Chief Operating Officer

Aspen People; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspen People is recruiting a Chief Operating Officer for St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. The COO will lead the Cathedral's non-ministerial operations, translate strategy into action and work closely with the Minister and Head of Staff to deliver priorities.

You will oversee people, finance, governance, property, visitor operations, retail, events and commercial activity, driving operational excellence, income generation and sustainable delivery while honouring the Cathedral’s heritage and

Job description

Contract: Permanent, full-time
Location: St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh
Reporting to: Minister and Head of Staff

Additional information can be viewed on our microsite here.

About Us

Our Cathedral is a place of faith, heritage, community and welcome, with a rich history and an important role at the heart of public life.

Alongside worship and ministry, we care for a significant historic building, welcome visitors and deliver public benefit activities. We are developing our operations and commercial activities to strengthen the Cathedral's long-term sustainability while preserving its distinctive character and mission.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer to lead the Cathedral's non-ministerial operations and support the delivery of its strategic priorities.

Working closely with the Minister, Head of Staff and senior colleagues, you will oversee a broad portfolio including people, finance, governance, property, visitor operations, retail, events and commercial activity. You will drive operational effectiveness, support income generation and ensure strong organisational systems, effective governance and sustainable delivery.

This is a varied and influential role, balancing commercial development and operational excellence with the Cathedral's purpose as an active place of worship and a significant heritage institution.

Please see the attached Job Description for full details of the role and responsibilities.

About You

You will be an experienced senior leader with a strong track record of translating strategy into action, leading teams and delivering organisational improvement. You will bring commercial awareness, financial acumen and experience of governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement.

You will be collaborative, pragmatic and an excellent communicator, able to balance strategic priorities with operational detail and build effective relationships across diverse teams and communities.

Experience in a charity, heritage, cultural, visitor attraction or faith-based organisation would be advantageous, although we welcome applications from candidates with relevant experience in other sectors.

This is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the sustainability and future of one of Scotland's most historic and important institutions.

Additional information can be viewed on our microsite here.

For further details of the responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the full job description