Head of Cathedral Fundraising Development

This role is to develop the fundraising support we offer our 42 cathedrals. Church of England cathedrals play a uniquely significant role in national, civic and spiritual life, serving first and foremost as centres of Christian worship and the seat of the bishop, but also as some of the country’s most important cultural and community institutions. They act as focal points for diocesan life and as places where people gather for major moments of public celebration and grief, while also contributing extensively to education, music, heritage, tourism and local economies. Their scale, history and openness mean they attract millions of visitors, many of whom are not regular churchgoers, offering space for reflection, creativity and engagement with the Christian story. However, this breadth of purpose brings significant challenges: cathedrals must balance worship with growing expectations as civic and cultural venues, operate in an increasingly secular and diverse society, and maintain complex historic buildings with limited and often uncertain funding. With many facing structural financial deficits and high costs for maintenance and staffing, alongside reliance on fundraising, grants and visitor income, their long-term sustainability depends on improving and expanding their fundraising activity and successfully developing new income streams while safeguarding their core mission and heritage. This role is deliberately designed as a test-and-learn function. Its future scope and resourcing will be shaped by the evidence generated through its work. There is a clear expectation that, subject to demonstrated impact, this role will contribute to the development of a sustainable and appropriately resourced model of fundraising support for cathedrals across the Church of England. This role is a three year fixed term contract. Interviews will take place in Church House, London, on Wednesday, 29 July 2026. Please note that you will not be able to view the role description after the closing date. We suggest that you save a copy of this page before you submit your application. About the NCIs 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 We appreciate that you may want to use AI tools to help you with your application. We're happy for you to use AI to come up with ideas and help structure your thoughts, but you shouldn't use AI to fabricate information or write your whole application for you. One of our values is integrity, and although we want you to demonstrate your best self, we don't want an AI-generated persona. If you simply copy and paste AI-generated content into your application, this will reduce your chances of success.