St Paul’s Cathedral is a vibrant working church, a national treasure and a London icon. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, the Cathedral has been the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of London for over 1,400 years.

St Paul’s draws together, in its ministry and daily life, a range of activities and aspirations. Amongst other roles, it is the Cathedral of the Diocese of London and the seat of its Bishop, a national and international spiritual focus, a space for worship and holiness, a place of debate and challenge, an icon of resilience in the face of adversity, an architectural heritage centre, a partner in the City of London, a visitor attraction, and a commercial enterprise.

As a Christian church, St Paul’s seeks to preach and share the Gospel, yet is also ‘owned’ by many who would profess no Christian faith. A particular theme of its vision is inclusion and diversity, and the Cathedral seeks constantly to engage with questions of how to express this appropriately in its life and work.

The Cathedral seeks and is seen to be at the heart of key moments in our national life: such as the the Service of Prayer and Reflection on the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II (September 2022), Platinum Jubilee Celebrations (2022); the NHS anniversary service (2021); the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service (2017); the Queen’s 90th Birthday (2016); the anniversary of the London bombings (2015) Lady Thatcher’s funeral (2013), and the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (2012). The Cathedral’s digital and developing physical memorial Remember Me for those who died as a result of Covid-19 is also a key part of its ministry.

Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee oversees appointments to Chapter, external appointments to Chapter committees (including Advisory Groups and its commercial subsidiary), Chapter appointments to St Paul's Cathedral School Governor posts and the Fabric Advisory Committee, plus the appointments of the two Chief Officers.

The Nominations Committee also reviews the training needs of Chapter alongside succession and diversity of its committees, in fulfilment of good governance. The purpose of the Committee is to support Chapter members to fulfil their legal and practical responsibilities for these matters.

Members contribute the professional skills and experience they bring to St Paul’s Nominations Committee by:

• Preparing for and attending the scheduled meetings of the Nominations Committee and being available wherever possible to action business brought by the Chair outside of these meetings
• Working with the Chair and others in the Nominations Committee to determine, review and oversee processes to identify and fill the vacancies as detailed in the Terms of Reference of the Committee
• Sitting on recruitment panels, from time to time, as requested by the Chair
• Working with the Chair and others in the Nominations Committee to review the skills, diversity and training needs of the governance committees of St Paul’s, providing feedback to Chapter
• Liaising with the Chair of the Committee, acting as a sounding board and adviser

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Safety Committee

Whilst the Chapter retains ultimate responsibility, it delegates matters to the Safety Advisory Committee for the independent oversight of issues relating to safety – specifically strategic oversight for health, safety and welfare, fire safety and security. The purpose of the Committee is to support Chapter members to fulfil their legal and practical responsibilities for these matters.

The Committee's Chair's responsibilities include to:

• Chair meetings of the Safety Advisory Committee
• Work with the Nominations Committee to identify and fill external vacancies on the Committee, mindful of any skill gaps
• Enable the Committee as a whole to review its effectiveness, adapting the Terms of Reference or meeting protocol as required
• Act as the key point of contact between Committee and Chapter, attending Chapter annually to provide an update on the work of the Committee
• Liaise with members of the Committee, acting as a sounding board and adviser
• Attend, where possible, any tactical exercises carried out in relation to fire safety and security with the aim of leading the Committee in reviewing learning from these

Member of the Nominations Committee

St Paul’s Cathedral is looking for someone with a senior HR background, who may be chartered or qualified by experience, to join the Nominations Committee. They will bring an understanding of talent acquisition at the highest levels.

Candidates may be a chartered HR professional (CIPD Level 5-7 or equivalent) but will definitely have recent experience in operational and strategic HR. They are likely to have gained this in a busy and complex work setting, with an understanding of governance requirements in charities being welcome. Given the Committee's work, applicants will have had exposure to talent acquisition and assessment for senior executives and non-executives. They will be good communicators, used to working collaboratively, able to appropriately challenge and bring a fresh perspective.

On a personal level, the successful candidate will be aligned with the Cathedral’s vision, mission and ministry; while the Cathedral is open to hearing from those of all faiths and none, a sympathy for the Christian faith and the Cathedral's work is needed. This includes living its values of kindness, excellence and openness.

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Chair of the Safety Committee

St Paul’s Cathedral is looking for someone who brings senior operational experience with oversight of at least one area of health, safety & welfare, fire safety or security, to chair its Safety Advisory Committee. Ideally, this will have been gained in scenarios with high public footfall.

Applicants will bring a background of operational and strategic oversight of the areas highlighted above. Given that the Cathedral welcomes over one million visitors each year, some exposure to the operational management of high footfall visitor attractions or public spaces would be welcome. Applicants will also appreciate the complexities and challenges which relate to historic sites. They will be a good communicator, used to working collaboratively, able to appropriately challenge and bring a fresh perspective.

On a personal level, the successful candidate will be aligned with the Cathedral’s vision, mission and ministry; while the Cathedral is open to hearing from those of all faiths and none, a sympathy for the Christian faith and the Cathedral's work is needed. This includes living its values of kindness, excellence and openness.

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed.

The Nominations Committee meets 3-4 times per year, usually for two hours during business hours. Meetings can convene in-person at Chapter House, or can be virtual or hybrid. Business may be carried out between meetings at the Chair’s direction, and members of the Committee serve on selection panels from time to time. The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Committee.

The Safety Advisory Committee meets at least three times per year, usually for two hours during business hours. Meetings can convene in-person at Chapter House, or can be virtual or hybrid. Where possible, attendance at any tactical exercises carried out in relation to fire safety and security is welcome. The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Cathedral.

This organisation is based in London and meetings will take place in person or virtually. Candidates will therefore be UK-based.