Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer St Giles' Cathedral Location: St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh Contract Type: Permanent, full-time Please find and review all information for this role on our dedicated microsite: https://www.aspenpeople.co.uk/microsite/st-giles/ About St Giles' Cathedral 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. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the Cathedral's non-ministerial operations and supporting its strategic priorities.
• Overseeing people, finance, governance, property, visitor operations, retail, events and commercial activity.
• Driving operational effectiveness and supporting income generation.
• Ensuring strong organisational systems, effective governance and sustainable delivery.
• Balancing commercial development and operational excellence with the Cathedral's purpose and heritage. 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. 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 and the full job description can be viewed on our dedicated microsite: https://www.aspenpeople.co.uk/microsite/st-giles/ For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Aspen People - Katharine Price on 07899 791 508, Donogh O'Brien on 07795 812 574, or Gillian Blackadder on 07475 035 621. The office number is 0141 212 7555. Recruitment Timeline Closing Date: Midnight on Monday 9th November 2026 First-stage interviews: w/c 23 November 2026 (date to be confirmed) Final interviews: w/c 30 November 2026 (date to be confirmed)