SMC Racial Justice Project Manager

Role purposeThis is an exciting opportunity to contribute on a significant project to influence the work and life of St Mellitus College as it relates to racial justice. This role will be responsible for managing the implementation of Project Metanoia which has been generously funded by the Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit (RJU). The Project Manager is expected to work closely with the Executive Team, Programme Leads, Chair of the Racial Justice Priority Group, Head of Implementation and within the wider operations team. St Mellitus College (SMC) is one of the leading theological training colleges in the world, seeking to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. Our vision is to see theologically confident and committed followers of Jesus in every church. We are a national college with delivery centres across the UK and key partnerships internationally. The training we offer at introductory, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels is vibrant and rigorous. We welcome and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates.Key deliverablesPROJECT METANOIA We seek to be a college prioritising racial justice at the heart of who we are, offering resource as a catalyst for change across the Church of England. The report From Lament to Action (FLTA) rightly highlighted the imperative for all to actively engage and work towards building a more equitable church, and we want to play our part. Having pioneered several initiatives and through investment across our national life, we take seriously the call to implement “significant cultural and structural change” on issues of racial justice within the Church of England. We seek to be a centre of excellence serving the wider church in the field of racial justice, providing catalyst for change. We chose the title ‘metanoia’ as we long to see transformation in this area of the church’s life. This important project aims to influence pedagogical practice and ministerial training as it relates to racial justice. This project particularly seeks to further our ambition that all GMH/UKME students are supported and equipped to navigate the church and wider sector, including where injustice rears its head. We want to be a brilliant place to be a GMH/UKME student or staff member, and to build capacity for future GMH/UKME theological educators. This role will directly impact our intention to be proactive in fostering change by targeting four areas to create a culture that values and celebrates intercultural issues and racial justice. We recognise the importance of taking action that will bring about tangible transformation.

The Project Covers Four Areas

• Diversified Training
• Key Resourcing
• Intercultural Placements
• Targeted Recruitment
  
  

KEY TASKS This is a varied role, which requires the post holder to communicate effectively and thoughtfully with students, academic and operations staff, and external stakeholders. The post holder will need to have an affinity for and aptitude for work within the areas of racial justice, diversity and inclusion, excellent administration, and project management.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage the entire project – building a schedule, and ensuring the project is kept to schedule
• Propose actions and activities to meet the project brief for consideration by leadership
• Ensure effective staff communication on the progress of the project
• Keep Racial Justice Unit informed on progress in coordination with SMC staff, including writing project reports as required
• Manage the project budget
• Convene and administrate meetings with other TEI beneficiaries of the RJU
• Other tasks as required by the Racial Justice Priority Group Other Responsibilities
• Member of the College’s Racial Justice Priority Group
• Undertake such other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned by the Dean or COO as required
• Play a full part in the College’s wider operations team including: o Helping with hospitality of students on teaching days and teaching weeks by serving during coffee or meal times o Work at ordinand residentials or other college events as required for which time off in lieu / flexi-time will be arranged where relevant o Providing general office support as a shared responsibility of operation team members o Supporting SMC events and related activities as required. E.g. Celebration of Graduates and occasional Evening Lectures o Work in connection with the wider operations team on supporting SMC-related activities, general administrative duties, special projects, and other tasks, as required
• Attending all meetings of the local and wider St Mellitus College staff, annual staff retreat, key staff gatherings and college events
• General administrative duties and other tasks, as required by Leadership. 2 This list is not exhaustive and additional duties may be needed as deemed appropriate by management.Core behavioural competenciesAll operations staff are expected to engage in four primary areas which should be exhibited in their delivery of key tasks and responsibilities and in their own personal qualities and character. Engagement in each of these areas may take a number of different forms dependent on the individual, their experience, areas of expertise, and personal and professional development.Essential skills, experience & knowledgeEssential:
• Project management experience
• An enthusiasm for coordinating, organising and administration
• Strong inter-personal skills and the ability to communicate with staff at all levels and scholars and stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience
• An innovative, creative and professional approach to ensuring standards are being met
• Ability to prioritise and coordinate workload and a diverse portfolio, manage long-term projects, and work independently as well as collaboratively
• Self-starter, able to ideate and suggest project activities and actions
• Problem solving and troubleshooting
• Excellent organisational skills with an attention to detail
• Flexible, reliable and proactive team player.
• A committed and professional approach to helping build the College
• Excellent IT skills – ability to use Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Prayerful passion for theology transforming people’s minds, lives and society
• Support of St Mellitus College's mission to ‘provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world’
• Support for the training of women and men alongside each other for ordained, licensed lay and wider ministry
• Support of St Mellitus College's commitment to ‘provide training that represents a generous Christian orthodoxy and that trains ordinands in such a way that all mainstream traditions of the Church have proper recognition and provision within the training’Desirable skills, experience & knowledgeDesirable:
• Working knowledge of priorities pertinent to Racial Justice