Looking after parishioners at Taranaki Cathedral should be a walk in the park for a former top cop.

New Plymouth's former police area commander of nine years, Anne Knox, is taking up the reins of associate to the dean of Taranaki Cathedral on October 10.

Mrs Knox said the new position is still leadership but in a different sense.

"Through my other work I have lots of connections with groups and organisations in the community that will be key leaders to work with in my new role."

The Taranaki Cathedral advertised and eventually headhunted Mrs Knox for the role that involves pastoral care of the congregation, managing groups and relationships within the church and working alongside the cathedral's dean, Jamie Allen.

This will allow the dean more time to focus on the festival aspects of the cathedral.

Taranaki Bishop Philip Richardson said Mrs Knox's track record in leadership sealed the deal.

"Anne leads through collaboration and has the ability to assume and relinquish leadership which will be important in her role alongside dean Jamie."

Supporting a congregation of between 300 and 400 people is sure to keep Mrs Knox busy, and her police and security training might come in handy.

"I'll just be dealing in a different form of security now," she said.

"It's still a job that will require quick assessment and good judgment, which are skills I learned and used with the police."

Mrs Knox's new job is one of many she juggles on a daily basis.

Since leaving the police force, she does various training courses with different groups, is front-of-house manager at the TSB Showplace and is security manager at Womad.