Job Description
Context
The Diocese of Winchester has over 400 church buildings, and over 300 parishes, with many more worshipping communities. There are chaplaincies operating in schools, universities, hospitals, prisons and other institutions and organisations across the area of Hampshire and East Dorset which is covered by the diocese. Also included are over a hundred Church of England primary schools. Every parish in the diocese is encouraged to develop a Mission Action Plan which sets out the way in which the church in that local area will engage with and support the community in which it is situated – with parishes offering everything from parent and toddler groups and "Messy Church", to street pastors and support for night-shelters and refugees.
As diocesan bishop, the Bishop of Winchester has responsibility for the pastoral care and oversight of the Church in the region. He shares 2 his leadership of mission and ministry in the diocese with the Suffragan Bishops of Basingstoke and Southampton, the Diocesan Secretary and the Archdeacons of Winchester and Bournemouth. The Bishop of Basingstoke works collegially with colleagues, lay and ordained, to build up the life and mission of the Christian community entrusted to her care. She serves all the baptised; and seeks to ensure that the life of the Church is focused on mission priorities discerned by the Diocesan Bishop in consultation with ecclesial, civic and ecumenical partners. Her ministry is set within, and seeks to enable the delivery of Diocesan Strategic Priorities.
About The Role
The Personal Assistant will play a pivotal role in enabling the Bishop to fulfil her responsibilities by managing her time, communications, and engagements. This includes diary management, correspondence, briefing preparation, travel arrangements, financial oversight, and acting as a trusted confidant and gatekeeper.
The role also involves coordinating events, supporting diocesan communications, managing office administration, and liaising with volunteers and stakeholders. You will be expected to build a strong working relationship with the Bishop, understand her priorities, and anticipate her needs with discretion and professionalism.
Responsibilities
Executive Support
Diary Management: Manage the Bishop's diary, ensuring effective prioritisation and time management. Schedule meetings, appointments, and events in line with the Bishop's personal and professional commitments. Ensure sufficient preparation time is diarised for events, meetings and appointments.
Correspondence: To draft and manage correspondence on behalf of the Bishop, including calls, emails, complaints, enquiries and official documents. This will require some technical and pastoral input; triaging as necessary and responding directly, delegating or referring to the appropriate person according to need and sensitivity.
Briefings and Preparation: Ensure the Bishop is well-prepared and informed for all events. Print out agendas and reports for all statutory meetings (e.g. BST, Bishop's Council, Diocesan Synod etc.) and other meetings when requested. Create an executive summary of reports for meetings and highlighting specific agenda items to which the Bishop will be expected to contribute.
Travel and Accommodation: Arrange travel, accommodation and logistics for the Bishop's trips, both within the Diocese and nationally, ensuring all arrangements are efficient and cost effective.
Oversee and manage the finances and budget planning processes associated with the 'Local Account' as it relates to the Bishop of Basingstoke. Keep a record of the Bishop's expenses and finances to ensure all invoices are paid promptly and the Local Account kept in good order with no-one out of pocket. This will also include keeping a record of the Bishop's mileage.
Support & Advice: To provide appropriate support to the Bishop in the exercise of her duties and be a person to whom the Bishop can turn and speak with in confidence. To act as gatekeeper to the Bishop in dealing with a range of issues, ensuring any risks (reputational or otherwise) are discussed, mitigated or avoided.
To ensure good working relationships with the Bishop's Staff team, senior diocesan staff, senior cathedral staff and all staff at Winchester diocesan offices.
Event Co-ordination
Church/Diocesan Events: Assist in the planning and organisation of diocesan events, services, conferences and gatherings hosted by the Bishop. This includes coordination of logistics, catering, invitations, and event materials. It may from time to time also include helping with events and occasions outside the diocese.
External Engagements: Help facilitate the Bishop's engagement with external organisations, charities, and community leaders by managing invitations, RSVPs, and event details.
Office Management
Administration: Oversee the administrative tasks related to the Bishop's office, including filing, document management, and maintaining an organised, efficient working environment.
Support the Bishop in her role as Warden of Readers, by providing administrative support including producing licences and maintaining records, and providing support for the annual lay licensing service.
Review the current records that are kept for LLM and, working with others, considering whether improvements can be made.
Confidentiality: Handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion and integrity, ensuring privacy and security of all communications and documents. Ensure that the Bishop's office, computer etc. are compliant with GDPR and other diocesan and national policies.
Team co-ordination: Liaise with diocesan staff, clergy, and other stakeholders to ensure that requests or actions requiring the Bishop's attention are addressed in a timely manner.
Volunteer Co-ordination
Support the Bishop's Team of Volunteers: By arranging expenses, diarising meetings and ensuring that appropriate safeguarding and HR requirements are met for all volunteers.
Diocesan Communications
Stakeholder Liaison: Serve as a professional and warm point of contact for diocesan clergy, parishes and external organisations seeking communication or co-ordination with the Bishop's office.
Special Projects and Initiatives
Project Support: Assist with specific diocesan or episcopal initiatives or projects as directed by the Bishop, helping to implement and follow through on tasks.
Key Requirements
Willingness to occasionally work evenings and weekends, with time off in lieu (TOIL) provided for any additional hours worked
On a few occasions, it may be necessary for the post holder to attend a meeting or event off-site, sometimes outside of normal working hours. Not all meeting locations are served by public transport; therefore, own transport will be necessary.
Your place of work will be based at Old Alresford Place, Old Alresford, SO24 9DH.
Interviews will take place on 23 March 2026 at Old Alresford Place.
Qualifications
A hospitable, capable person with an enquiring mind, a proactive approach, excellent inter-personal skills and proven administrative competence.
Personal Effectiveness
Administratively efficient
Able to prioritise effectively
Pays close attention to detail
Uses their own initiative
Has a flexible approach to work, able to adapt to changing practices and processes in an evolving organisation
Work collaboratively
Takes on responsibility and accountability for tasks and actions
Takes a practical approach to tasks
Creative and solution-orientated
Stays calm under pressure
Able to operate with a degree of ambiguity
Has confidence to challenge the Bishop if necessary
Works well in a small team
Communication
Establishes and maintains excellent working relationships with colleagues and other contacts
Has a polite, helpful manner
Communicates effectively with people at all levels, both inside and outside the organisation
Demonstrates excellent presentation, layout and accuracy in text production
Able to draft or adapt letters as appropriate
Maintains strict confidentiality
Uses diplomacy and sensitivity
Administration
Has an excellent standard of literacy
Has a good standard of numeracy
Takes a proactive approach to the Bishop's time management
Manages workflow flexibly to prioritise tasks in order to meet deadlines
Follows office procedures
Work Management and Personal Development
Competent in managing own workload and effectively delegating to and supporting others with their workloads
Uses good judgment in knowing when to delegate
Committed to the development of colleagues
Committed to own personal development and encouraging others in their development
Knowledge
At least 2 years of administrative work experience
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, and Outlook, and willing to learn Excel and other Office 365 applications
Has experience in or is willing to learn financial record keeping and online banking
Experienced in managing a varied workload efficiently
Capable of undertaking internet-based research and presenting a summary of findings
Has some familiarity with, or willingness to learn, parliamentary processes as they relate to the diary and correspondence of a Lord Spiritual
Has sympathy for the faith, worship and mission of the Church of England
Has an understanding of, or willingness to learn, the systems, structures and terminology of the Church of England.
About Us
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.
Use of AI in your application
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