Programme Lead (Christian Young Leaders and General Synod Young Voices

We are seeking a Programme Lead (Christian Young Leaders and General Synod Young Voices)

About The Department/Role

The National Society for Education (NSE) is both a National Church Institution (NCI) and a charity established by Royal Charter. Its mission is to support Church schools and the broader education sector by nurturing leadership, influencing policy, and fostering faith.

NSE leads the Church of England’s national education initiatives in collaboration with 41 Diocesan Boards of Education and approximately 4,700 Church of England schools.

One of the Church of England’s strategic priorities for the 2020s is to become a younger and more diverse church. In support of this, the House of Bishops is committed to ensuring that vibrant ministries for children, youth, and families are accessible to every young person across England.

To help realise this vision, NSE is partnering with the Vision and Strategy team to deliver a series of initiatives under our ‘Growing Faith’ pillar. These projects explore the vital connection between church, home, and school, aiming to enrich the spiritual lives of children and young people while cultivating the next generation of leaders.

We are a dynamic, dispersed team working remotely from across the country. We meet regularly online and come together in person throughout the year for team days that strengthen our collaboration and shared purpose.

What You'll Be Doing

This role requires close coordination with Programme Leads in the Growing Faith/Young Leaders team and partnership working across NCI departments. It mainly supports two interconnected national initiatives aimed at developing young Christian leaders:

• Christian Young Leaders Programme
• Aims to equip and commission 2,500 young leaders (Years 9–13) for mission and ministry with children and young people by 2028.
• Contributes 15% toward the Church of England’s broader goal of training 30,000 leaders by 2030.
• Developed in collaboration with Vision & Strategy, Ministry teams, and parachurch partners.
• Engages young people from church, youthwork, and educational settings.
• General Synod Young Voices Project
• Responds to General Synod motions committing to youth voice inclusion in every session.
• Facilitates youth participation through National Young Leadership Groups and partnerships with schools, churches, and dioceses.
• Supports a leadership development programme for young adults from each diocese to influence both national and diocesan levels.
  
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Providing strategic oversight of the Christian Young Leaders Programme
• Leading the General Synod Young Voices project.
• Developing effective curriculum models, resources and learning experiences.
• Implement high-quality learning and development through robust design and evaluation.
• Engaging stakeholders and deepening partnership commitments.
  
  
  

Key Role Requirements

• This is a fully remote role.
• An enhanced DBS check will be required as part of our pre-employment checks.
• This post is subject to an occupational requirement that the post holder be of the Christian faith as expressed in the Nicene Creed under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.
  
  
  

About You

The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

We Are Looking For Someone With

• Proven leadership experience within the Education sector.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive communications with tact and professionalism.
• Expertise in designing and delivering impactful professional development programmes.
• Deep knowledge of the UK educational landscape and its intersection with churches and households.
• Strong grasp of safeguarding principles and practices.
• Clear understanding of the Church of England’s Vision for Education and its practical application in schools and colleges.
• Experience working and managing projects at a regional, diocesan or national level with multiple stakeholders.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• High attention to detail, strong communication skills, and a collaborative team player approach. This includes being able to be creative, innovative and open to feedback
• Willingness to work within the ethos of a Christian organisation, and sympathy with the aims and goals of the Church of England Education. This includes embedding our vision for Education within schools or systems' leadership context.
• Passionate about making a difference to the lives of children and young people.
• Strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  
  
  

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

What We Offer

Your Salary

• A salary of £59,248 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.
  
  
  

Your Benefits

• 30 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays and 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.
  
  
  

About National Church Institutions

The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.

We Include. You Belong.

Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.

Living out our values in all that we do, we:

• Strive for Excellence
• Show Compassion
• Respect others
• Collaborate
• Act with Integrity
  
  
  

We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.