Head of Operations

The Head of Operations will oversee the smooth and efficient operational and financial running of River Church, as part of the senior leadership team.

Full-time | £30,000-£40,000

Closing date: 10th April 2026

Job title: Head of Operations

Department: Operations

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Direct reports: Comms & Media Manager, Sports Ministry Lead, Cleaner & Site Assistant

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible (flexible for the right candidate)

Working days/hours: Full-time (Monday to Friday)

Salary: £28,000-35,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Permanent, subject to successful completion of probation period.

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church (regularly worshipping on Sundays, praying, serving, giving, and growing in a Hangout).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with Senior Leaders to develop and implement strategy in line with the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church
• Establish and manage systems and processes for the effective running of River Church and its office, including the ChurchSuite database
• Oversee the management, maintenance and development of all venues and facilities, including any on-going building or repair works, liaising with the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) where applicable, and leading the Site Team
• Oversee venue bookings, working with other staff and volunteers, and liaising with external and internal users of the building
• Manage all aspects of Fire Safety, Health and Safety, Food Hygiene, and Safeguarding, maintaining and implementing compliant policies
• Oversee the organisational architecture of River Church, including Human Resources, training, contracts, holidays, payroll, and staff and volunteer recruitment
• Oversee IT, technology, and communications (website, social media, and branding managed by the Comms and Media Manager)
• Oversee legal and financial functions of River Church, including insurance, budget setting and forecasting, procurement, making payments, cash flow, timely preparation and submission of accounts and annual reports, and expenses, and using ExpensePlus software
• Oversee the submission of regular, high-quality grant funding applications to grow the financial capacity of River Church (with much of this work carried out by the Fundraiser, currently vacant)
• Oversee gathering of metrics and impact reporting for internal use, as well as for the Diocese, Revitalise Trust, and grant funders
• Co-ordinate all aspects of the operational running of events and activities at River Church
• Recruit, lead, develop, and co-ordinate the volunteers within the Operations Team, discipling and pastoring Operations volunteers and staff
• Line manage staff and volunteers as appropriate, enabling them to work independently and efficiently
• Attend and contribute to Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting, and when required also, Sunday Services and other River Church events such as Focus
• Regularly pray for the financial and operational life of River Church
• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible
• is demonstrably committed to their own discipleship (i.e., praying, serving, giving, and sharing faith)
• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church
• is passionate about church operations

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others
• has excellent organisational skills and time management
• is self-motivated
• has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, and grammar
• has the ability to teach, train and develop leaders and volunteers in the Operations Team
• has excellent attention to detail and high production values
• is able to manage an organisational budget
• is flexible, with a can-do attitude
• is teachable, humble, and has a desire to learn and grow
• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness
• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, ChurchSuite, Squarespace, and Expense Plus
• has excellent financial management skills, including the ability to produce and manage budgets and cash flow, apply for grant funding and Gift Aid, manage payroll and expenses, and submit reports and returns
• is capable of understanding and creating legal documents, including those related to employment and premises leases, for example
• is able to efficiently manage room bookings, hires, and relevant invoices
• has a good understanding of premises and facilities development
• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of statutory child protection and safeguarding requirements, health and safety legislation, and other legal aspects of operations
• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification), ideally in a field related to the role

It is desirable that the role holder:

• has prior experience managing staff, and ideally leading a department
• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting or another large church
• has prior experience working with contracts, employment, and legal proceedings
• has other relevant qualifications in a field related to the role (i.e., accountancy, business management)
• has an eye for design and is able to develop the River Church brand identity
• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role or other areas of ministry