About St Cuthbert’s

Rooted beneath Edinburgh’s Castle Rock, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church has served the city’s West End for centuries. Now uniting with Greyfriars Kirk to form Edinburgh Greyfriars St Cuthbert’s, we are entering an exciting new chapter that blends heritage with a renewed commitment to mission, hospitality, and community.

The church hosts worship, concerts, cultural events, and community activities, and is an established arts venue and pilgrimage destination. Between April and October, we welcome hundreds of visitors seeking history, reflection, and spiritual refreshment.

Operations Manager – Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and highly organised Operations Manager to lead the commercial, operational, and outreach functions of St Cuthbert’s as part of the newly formed Greyfriars St Cuthbert’s congregation. This role is central to ensuring our buildings, activities, and partnerships are vibrant, sustainable, and aligned with our mission.

The postholder will manage events, develop income‑generating opportunities, oversee facilities and lead a small team of staff and volunteers.

Key Role Responsibilities

Strategic & Commercial Development

• Promote and curate the use of church spaces for artistic, cultural, community, and commercial activities with a clear marketing strategy.
• Build relationships with new and existing user groups to broaden engagement and increase bookings.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities and grants to support the work of the church while implementing ideas that maximise visitor donations.
• Manage budgets for outreach and commercial activity, ensuring financial sustainability.
• Carry out financial administration for the Finance Management Group.

Operations & Facilities Management

• Oversee diary management to balance worship, events, and partner activities.
• Support clients in planning and delivering high‑quality events.
• Commission and oversee maintenance, repairs, and improvements.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to effectively manage the building's fixed costs, ensuring that procurement decisions deliver the most prudent and cost-effective outcomes while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety and regulatory requirements.
• Attend and report income and expenditure in relation to the budget to the monthly meetings of the Finance Management Group.

Worship & Ministerial Support

• Work with the Minister to support them with administrative duties.

Partnerships & Community Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with artists, charities, community groups and partner organisations.
• Enable wider access to the building for groups and communities in need.
• Support the development of a welcoming outward facing partnership programme.

Team Leadership & Volunteer Coordination

• Support a small team covering communications, finance, care taking and duty management.
• Recruit, train, and manage staff and volunteers.
• Promote collaborative working across staff, volunteers and partners.

Any other relevant duties as necessary.

Success Measures

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

Mission‑Aligned Commercial Stewardship

• Balanced decision‑making that protects the church’s identity as a place of worship while enabling sustainable income generation.
• Commercial activities that enhance, rather than compromise, the church’s ethos and values.

Vibrant Outreach & Reputation

• A well‑managed, well‑regarded programme of events and partnerships.
• Strong relationships with clients, artists, community organisations, and stakeholders.
• Recognition of St Cuthbert’s as a professional, welcoming, and well‑run venue.

Effective Team Leadership

• Clear communication, accountability, and shared purpose across staff and volunteers.
• A growing, motivated volunteer team embodying the church’s culture of hospitality.

Financial Growth & Sustainability

• Year‑on‑year growth in income from commercial activity and charitable giving.
• Transparent, well‑managed budgets aligned with strategic priorities.

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience developing successful income‑generating projects.
• Experience in managing staff and volunteers.
• A keen eye for detail and excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to create and maintain strong client relations
• Experience in events management and marketing
• Experience in management, control and reporting of Budgets
• Experience managing a small/ medium organisation.
• Sympathy with the ethos of St Cuthbert’s.
• Able to work independently to agreed plans and targets.

Desirable

• Experience developing or managing arts programmes.
• Buildings and health & safety management experience
• Understanding of the Scottish tourism sector.
• Knowledge of governance and legal compliance.
• Commercial management experience.
• Interest in the arts.