business management)

• has an eye for design and is able to develop the River Church brand identity

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role or other areas of ministry

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Fundraiser

Department: Operations

Reports to: Executive Pastor

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible (flexible for the right candidate)

Working days/hours: Full-time or part-time (up to 37.5 hours, usually Monday to Friday)

Salary: £25,000 (negotiable dependent on experience, pro rata if part-time)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Permanent, subject to successful completion of probation period.

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services and events, annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church.

Context: River Church currently has a staff team of 11, plus 3 vacancies. The church has grown from an initial team of 15 people, to more than 250 (mainly under 35s) in its first 3 years, and we anticipate significant further growth.

• Work with Senior Leaders and Executive Pastor to develop a fundraising strategy for River Church

• Research grant funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, major donors, and corporate partners, and assess feasibility and affordability of upcoming ministry projects, matching and monitoring need and opportunity

• Maintain an accurate database of prospective, outstanding, successful and unsuccessful applications

• Write and submit regular high-quality grant funding applications to grow the financial capacity of River Church

• Submit high-quality and timely reports to external funders, maintaining a reporting schedule to track these

• Work with the Executive Pastor and Finance Team to match expenditure against restricted external funding lines

• Administrate twice-yearly ‘Dream Offerings’ (gift days) and other fundraising campaigns

• Hold relationships with philanthropists, local businesses and other partners

• Promote a culture of generous individual giving as part of Christian discipleship, managing donor relationships, systems for giving, and where appropriate contributing to teaching on giving

• Assist the Executive Pastor to recruit, lead, develop, and co-ordinate the volunteers within the Finance Team, discipling and pastoring Finance volunteers and staff

• Undertake other financial and operational tasks as required, and assist other staff with the planning and development of grant-funded projects

• Manage volunteers as appropriate, enabling them to work independently and efficiently

• Collaborate with social enterprises at River Church to maximise profitability and financial stability

• Attend and participate in Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting

• Regularly pray for the financial and operational life of River Church

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible

• is demonstrably committed to their own discipleship (i.e., praying, serving, giving, and sharing faith) and is intentionally discipling others as followers of Jesus

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• is passionate about church finances and operations

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent organisational skills and time management

• is self-motivated and resilient

• has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, grammar, and mathematics

• has strong teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has a high attention to detail and high production values

• is able to understand and navigate a large organisational budget

• is flexible, with a can-do attitude

• is teachable, humble, and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, ChurchSuite, and Expense Plus

• has excellent financial management skills and familiarity with financial documents

• is able to efficiently produce large numbers of high-quality grant funding applications

• has a track record of previous successful grant applications

• has experience producing invoices and other financial documents

It is desirable that the role holder:

• has prior experience in a church or business fundraising role (or similar)

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role, or other areas of ministry and church life

• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification) related to the role

• holds financial or accounting qualifications

• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting, or another large church

• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the requirements of financial compliance for charities, and churches with the Church of England

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Kids Pastor

Department: Rising Generations

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible

Working days/hours: Full-time

Rate of pay: Enquire for salary details

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Negotiable

Other expectations: Whilst the role will usually be Sunday to Thursday, the role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church—praying at prayer meetings, serving on team, giving financially, and growing as part of a Hangout.

● Oversee River Church’s mission and ministry to Kids (0-11s) and their families, leading significant growth in number and depth of discipleship

● Lead, pastor, co-ordinate, train, and grow the River Kids Team

● Oversee, plan and lead kids-focussed aspects of Sunday services, working to expand capacity and grow numbers of children and families involved

● Plan and lead midweek groups, activities, courses, and events aimed at children and families, such as Baby Love (our group for parents, babies, and toddlers), the Parenting Course, and other future groups (including a new service for kids and families)

● Lead kids ministry within local primary schools and nurseries, such as taking assemblies, leading after-school or lunch clubs, RE lessons and similar activities, as opportunities arise, building on existing contacts and developing new partnerships

● Make contact and build relationships with unchurched and de-churched kids and families in Ipswich, and lead them on a pathway of discipleship, equipping the Kids Team to do the same

● Inviting parents and carers to Alpha and creating opportunities to run Alphas suitable for this demographic (i.e., through providing childcare or at strategic times and locations)

● Collaborate with the Social Transformation department where their work serves children and young families, to build their connection with River Church

● Train, mentor, and prepare members of the Kids Team to ensure the provision of excellent kids worship, mission, and ministry, and to release team members into leadership where appropriate

● Work with Senior Leaders and other ministry staff to plan events, meetings, and services

● Manage the kids department budget

● Manage and mentor Kids Team River College Students (interns), releasing them into appropriate levels of leadership

● Lead and contribute to Alpha, Staff Meeting, Department Meetings, Prayer Meeting, Hangouts, Focus, and Sunday Services (including some preaching and/or teaching)

● Collaborate with the Communications and Media Manager to curate River Kids social media channels

● Work with the Student Pastor to assist in River Church’s ministry to young people (11-18), and to ensure a smooth transition from River Kids to River Youth

● Ensure that kids team volunteers are recruited safely, following the safer recruitment policy, and that all regulatory requirements regarding safeguarding and health and safety are met, attending training as required

● Manage DBS checks and safeguarding training across River Church, working closely with the Safeguarding Officer

● Ad hoc tasks and other project work which enhances the ministry and mission of River Church

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

● has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

● believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible and attested to by the historic formularies of the Church of England

● is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church, and passionate about seeing people coming to know Jesus in Ipswich

● has a passion for reaching children with the gospel and to seeing them grow into all that God has created them to be in Christ

● has the capacity to provide spiritual leadership within the kids team and to contribute to the spiritual direction of the wider church

● is theologically astute

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

● has the ability to teach, train and develop kids team volunteers

● has excellent teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

● has excellent organisational skills and time management

● is self-motivated

● has excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to connect with children

● has outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal

● has a high attention to detail and high production values

● is able to manage a departmental budget

● is flexible, with a can-do attitude

● is teachable, has a desire to learn and grow, and is willing to undergo any necessary training

● understands the importance of confidentiality and has good self-awareness

● has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

● has experience in leading services, prayer, and worship for kids

● has outstanding ability to communicate Christian teaching to kids

● has confidence ministering in the Holy Spirit

● has a thorough understanding of statutory Child Protection/Safeguarding requirements

It is desirable that the role holder:

● has relevant degree-level qualifications connected to children, education, and/or theology

● is experienced in and/or has the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and ChurchSuite

● has an eye for design and aesthetics

● is able to use digital technology and social media to contribute to kids ministry

● is able to preach to and teach adults, as well as children

● has other skills which could contribute to the wider life and ministry of River Church

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Spear Centre Manager

Department: Love Ipswich

Reports to: Head of Social Transformation

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: ASAP

Working days/hours: Full-time, 4-5 days; primarily Monday-Friday, with some evening and weekend work on occasion.

Rate of pay: £25,213 per annum (pro rata)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Initial 2 years, subject to successful completion of probation period, with potential to extend or become permanent.

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church (i.e., praying, serving, giving, and growing as a disciple of Jesus).

Context: River Church currently has 10 staff, plus 3 vacancies, and some River College interns. The church has grown from an initial team of 15 people, to more than 300 (mainly under 35s) in its first 3 years, and we anticipate significant further growth.

Spear Programme

Spear Foundation is a 4-week initial phase, consisting of 2 group sessions and a 1:1 with each trainee per week, in which we coach young people around skills and mindsets to support them in returning to work or education, and equip them with the skills to stay there.

• Oversee the effective running of Spear Ipswich

• As a confident communicator, you will lead group sessions of around 10 young people, using coaching skills to transform attitudes to their own ability and the workplace, and to raise their awareness and maximise potential in stepping into the world of work

• Prepare and coach group and 1-1 sessions with the Spear centre Manager (training will be provided)

• Support the daily operational and administrative functions of the programme

• Line manage the Spear Assistant Coach and volunteer team

Partnership liaison and relationship management

• Purposefully build and manage relationships with relevant professionals at local organisations

• Communicate directly with young people to encourage referrals to the Spear programme, and think creatively about ways of building the profile of Spear locally, ensuring as many local young people as possible who would benefit have the chance to take part, and maximising the available spaces on the pilot programme

• Maintain and develop relationships with local partners to form a strong referral network

Supporting River Church’s mission and ministry

• Establish a strong presence at River Church to build a network of supporters for the Spear programme

• Contribute to the wider Love Ipswich team, including supporting our Crosslight Debt Centre and Money Courses, and River Store (social supermarket)

• Attend and participate in Staff Meeting, Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting, and Sunday Services (serving on a team at one or more Sunday service)

• Regularly pray for Spear, River Church, and in particular our Social Transformation work

• Attending other River Church events and services, occasionally speaking and/or contributing as required

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• believes and embodies Christian teaching revealed in the Bible

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• is passionate about social transformation

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has good teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to lead, manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has good administrative and organisational skills and time management, and the ability to prioritise workloads.

• is highly self-motivated with the ability to take initiative and start new projects

• has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, and grammar

• has the ability to teach, train and develop leaders and volunteers in the Love Ipswich team

• has a high emotional intelligence, high attention to detail, and high production values

• is creative and flexible, with a can-do attitude and

• is teachable and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality and has good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has good IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, ChurchSuite, and Expense Plus, as well as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Powerpoint

• has a good and up-to-date understanding of statutory child protection and safeguarding requirements, health and safety legislation, and other legal aspects related to the running of Spear

It is desirable that the role holder:

• has prior experience delivering training, coaching and development

• has relevant qualifications

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role, or other areas of ministry and church life

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.