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Role Overview

The Vergers are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of St Peter Mancroft Church and ensuring that it always looks its best for worshippers, visitors, and the public, and providing a safe and welcoming environment.

Vergers are responsible for the preparation of services, leading processions, working the internal AV and PA systems, preparation for events and regularly carrying out cleaning and maintenance of the Church.

As well as an exemplary standard of supporting worship in the Church, this role will be a front-facing verger role, with an expectation that the post-holder will actively support the Front of House / “Welcome Team” and all volunteers in delivering exceptional customer service.

Role Description

The role is offered on a job share basis

1. Be responsible as a “key Holder” for opening and closing the Church as required by the rota. This will involve regular weekend, some evening and late evening working for which overtime will be paid as appropriate.

2. Ensure the Church and its environs are kept tidy.

3. Take a full part and assist as required in cleaning all parts of the Church, its ancillary rooms to our high standards.

4. Assist with the care of silver, vestments, books, altar linen etc.

5. Help in managing sacristy supplies, candles, oil, bread and wine and other essentials to maintain the orderly running of the church.

6. Observe the requirements of Health and Safety legislation and COSSH procedures, including maintaining necessary records.

7. Operate, and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of, all Church electrical, electronic, and audio systems.

8. Work with other members of the Verger / staff team to ensure that any contractors comply with all relevant Church policies.

9. Prepare the Church and ancillary rooms for all services and events, ensuring that high standards are maintained, and that appropriate furniture and other equipment is available as requested and cleared away promptly afterwards.

10. Carry out liturgical duties as required (including serving at the weekday eucharists, and occasionally at weekends).

11. Ensure that all visitors are greeted warmly, and that comments and queries are responded to swiftly and appropriately. Exercise compassion and understanding without encouraging a dependency culture.

12. Assist welcomers and other volunteers to enable them to carry out their roles effectively.

13. Maintain the security of the building. Successful applicant will take part in the “keyholder rota” to secure the Church after evening events as required.

14. Able to work Holy Week and Christmas week (including Christmas Eve and Day according to the rota).

Job specification

It is a Genuine Occupational Requirement that the post holder should be a communicant member of the Church of England or a full member of a church within Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. This post is exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

The PCC of St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich, supports and promotes the aims of the Church of England.

The successful candidate will meet the following requirements:

 Qualifications and Training

1. Workplace training will be given in relation to specific role & liturgical requirements.

2. Experience of working in a church setting, the public/voluntary sector, or a heritage/visitor destination would be helpful

3. Have knowledge of and sympathy for the Church of England and the distinctive worship and mission of churches within the Church

4. Experience of working in a customer-facing organization or setting

5. A willingness to learn and to grow an understanding of sound and AV systems and their effective performance within the context of the church

6. Experience of working with volunteers

Personal Qualities

1. Demonstrable integrity and honesty

2. Demonstrate ability to take pride in your work

3. Ability to work quickly and creatively

4. Ability to form trusting, supportive relationships with colleagues

5. Possess excellent and versatile communication skills, and be able to represent the Church appropriately to stakeholders and visitors

6. Ability for strong decision-making skills and sound judgement whilst working under pressure; be able to think on your feet.

Interviews / Start date

Interviews will take place as soon as possible, at a time to be arranged. This post will be filled as soon as possible, on the earliest start date possible for the appointed candidate.

References

TWO will be taken up. Proof of eligibility for working in the UK will be required before appointing.

Terms of Employment Contract Status

·      The post is offered as a permanent contract on a basic 58.5 hours per 4 weeks annualised basis of 760.5 hours per year.

·      Annual leave entitlement 5.6 weeks.

·      The post will be subject to a six-month probationary period.

·      This is a complex, demanding and rewarding role which requires flexibility, initiative, and excellent people skills. The key tasks as set out in the job description are representative of the broad nature of the role and are not the sum of tasks. The post-holder will be expected to recognise this and respond to the challenge of a varied role which will grow and evolve as the Church develops.

·      A draft Contract of Employment can been viewed on request.

Salary

You would be working 58.5hrs per 4 weeks at £12.60 per hour. Plus possible evening and extra weekend work by agreement.

Pension If eligible

There is a pension and details of this can be obtained on request.

Place of Work

Your main places of work will be St Peter Mancroft, Hayhill, Norwich, NR2 1QQ.

The Church reserves the right, after consultation with you, to change the place of your work.

Hours of Work

The Church needs to be flexible with the hours which it is open.

Usually, it will be open to the public at service times on a Sunday, and currently 10.30am – 3.30pm Monday – Saturday. (These times may have to change depending on external requirements, Covid etc)

There are a wide variety of events which regularly happen outside these times for which additional salary is payable.

The Verger will be expected to be flexible and work with colleagues to always enable full staffing of the Church.

Equality Statement

The PCC recognise that discrimination and victimisation is unacceptable and that it is in the interests of the organisation and its employees to utilise the skills of the total workforce.

It is the aim of the organisation to ensure that no employee or job applicant receives less favourable facilities or treatment (either directly or indirectly) in recruitment or employment on grounds of age, disability, gender, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Closing date: 25th July 2025

HOW TO APPLY

Apply to Jim Hughes via the 'fast apply' button, to express your interest in the post, attaching your CV and to request the job description. For an informal conversation, please feel free to call using the main telephone number, which can be found on our website.