Director of the Westminster Abbey Institute

Westminster Abbey is a living church, a treasured part of Britain’s heritage and an architectural masterpiece at the heart of a World Heritage Site. The Abbey is a Royal Peculiar and has been the coronation church for nearly a thousand years. It occupies a central place in the life of the nation and Commonwealth, and its engagement with the Public Square is a key element of its mission. Now in its eleventh year, the Institute seeks to fulfil this by offering an ambitious programme of activities for the public, individual institutions and groups of public servants with the aim of nurturing and revitalising moral and spiritual values in public life and service. It does so by drawing on the full range of the Abbey’s resources and building partnerships with other institutions in the UK and internationally.

The Institute’s Director plays a vital role in creating, curating and coordinating this programme, working with colleagues across the Abbey and with a network of senior public servants to sustain and develop the Abbey’s distinctive contribution to public life. The leadership of the Institute is a high-profile and demanding role, and we are looking for an exceptional individual to take over from Dr Claire Gilbert, who stepped down in December after ten highly successful years as the founding Director of the Institute.

To succeed in this role, you will need to draw on a strong track record of leading large- scale public programmes and an in-depth understanding of the key national institutions and the challenges they face. You will have highly developed advocacy, ambassadorial and community-building skills and the intellectual agility to work effectively with leading public figures, experts and academics in developing the Institute’s agenda and delivering its programme. Whilst the Institute is committed to serving those of all faiths and none, it is explicit in drawing its inspiration from the Abbey’s heritage of Christian faith and learning, and the Institute Director will need to demonstrate that they can embody the distinctive “voice” which results from that.    

If you would like to be considered for this role, please download the Application Pack and return your completed application form no later than 9am on Monday 8th April 2024 via email to applications@westminster-abbey.org (via the ‘Apply’ button above). CVs and cover letters will not be accepted, so applicants are advised to include all relevant information in the application form and to include a full education and career history. Please visit our website for more details.

The appointment process will involve conversations and interviews on 10th and 19th April.

Westminster Abbey is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk. To prevent them from harm, we undertake appropriate checks on staff and volunteers and require them to complete relevant safeguarding training and criminal record checks. Westminster Abbey is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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