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Form of work
SalaryWe are looking for an individual to join the Grants Team on an interim basis for paternity cover to help support the development and delivery of the Rothschild Foundation's grants programmes. As a Grants Manager you will help us to identify, assess and manage grants across our funding programmes.
We manage two open access application programmes in Buckinghamshire and a wider UK programme of grant-making where we pro-actively identify organisations to work with in our areas of interest. These include culture and regenerative food systems, connecting with activity at Waddesdon Manor and Estate, the home of the Foundation. The Grants Manager role will have a particular focus on our regenerative food and farming programme, where we are funding direct delivery organisations, as well as convening stakeholders and other funders championing a sustainable approach.
We aim to be an approachable funder focused on developing strong relationships with the organisations that we fund. A big part of the role will be developing relationships with a wide range of third sector organisations and supporting them to deliver effective approaches to community needs and issues within our areas of interest.
We value the balance in our funding approach of flexibly responding to local need alongside a deep dive into the specific interests of Trustees. This combination makes the Foundation an interesting and progressive place to work and we welcome individuals with a flexible and creative approach. The current annual budget for our grants programmes is approx. GBP8M.
We are very happy to be able to offer flexible working with the option of part remote and part office based. Currently we ask the team to be office based on Wednesdays and as a Grants Manager we'd expect other working days to include a mixture of visiting applicants and grantees and working from home. Given the nature of our work this may be subject to change but we will always do our best to offer a working pattern that balances your needs and the needs of the Foundation.
In our organisation we are looking to increase the diversity of our workforce and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this role.
Key responsibilities:
Grant Programme Management:
- Developing opportunities for funding by identifying and visiting applicants, supporting them to work up proposals and ensuring they meet our due diligence requirements.
- Building effective relationships with applicants and grantees, including providing constructive feedback on applications and monitoring funded activity.
- Managing external consultants and contacts in the community who are responsible for delivering projects or coordinating networks which further our ambitions in regenerative food and farming.
- Working with the Grants Team to undertake research and keep up to date with developments in the current areas of interest and future interests of Trustees, helping develop current programmes and shape future strategy. This ideally will include some understanding of regenerative food and farming systems and identifying effective organisations and approaches to support.
- Supporting evaluation of the Foundation's grants programmes and working with the team's Evaluation and Impact Manager (to be appointed) to develop our approach to measuring and sharing impact. This will include use of our newly developed theory of change, reviewing grantee reports and collated data.
- Producing updates for Trustees on strategic progress, including project updates and some data analysis, as well as thinking about other creative ways to tell the stories of our funding.
Networking and Advocacy:
- Working closely with staff at Waddesdon Manor and on the Waddesdon Estate
- Representing the Foundation at relevant events, networks and groups, such as the Buckinghamshire Rural Forum, Natural Environment Partnership and Bucks Funders Group which may include occasional evening events.
- Devising and delivering ways to increase the reach and accessibility of our grant-making.
Communications:
- Working with the Grants Team on the Foundation's annual grants review, website, newsletter and social media.
Special Projects:
- Project management support for internally managed projects such as research and events.
IT:
- Working with the Foundation's IT systems (including Microsoft Office suite, Blackbaud database and SharePoint). We are able to offer training in Blackbaud, and SharePoint if needed and are open to discussing other training needs.
The role would suit people who have:
- Experience of working within the third sector in our areas of interest, particularly in regenerative food and farming or addressing disadvantage within local communities.
- The ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships at all levels and to build trust and credibility
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people
- An interest in researching and analysing need and impact and communicating this to colleagues and Trustees
- A genuine commitment to environmental sustainability and knowledge of third sector current policy/trends
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to work independently and as part of a small team
- Flexibility in approaching new areas of interest with enthusiasm and creativity
- Knowledge of using databases and computer packages
