Director of Property
Candidate Information Pack
Introduction from the Diocesan Secretary Thank you for expressing an interest in the Director of Property post with the Diocese of Oxford. The Director of Property role comes with all the responsibilities you would expect of a senior property leadership appointment in a charity with a turnover of about £30 million p.a, a portfolio of over 450 assets, and over 100 staff. This is an exceptional and rewarding role due to the opportunity to use your skills and experience to influence what is by many metrics is one of the largest diocese in England serving 2.5 million people (growing rapidly) with a proactive strategic agenda that has emerged from the needs and opportunities of our growing number of clergy and wider communities. The Diocese’s property portfolio is large and diverse, incorporating over 450 assets including residential, offices, farms, a small number of operational properties in addition to land holdings. The Diocese have developed a highly commercial and proactive approach to operational property management and strategic transactions as demonstrated by the acquisition of our significant office asset at Church House, Kidlington and proactive residential development discussions with private sector partners allowing the creation of social and affordable housing to benefit our communities. A key and vital aspect of the role and the property strategy going forward is the Diocese’s commitment to and implementation of the Net Zero Housing Strategy. The Diocese of Oxford has approved £10 million expenditure on environmental works to
Contents
improve the carbon footprint of vicarages and better care for its clergy and will also reduce energy bills. You will be personally leading the implementation of this. The investment is part of an ambitious plan by the diocese to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. The appointed candidate will also be part of national working groups on social housing and environmental issues. We strongly believe in partnership, whether it is between churches at local level, schools and parishes or working with communities and the Church of England nationally. We are seeking a senior colleague with a proven track record as a respected professional in their field, a Christian who is confident and people- focused, who will work collaboratively towards the development of our strategic priorities and enable their delivery through effective management of our assets and our people. Thank you for taking the time to find out more about this key role. We look forward to receiving your application.
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Introduction from the Diocesan Secretary
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About us
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Common Vision
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Our Vision and Values
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Environmental Action
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The Portfolio
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The Director of Property Role
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Job Description
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Employee Benefits
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Diversity and Inclusion
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Application Process
Mark Humphriss Diocesan Secretary
About us
The Diocese of Oxford is the administrative area of the Church of England that, broadly speaking, covers the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, covering 2,200 square miles – and much the same area as Thames Valley Police. It sits between the Cotswolds in the west and London to the east. It extends from tiny rural communities to the vastly different cities of Oxford and Milton Keynes. From Chipping Norton to Slough, from west Berkshire to Newport Pagnell, there are villages and market towns, suburbs and urban areas, organised into 626 parishes. More than 50,000 people worship in 815 parish churches each week and make a significant impact across villages, towns, cities and the world in their daily discipleship and witness. This is more than any other diocese in the Church of England. Our church schools educate more than 58,000 children for life in all its fullness. Our chaplains serve Universities and schools, prisons, hospitals and the armed forces. Our churches support more than 1,700 social action projects, working in partnership with other agencies to serve the most needy in our region.
Common Vision Contemplative, compassionate and courageous for the sake of God’s world
Key facts
With over 1,000 churches, schools and chaplaincies, the Diocese of Oxford is one of the largest and most complex in the Church of England. Did you know that: • The Diocese of Oxford (serving Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes) is the fifth largest diocese in the Church of England by land area and the fourth most populated diocese in the country; • Our 284 church schools educate around 58,000 children; • Over 1,000 clergy and 300 licensed lay ministers serve 52,000 regular Sunday worshippers at our 815 churches. At Christmas, our churches welcome over 150,000 people from across the diocese; but there are major conurbations where the church lacks strength, and 27% of people in our congregations are aged 70 or older; • According to the British Social Attitudes Survey, 52% of people in Britain now declare they are of no religion. That proportion is growing. With every decade that goes by, people understand less and less about the Christian faith; • Massive new housing and population growth in this diocese will mean that another half a million people are living here by 2026 (210,960 more homes and 475,000 more people); • Reading has a higher number of looked-after children than the rest of the Thames Valley and more than double the rate of Oxfordshire and some other parts of Berkshire; • Oxfordshire has high levels of teenagers not in education, employment or training and high levels of emergency hospital admission for injuries in young people (more than twice the rate of Reading); • Barriers to housing are high: 122 neighbourhoods in this diocese are in the 10% most deprived access to housing and services.
Our world is changing in unprecedented ways; we must think afresh about inequality, our communities and human identity. We need to be the best Church we can be in this time: a more Christ-like Church for the sake of God’s world. We are not the society for the preservation of old buildings (important though our heritage assets are); a church is the community of God’s people, not the building. We believe that becoming more Christ-like is about who we are called to be, not what we’re called to do.
This is our common vision for every Christian in every church and school across this diocese. We want to discern what God is doing in our communities and figure out how best we can join in.
The call to become more Christ-like is not the work we need to do before a new corporate strategy and a five-year plan. It is the response we are called to make. We are continually adapting and reshaping our common vision as, together, we discern God’s will.
And we are just beginning...
Our Vision and Values
COURAGEOUS
COMPASSIONATE
CONTEMPLATIVE
• Making a difference in our local communities • Taking steps of faith, commitment and endurance • Signs of reconciliation; resolving conflict and working together for peace
• More time spent with more people • Signs of a greater sense of forgiveness, grace and nurture • Gracious welcome and hospitality; taking action for peace and justice
• More people spending time with God • Signs of a greater sense of humility • Listening more and saying less, to ourselves, our world and one another
Environmental Action
Since Diocesan Synod declared a climate emergency in March 2020, our Environment Task Group (ETG) is overseeing an ambitious programme of change. The Diocese of Oxford has approved £10 million expenditure on environmental works to improve the carbon footprint of vicarages and better care for its clergy. The investment is part of an ambitious plan by the diocese to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. The diocese surveyed 427 clergy houses to establish a carbon baseline for the properties. A net zero retrofit housing strategy has set about improving the energy and heating efficiency of vicarages. Solar panels have already been fitted to over 50 properties, but the diocese now plans to do significantly more by addressing the energy loss from its vicarages and prepare for improvements in heat pump technology.
Project implementation has started in 2022, ramping up in 2023 under the new Director’s leadership, with environmental works to clergy housing in the diocese. This will include the installation of long-term heat demand reduction measures including wall, floor and roof insulation, and improved window and door draft proofing. By 2024 the programme accelerates significantly again to see major improvements to vicarages across the diocesan portfolio including solar panels and additional insulation. As heat pump technology improves, fossil fuel boilers will be replaced with heat pumps.
COP26 was the biggest climate event of the year. Bishop Olivia travelled to Glasgow in November to represent the Church of England’s commitment to environmental action, speaking at many events. We continued to provide advice and support to churches and parishes switching to more sustainable practices and saw a rise in the number of Eco Churches, demonstrating the progress towards our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2035. “At Glasgow, the world glimpsed the possibility of a hopeful future. Hurting God’s creation and contributing to the suffering of God’s poorest people is not the ‘love God and your neighbour’ that Jesus commands of us. COP26 showed us the unity of purpose people of faith can bring. This encouragement should reignite in all of us hope for our future.” Bishop Olivia
The Portfolio
The Diocese of Oxford has a significant property and land portfolio valued in excess of £450m. Incorporated in the portfolio is 450 residential assets, of which circa 380 are occupied by clergy, the remainder are let on the open market on either short or long term basis returning an income of about £1m to the organisation. Further commercial assets are held within the portfolio including corporate offices, retail and a small number of operational properties. The Diocese also owns 4,000 acres of land, some of which has been acquired on a strategic basis for future development.
With 250 parcels of land, the glebe portfolio produces an annual rental income of £400,000 per annum.
The Diocese has been prominent in delivering on an ambitious acquisition and disposal programme of circa £4m each year.
Director of Property Band B Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance Property Diocesan Secretary Diocesan Secretary and Chair of Glebe & Buildings Committees All staff in the Property Department Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF
JOB TITLE: GRADE: EMPLOYER: DEPARTMENT: LINE MANAGER: ACCOUNTABLE TO: RESPONSIBLE FOR: LOCATION:
The Director of Property role
As a senior leadership role and as a key member of our Senior Management Group (SMG), you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective management of the Diocese’s asset and land portfolio. You will be responsible for managing our portfolio of clergy housing, incorporating the homes and workplace of clergy in addition to managing our land and additional property assets. You will be the driving force within the property function in the delivery of the Diocese’s Environmental Action programme. You will lead a dedicated team of 15 property and estate professionals operating across a diverse property function and continually look for new ways to improve efficiencies and performance across our housing, land and commercial portfolios. The appointed Director will ensure that the team continues to deliver a customer focussed property service to it wide ranging group of internal and external stakeholders whilst also developing the property strategy in the mid and long term in line with Diocese’s wider aims and objectives. As the lead property professional, you will work with the team to ensure their continued professional development, act as a mentor and drive the performance of the property team whilst ensuring an innovative and proactive approach to property management.
Christian vision, ethos and principles underpin all aspects of the way the Oxford Board of Finance (ODBF) runs. The post-holder must be committed to ODBF’s principles and values. The Diocese of Oxford is a living, growing network of more than a thousand churches, chaplaincies, and schools across the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. More than 2.4 million people live in the Diocese and this number is set to rise by up to half a million over the next decade. The vision of the Diocese is to be a more Christ-like Church for the sake of God’s world: more contemplative, more compassionate, and more courageous. We are actively seeking to be good stewards of the environment, to serve and be advocates for the disadvantaged, to enable everyday faith, to see children, young people and adults come to faith and grow in faith, to plant and grow new congregations and to reimagine the church-school relationship in every place. Our common vision seeks to be emergent, responsive to local need and continuously developing in the light of our changing context.
JOB PURPOSE:
To ensure the effective leadership, development, oversight and performance of the Property department and the management of our property portfolio on behalf of and subject to the direction of the Glebe and Buildings Committees. This will include the provision of a professional management, improvement, repair and maintenance service for all property for which the Board is responsible under Ecclesiastical Measures, notably the Church Property Measure 2018.
To personally lead and coordinate our programme to make our vicarages and DBF corporate property net carbon zero.
To manage the provision of Architectural and Surveying services in respect of development and other Building projects and our custodian trusteeships for parish property.
These will be achieved through the following principal accountabilities:
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
• To oversee all property title enquiries (Diocesan and Parish) including release of restrictive covenants and overage agreements and delegate or respond as necessary. • To oversee the provision of the office accommodation in Church House Oxford and for the bishop’s and archdeacons’ Area Offices. Manage the budget for maintenance and refurbishment of offices and for office furniture. • To advise the Glebe and Buildings Committees in making policies and decisions, exercising sensitive control and balancing financial and pastoral needs. To record and effectively communicate decisions and policies made by these committees, and in addition overseeing the preparation of agendas and supporting papers and minutes. • To attend and advise the “Titles meeting” for placement of curates on all housing matters. • To hold Property Review meetings with each of the four Archdeaconry teams to review local property issues.
• To oversee and co-ordinate the delivery of the Board’s property portfolio, ensuring compliance with obligations set out under Ecclesiastical Measures and other legislation and to achieve the net zero programme. • To manage and oversee Property Department’s capital and revenue budgets, including income generating areas of work [fee and rental income]. • To provide visible leadership by participating fully as a member of the Heads of Department and Senior Management Groups and motivate direct reports and others in the department ensuring that delegated responsibilities are achieved, collaborative working encouraged and effective communication maintained, • To oversee where appropriate support for parishes, directly or through Diocesan Trustees (Oxford) Limited AKA “DTOL” and the Diocesan Development Fund. • To undertake wider agreed tasks that support the work of the Diocese and especially the Property Department and their own professional development.
2. To manage and oversee Property Department budgets, including income generating areas of work [fee and rental income].
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• To oversee Glebe Agents, planning consultants and other professional advisers in order to maximise the total return of property investments, by ensuring that all glebe and housing disposals, acquisitions, tenancies and modifications will produce optimum long-term value. • To oversee the “development team” responsible for generating income, for example by provision of architectural and surveying services in respect of schools’ projects • In consultation with the Finance Department, to draw up the department’s annual revenue and capital budgets, and to be responsible for setting systems for monitoring expenditure and income. • To oversee the review of the valuation of the Board’s property assets for the purpose of completing the annual Financial Statements. Commissioning independent valuations and undertaking an annual impairment review. Assisting the Board’s Auditors on all property matters with their annual review. 3. To provide visible leadership by participating fully as a member of the Heads of Department and Senior Management Groups and motivate direct reports and others in the department ensuring that delegated responsibilities are achieved, collaborative working encouraged and effective communication maintained, • To be responsible for the recruitment, management and motivation of all staff in the Property department, providing opportunities for development • To deliver effectively the performance management of staff by jointly setting SMART objectives, providing regular supervision, giving regular constructive feedback and undertaking annual staff reviews • To monitor performance within the department and across major projects ensuring that deadlines and best practice approaches are met. • To support the work of line reports including covering for colleagues during absences and periods of high demand • To ensure that staff of the department develop and maintain healthy professional relationships amongst themselves, with colleagues in Church House and parishes across the diocese thus contributing effectively to a thriving inclusive culture of cross-organisational collaboration
1. To oversee and co-ordinate the delivery of the Board’s property portfolio, ensuring compliance with obligations set out under Ecclesiastical Measures and other legislation and to achieve the net zero programme. • To devise, promote and implement a strategic and cost-effective investment, maintenance/repair and disposal policy for all property under the Board’s care in conjunction with the Diocesan Secretary for approval by the relevant Diocesan Committee. • To lead, drive, coordinate and keep under regular review our programme to achieve net carbon zero across our portfolio of vicarages and DBF corporate property • To ensure the inspection, on a regular basis, of all the Board’s properties and, working with and through the Diocesan Surveyors set out specifications, authorise tenders and oversee the work carried out in accordance with agreed procedures. • To recommend and oversee the purchase, sale, and replacement of property including the preparation of design briefs for architects and supervision of new build projects. • To oversee the tendering processes for the selection and appointment of professional consultants such as architects, surveyors, engineers, planners and the like, in order to enable the implementation of schemes and policies and to subsequently co-ordinate and assess their work. • To liaise and negotiate with bishops, archdeacons, other departments, the Church Commissioners, legal advisors, contractors and other bodies involved with the management of the property. • To instruct Legal Advisers and Managing Agents, to satisfactorily resolve property-related issues and negotiate premiums and claims with Insurers and Loss Adjustors. • To review the Board’s Insurance requirements on all property, and in conjunction with the Finance Director all other insurance matters, including holding an annual review meeting with our Insurers and processing all invoices.
• To shape and model a culture of working that enables colleagues to be treated and treat others with respect, thus actively contributing to our common vision to become a more Christ-like Church. • As a member of the Senor Management Group (SMG) and the Heads of Department group (HoDs), to work collaboratively and contribute to the groups with effective and creative ideas to find solutions for organisational challenges. • To present with confidence to the senior groups including diocesan synod, bishop’s council as well as the Board of Education in their areas of expertise
PLANNING & ORGANISATION
• Advises the Diocesan Bishop and 3 area bishops, senior clergy, and other department heads on all matters relating to property, glebe, office space and with and through members of the Property department, plans the work of the team on annual basis and monitors progress against objectives Develops effective organisational and technical systems in their area of work to ensure productivity and efficiency • Provides creative solutions when meeting challenges
4. To oversee where appropriate support for parishes, directly or through Diocesan Trustees (Oxford) Limited AKA “DTOL” and the Diocesan Development Fund.
DECISIONS
• To field Parish enquiries for support on parish property and church projects, referring to other departments or external advisers as necessary. • To oversee the revision of Diocesan Development Fund applications received from parishes with a property focus.
• Decides on the appointments of members of his/ her department • Supports and develops a team of professionals capable of meeting the demands of a large diocese. • Authorises tenders and oversees the work carried out in accordance with agreed procedures. • Recommends and oversees the purchase, sale, and replacement of property • Oversees the tendering processes for the selection and appointment of professional consultants
5. To undertake wider agreed tasks that support the work of the Diocese and especially the Property Department and their own professional development.
• To carry out any other related duties commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the necessary experience and/or training, as agreed by the line manager • To comply and fully cooperate with ODBF health and safety policy • To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of technical competency areas • To take a proactive approach to continuous professional and personal development by embracing training and other development opportunities • To participate in the ODBF performance management processes • To act as first responder for CHO security issues or arrange for others to do so • To be second signatory/Deputy to the Finance Director on bank transfers, standing orders, direct debits and other payments
CONTACT WITH OTHERS
Internal:
• Archdeacons and Bishops • Registrar • Employees of ODBF and ODBE • Clergy in the Diocese of Oxford as appropriate • Chair and other members of Glebe and Buildings Committees • Members of the Board of Education
DIMENSIONS
• Manages a team of 15 staff, expected to become 17 staff, directly line manages 5 staff • Oversees a portfolio of c450 houses and Diocesan corporate office space • Oversees acquisitions and disposals exceeding £4 million in value every year • Oversees the Glebe agents with responsibility for approximately 250 parcels of land totalling almost 4,000 acres and generating over £400,000 per annum in rent. • Refurbishment projects on houses in the order of £250,000-300,000 pa • Total expenditure on vicarages in the order of up to £4 million pa including improvements, repairs and maintenance and the carbon reduction programme of works
External
• Leaders of companies/ organisations that either provide professional services to the diocese, such as: Legal Advisers and Managing Agents, contractors or are interested in purchasing our assets • Members of Church Commissioners staff
• Housing development or extension projects up to £1.2 million pa • Schools’ project work up to a contract value of £1.0 million pa
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS - KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS ANPERIE Essential
• Excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills. • Proven leadership, team building and motivational skills and effective management of staff through motivations, supervision and performance management. • A good working knowledge of IT, including Microsoft Office applications and use of CAD. • GOR: A member of a Church recognised by the National Council of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and in sympathy with the aims and approach of the Church of England. • Hold a full 'clean' driving licence and be willing to use your own vehicle to travel extensively across the Diocese.
• Educated to Degree level, with a relevant professional property/estates related industry qualification with significant demonstrable post qualification experience. • Track record of at least three years’ programmes of planned maintenance, improvements and replacement of mainly domestic properties. • Demonstrable experience in supervising professional staff involved in the preparation and execution of building schemes and, in management, acquisition and disposal of property. experience in strategic planning, developing and implementing • Have a commercial approach to the management of property, but with an understanding and empathy for the pastoral needs of the clergy and parishes and recognise the need to develop, nurture and maintain sound working relationships both within the Diocese (e.g., Bishops, Archdeacons, clergy and parishes) and externally. • Have a good working knowledge of modern and traditional methods of building construction as they relate to a varied property portfolio. In particular knowledge of work to achieve net carbon zero. • Experience of planning and managing substantial budgets and exercising strict financial and budget controls. • Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, with the ability to produce and deliver high quality reports. • A self-motivated approach with the ability to perform at a senior management level.
Desirable
• Track record of working to achieve net carbon zero • Be well versed in Law of Property, Planning Law, current Building Regulations and CDM Regulations and have specific experience of administering JCT Building Agreements • Analytical skills in data management, research and reporting • Previous experience working in a public sector, charitable or statutory organisation • Experience working with and through volunteers
NOTE: The current main duties and responsibilities of this post are outlined in this job description. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. The need for flexibility, shared accountability and team working is required. The post-holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee's skills and abilities, commensurate with the post’s banding and whenever reasonably instructed. It is the practice of the ODBF to review job descriptions annually to ensure that they relate to the role as then being performed or to incorporate whatever reasonable changes that have occurred over time or are being proposed. This review will be carried out by the line manager in consultation with the post-holder before any changes are implemented. The post-holder is expected to participate fully in such discussions and implementation.
Review Date: After probationary period
Employee Benefits
• Offering a competitive salary range in the third sector • Generous employer pension contribution of 12.5% which includes a death in service benefit (5% employee contribution); • Annual holiday entitlement starting at 25 days, excluding public holidays, increasing to 30 days in line with length of service; • In addition to the statutory UK public holidays granted, the Diocese offers three discretionary days to all employees namely Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day and Christmas Eve (or the closest working day where this falls on a weekend); • Flexible working patterns with the ability to do some work from home • Access to wellbeing support including referral to external partners, if needed • Enhanced family-friendly policies and a generous occupational sick pay provision; and • Access to low interest rate financial services from Churches Mutual Credit Union. • There is an Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured
Employment Conditions
• Hours of Work - 37 hours per week with regular agreed hours and days. • Place of Work - Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GF, with staff able to work from home if they wish for two days a week. • Annual leave – • During the first year of your employment with us you are entitled to 25 days’ annual leave per annum. • During the second year, up to and including the 5th year of employment, you will be entitled to 1 day’s extra annual leave per consecutive year. • In the sixth year and thereafter, you will be entitled to 30 days’ annual leave per annum. • Pension Provision • It is a statutory requirement for ODBF to automatically enrol employees into an appropriate Pension scheme of our choice. In our case this is the Church of England Pensions Board Pension Builder 2014 scheme. Information can be sought from the Church of England website: • https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/2017-pb-2014-booklet-v-11.pdf • Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) • Travel within the Diocese of Oxford (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire) is required • Travel to national and regional training and networking events and on occasion you may be required to work evenings and weekends with occasional overnight stays in relation to training.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Diocese is made up of people with a wide variety of theologies and understandings. This policy sets out our commitment to work within what is currently permitted by the Church of England to be an organisation that is as diverse, equal, and inclusive as we can make it. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to creating a supportive and inclusive environment where each person in all their unique differences feels a sense of belonging and can flourish, irrespective of physical appearance, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic background, academic ability, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Diocese of Oxford believes that a church is the community of God’s people and recognises that all people are of equal importance in the eyes of God. We are committed to the principles and practices of equality – fairly and consistently treating each person according to their diverse needs and valuing our differences.
Application Process The Diocese of Oxford are being supported on this recruitment campaign by the search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG). To arrange a confidential briefing conversation please contact our advisor Christopher Mackenzie of The Management Recruitment Group on christopher.mackenzie@mrgpeople.co.uk.
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (of not more than 4 pages) and a covering letter (of not more than 2 pages).
Applications should be sent to christopher.mackenzie@mrgpeople.co.uk and shoro.omotosho@mrgpeople.co.uk
Closing date for applications is 29th January 2023
Initial online interviews will be held on 22nd and 23rd February 2023
Interviews will take place with the Diocese of Oxford on 28th February 2023
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