The Role

As Director of Financial Wellbeing Services, you will lead this new function at Board level.

This is an opportunity to build something from the ground up by creating services that will make a lasting difference to thousands of clergy and their families. 

You will set the strategic direction, build and inspire a new team, and ensure that services are high-quality, impactful and sustainable. Working with external partners, you’ll introduce innovative products and services, oversee significant budgets and investments, and ensure every pound is delivering long-term value.

You will also play a vital role in championing the service across the Church, engaging diverse stakeholders, and ensuring it complements our pensions and housing provision.

Why this role matters

This role is about more than financial advice — it is about transforming futures. Many clergy face unique challenges in preparing for retirement. By equipping them with knowledge, resources and tailored support, we can help them make confident choices, reduce reliance on direct housing provision, and secure greater independence in later life.

The success of this role will be measured in real lives changed: more clergy saving earlier, more families planning effectively, and greater confidence across the Church community about life after ministry.

What we’re looking for

We are seeking an inspirational and commercially astute leader with a proven track record of shaping and delivering new services within complex organisations. You will bring both vision and pragmatism, with the ability to navigate regulatory environments, build partnerships, and manage multi-disciplinary teams.

Your ability to engage, influence and inspire will be as equally important — winning the confidence of diverse stakeholders and ensuring this new service is embraced across the Church.

The purpose of this role is to lead the new Financial Wellbeing Services function, accountable for the delivery of a range of new services to clergy.  This involves leading a new team; strategic oversight of service delivery; cultivating and managing quality external partnerships; and ensuring the Church’s investment is stewarded in the best way to realise the business case on which it is based.  As the advocate for the service, you will also be accountable for raising the profile of the service across the Church and ensure these new forms of support fit seamlessly into the suite of retirement services offered by the Board.

To help you in this role, in addition to your new team, you will have the benefit of a project implementation team which is setting up the agreements, systems and processes to get the new services rolling.  Your team will also work closely with housing and pensions colleagues to provide a joined up service for customers.

This role reports to the Chief Executive, and works closely with the Director of Housing, and the Director of Strategy and Engagement and will be accountable for:

  • Overseeing quality of service delivery (e.g. agreeing/setting standards, agreeing policies, monitoring KPIs, driving improvement, resolving complaints, and setting the tone of problem-solving culture).
  • Cultivating relationships with different Church organisations to build awareness and engagement with the offer, and to advocate for the service with stakeholders and funders.
  • Ensuring the service integrates well with other PB services e.g. working with director colleagues to ensure seamless hand offs (from a customer, data, and systems perspective).
  • Overseeing impact assessment and effective evaluation of the service and its products, ensuring continuous learning and improvement.
  • Assessing and managing risk to ensure best value from the Church’s investment and ensuring an appropriate governance and controls environment is in place.
  • Managing strategic partnerships and cultivating new ones.
  • Understanding customer needs and shaping services accordingly.
  • Effective team and cross-functional leadership embedding our organisational values – the role includes line-management of c.6-7 direct reports, and responsibility for a team of 14 (some of whom will be regionally based), with requisite focus on performance, career development, and belonging & inclusion.  Overall accountability for ensuring the team has the technology, tools and training they need to do their roles as effectively as possible.
  • Baseline annual budgetary responsibility of c. £2m p.a., with ability to invest (subject to Trustee approval) up to £10m p.a. into new products/services to support clergy.
  • Exercising a constructive leadership role within the Pensions Board (and wider National Church Institutions) working to deliver the Board’s overall strategic objectives (including a shared responsibility for good governance and ensuring we build a great place to work).
  • Championing the PB safeguarding policy and procedures, recognising that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.

You will bring:

  • Recent experience of managing a significant new service area within an established organisation (or equivalent, e.g. delivering a new product or service for customers).
  • Experienced leader, able to set and articulate vision, win support and maintain momentum on delivery.  (This need not have been at Director level.)
  • Proven experience of operating within a relevant regulatory environment, e.g. financial advice, mortgage brokering, debt advice or in the Charitable information/advice sector
  • Proven ability to build relationships, trust and credibility with a wide range of diverse stakeholders.
  • Significant experience of driving a continuous improvement culture and responsive service design; based on a good understanding of best practice in quality customer service delivery.
  • Ability to work with and manage suppliers / partners, including setting up appropriate contracts and assurance mechanisms.
  • A track record in innovation and making commercially astute decisions e.g. able to spot new ideas, cultivate partnerships and get the best deal.
  • Experience of managing a multi-disciplinary team; ideally including experience of managing a geographically dispersed team, working in a complex environment.

Skills & Abilities:

  • Naturally collaborative: able to exercise leadership as part of and contributing to a team.
  • Able to work strategically, embracing the big picture; work with excellent attention to detail; and the wisdom to know how and when to balance these skills.  
  • Good analytical and financial skills, including proven ability to make the most of tight budgets.
  • Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, and ability to present persuasively to different audiences.
  • Confident with strategic planning and business case development.
  • Makes evidence-based decisions but not rule-bound.
  • Commitment to high standards of safeguarding.

The ultimate success of the role and the new function will be determined by the extent to which the Board is able to deliver on the theory of change in the business case underpinning the funding for the work.  This includes improving the confidence of customers in retirement planning, take up of new products, and ultimately a reduction in the numbers reliant on the Board’s directly provided retirement housing services because they have no alternatives.

Due to the seniority of the role, there will be some fixed dates and occasional out of hours working (such as the Board residential meeting) which the post holder is expected to attend.  Generally such dates are arranged with plenty of notice.  The role may involve travel in the UK from time to time.

Why join us?

  • Impact with purpose: This is a rare chance to shape a nationally significant service that directly improves lives.

  • Strategic leadership: You’ll operate at Board level, with a voice in shaping our overall direction.

  • Innovation: With significant backing and scope for investment, you’ll have the resources to innovate and deliver lasting change.

  • Values-driven culture: We are committed to excellence, compassion, respect, collaboration and integrity — and to being a truly inclusive employer welcoming people of all backgrounds.

What we can offer you:

  • 30 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
  • We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department’s needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
  • We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
  • Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK’s leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
  • Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme 
  • Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
  • Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
  • Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.

If you are looking for a leadership role where your expertise can deliver genuine, long-term impact — this is that opportunity.