This post is grant funded until June 2032 (potential for further grant funding in the future but this cannot be guaranteed)
Role Summary
The Diocese of Liverpool is undertaking a strategic shift in how it stewards, develops, and deploys its land and property. Many historic churches, halls, housing, and land assets are currently under‑used, while others are no longer required for mission or ministry. This role exists to support the Diocese and its parishes in realising maximum social, financial, environmental, and missional value from these assets as part of a long‑term, future‑focused land and property strategy.
As the Head of Asset Development, you will play a key leadership role within the newly formed Property & Buildings Team, acting as a delivery enabler and strategic partner to the Head of Property & Buildings and senior diocesan colleagues. You will manage and develop key Buildings Team members and provide clear oversight and coordination of a broad programme of work. This requires creative design thinking, commercial awareness, and strong project delivery expertise to translate strategic intent into practical and achievable outcomes.
You will oversee the delivery of a diverse portfolio of church, hall, housing, and land projects, ensuring robust governance, risk management, and financial oversight. Working with internal teams and external partners, you will shape and deliver innovative and sustainable solutions that secure a resilient, future‑proof estate and ensure each asset—whether retained, transformed, or released—delivers the greatest possible benefit.
Working closely with parishes, you will enable local leaders to make informed, future‑focused decisions about their buildings and navigate complex project, design, and development pathways. By championing creative, viable, and sustainable approaches, you will help shape long‑term models of mission and ministry while maximising the financial, social, environmental, and spiritual value of both historic and contemporary assets across the Diocese.
Context
The Diocese of Liverpool has embarked on a transformation journey, in partnership with the Church Commissioners, to deliver a clear, shared vision for mission, growth and a sustainable future. This aligns with the Church of England’s commitment to making its buildings more accessible and valuable to local communities.
Job Summary:
This role demands energy, expertise and clarity to enable delivery and provide vision and creative solutions. The main purpose of the role:
1. Strategic Delivery Enablement. Enable the Diocese’s new strategic land and property approach by coordinating a portfolio of projects across church, hall, housing, and land assets, ensuring decisions and projects support a resilient and future‑proof estate.
2. Asset realisation. The Right Buildings Process, managed by this team, is delivering a steady stream of emerging assets for disposal/income-generating alternative use, as parishes rationalise their buildings. For those buildings that will be sold, scope and land the right deal for parishes and the Diocese, ensuring that the sites continue to support our desire for good community development.
3. Asset development. Oversee refurbishment projects relating to churches and halls that will be retained, or schemes on existing sites to deliver new worship facilities alongside other uses, designing solutions for developments that are viable, sustainable, and aligned with the Diocese’s long‑term mission and ministry needs.
4. Value Maximisation. Ensure that all activity—across disposal, redevelopment, and retained assets—maximises financial, social, environmental, and spiritual value for the Diocese and its parishes.
Duties and key responsibilities:
Key responsibilities and tasks include:
* Lead, manage, and develop key members of the Buildings Team (5), ensuring capability, confidence, and a high-quality delivery culture
* Foster a collaborative, supportive, and solutions-focused working environment within the Property & Buildings Team
* Provide clear leadership across complex programmes of work
* Oversee a diverse portfolio of building related projects from feasibility to delivery, ensuring quality, pace, and alignment with diocesan strategy
* Develop clear project plans with defined scope, objectives, milestones, and success measures
* Manage risks and resolve issues proactively to ensure controlled delivery within agreed timescales
* Ensure robust project governance, reporting, risk management, and financial oversight
* Track delivery against plans and provide accurate progress updates to internal and external stakeholders
* Work closely with parishes to understand local needs, opportunities, and constraints
* Empower parishes to make informed, future focused decisions about their buildings
* Guide parishes through complex projects, design, and development pathways
* Engage with local teams to capture ideas for buildings requiring refurbishment and shape projects with parish leadership
* Build strong, trust based relationships with key diocesan and parish stakeholders
* Coordinate and manage external consultants, technical specialists, and professional advisers
* Build and nurture relationships with suppliers
* Enable open and transparent communication, manage expectations, and secure commitment to project outcomes
* Secure all necessary approvals for project progression
* Negotiate and manage supplier contracts to deliver value for money
* Nurture partnership relationships with public bodies to generate shared use and/or income
* Champion creative, viable, and sustainable design solutions that support long term mission and ministry
* Contribute to strategic planning around resilience, sustainability, and asset optimisation across the Diocese
* Promote outcomes that deliver social, pastoral, and community value aligned with diocesan priorities.