A job description for the next Archbishop of Canterbury states the chosen person must be someone of the “utmost integrity” – and potentially a woman for the first time.

The Church of England post has been vacant since January, when Justin Welby formally left office amid safeguarding failures surrounding former Christian camp leader, John Smyth, who had been a serial abuser.

The archbishop is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

A so-called 'statement of needs' has since been published by the Diocese of Canterbury, setting out a long list of requirements for the 106th archbishop.

It is expected there could be an announcement on a nomination for the archbishop by autumn, a year after Mr Welby announced he was standing down from the role.

Women have been ordained in the Church of England for a number of years, but a female has yet to hold the top role.

Candidates have historically already held senior leadership roles. They must be at least 30 years old - and generally younger than 70.

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) – the body charged with nominating the candidate – held the first of three planned private meetings last month.

More than 11,000 people also took part in February and March in a national public consultation aimed at giving people the chance to influence the future of leadership within the Church, by submitting both names and the qualities they think are required.

A separate local consultation helped inform the statement of needs.

Among the requirements are a person with “theological depth”, who is a good communicator with people of different ages and backgrounds.

The listing states the next archbishop must be someone of “the utmost integrity who is able to speak honestly” about failures and injustices in the Church.

It adds they must be a “servant leader, who shows compassion towards the disadvantaged and marginalised”.

They will be “unapologetic about offering a Christian perspective to local, national and international dialogue”, the statement says.

The chosen person must be someone who is happy to ordain and consecrate women and men and “will unequivocally affirm and support the ministry of both, and may themselves be male or female”.

While women have been ordained in the Church of England for a number of years, there has never been a female in the top role.

The chosen person must also have “worked and will continue to work constructively” around ongoing discussions around blessings services for same-sex couples, and “embrace” both those who support and others who oppose same-sex marriage in the Church.

Historically, candidates have been people who already have senior leadership roles in ministry in the Church or elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.