Diocese Buildings Support Officer

Overview

The Diocese of Truro is home to 305 church buildings — extraordinary places of worship, history, community and culture. Each one tells a story about the people of Cornwall and the faith that shaped our landscape. We are committed to supporting the volunteers and clergy who care for these much‑loved spaces, ensuring they remain sustainable, welcoming and fit for mission.

As part of our ambitious Buildings Strategy, supported by the Church of England’s Buildings for Mission programme, we are expanding our capacity and seeking a Church Buildings Support Officer (CBSO) to join our Buildings, Environment and Land Team. A second CBSO will be recruited later in the year, and between the roles we aim to cover two specialist areas:

• Fundraising and grant support (particularly heritage and capital grants)
• Community engagement and enterprise development

We welcome applicants who bring strength in at least one of these areas. All CBSOs will also provide general fabric and funding advice.

As a CBSO, you will be an advisor, problem‑solver and encourager — working alongside parishes to help them repair, adapt and make the best possible use of their buildings. You’ll support everything from maintenance plans to major capital projects, helping churches access funding, specialist guidance and community partnerships.

You will play a key role in ensuring church buildings are well cared for, environmentally responsible, and equipped for worship, ministry and wider community life. The right person for this role will understand buildings in community settings and how they are used, be interested in heritage buildings and also know about, or want to learn about, churches and how to care for them.

We need a strong communicator who can adjust to different audiences, engaging people in the cause rather than bulldozing them. The skills to bring people together to collaborate are key. Experience of developing and managing projects with community groups/faith groups and fundraising, as well as experience in budget management is important.

Ideally, we seek someone with a qualification and experience in a relevant area, but we are very happy to invest in the right person and can offer a range of training and support.

• Strength in fundraising and grant support, heritage and capital grants, or community engagement and enterprise development.

• Experience as an advisor or consultant in building maintenance, funding, or community projects.

• Proven project management and budget management skills.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Salary up to £35,000 depending on experience.

• Full time (35 hrs per week).

• Hybrid working – some home working permitted.

• Flexible working, up to 26 days holiday plus bank holidays.

• Well‑being activities and Church of England Pension Scheme with 9‑15% employer contribution.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 16 March 2026.

Interviews are being held on 25 March 2026 in Truro.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, we would particularly welcome applications from those with a disability, or from a UK minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under‑represented in our staff.