Chair of Finance Committee and Chapter Member | Wells Cathedral

Wells Cathedral Chapter is seeking a colleague as Chapter Member and Chair of the Finance Committee to join them and the wider team in developing the Cathedral’s life as a place of worship and service, a heritage site of remarkable beauty, and a globally recognised destination for pilgrims and visitors.

Applications close at: 9 a.m. Monday 10th June 2024.

Time commitment: 1 - 2 days per week

About the City of Wells

Situated on the edge of the Mendip Hills in the County of Somerset, Wells is one of England’s most beautiful and compact cities. Built around the beautiful Cathedral of St Andrew, its picturesque surroundings include a charming market square and high street, the Bishop’s Palace, and the magnificent Vicars’ Close, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited street.

About Wells Cathedral

Wells Cathedral deservedly has gained an enviable reputation for its lovingly maintained gothic architecture, world-class music, and its ministry. Underpinning the life, worship, and ministry of the Cathedral is a diverse organisation where a lot is achieved with modest resources. It oversees a diverse tapestry of activity:

• A world-class music foundation
• A works and estates department
• A team of virgers
• The Cathedral library and archives
• An education, learning, and outreach programme
• Finance, HR, and administrative functions
• Volunteer management
• Trading companies

About the role

The Chapter body is the custodian of the Cathedral and its precincts, and we are dedicated to the care and conservation of these wonderful assets, so they may enrich lives for centuries to come.

As a non-executive member of Chapter and trustee, your role will be critical to the leadership of the Cathedral.

As a member of Cathedral Chapter, the Chair of the Finance Committee will work strategically to support Chapter in ensuring good financial oversight and will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer to enable the effective financial management of the Cathedral. This will include developing a financial plan to align with any revised strategy, overseeing effective governance, budget planning, information management and reporting. In addition, this role has oversight of the Cathedral’s investment portfolio.

The Chapter is the Board of Trustees for the Cathedral, a registered charity, and has the ultimate responsibility for directing and overseeing its affairs – as a place of worship and a community of service, as a significant building and a heritage site of remarkable beauty, as a venue for events and as a globally recognised destination for pilgrims and visitors.

Members of Chapter come from a variety of backgrounds and seek to work collegially in their leadership and responsibilities as they take forward the ministry and mission of a Cathedral which has been servicing Wells and the County of Somerset for almost 850 years.

The objects of the Chapter are:

a) to advance the Christian religion in accordance with the faith and practice of the Church of England, in particular by furthering the mission of the Church of England;

b) to care for and conserve the fabric and structure of the Cathedral Church building;

c) to advance any other charitable purposes which are ancillary to the furtherance of the purpose referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b).

Who we are looking for

With considerable background in finance as either an executive leader or leader of a specialist finance function, the next Chair of the Finance Committee and Chapter Member will be committed to working with the other members of Chapter as they develop the strategy and plans to bring the mission and vision of the Cathedral to life.

They will understand the role of good governance and shared leadership in a complex organisation and will be able to contribute to the wider agenda of the Cathedral as well as lead on finance.

They will have wisdom and kindness in their leadership and enjoy motivating and developing the team around them. People from all areas of the organisation will find them approachable as they stretch thinking and share ideas.

They will be committed to learning and growing with other members of Chapter and personally as the Cathedral develops into its newly established charity status.

The ability to untangle complex figures and interpret them to others who may not be financially minded is key in this role. A strong financial background is essential, together with the ability to challenge and assimilate views to operate collegially whilst being mindful of the Cathedral environment and governance requirements.

Non-executive members of Chapter will be communicant members of the Church of England, or of a church with which it is in communion. Further information is set out in the Cathedrals Measure 2021 and from Rule 83(2) of the Church Representation Rules*. For any further clarification on these points, or should you have a query, please get in touch with Rebekah Abbott.

*83(2) In these Rules, ‘actual communicant’ means a person –

(a) who has received Communion according to the use of the Church of England or a Church in communion with it at least three times during the 12 months preceding the date of the person becoming a member of a body the eligibility for membership of which depends on a person being an actual communicant, and

(b) who either is confirmed or ready and desirous of being confirmed or is receiving Communion as referred to in paragraph 1(b) of Canon B 15A (communicant members of other Churches subscribing to doctrine of Holy Trinity).

Please click 'Apply via website’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 10th June 2024.