Programme Officer

About us

The Tudor Trust is a grant-making charitable trust with a long-standing commitment to funding smaller organisations and the grassroots in the UK.  The trust has an endowment of around £220 million and our annual commitment to grants has averaged £20 million. We are winding down our current grant-making and developing a new strategy to support under-resourced communities to thrive by funding organisations and the grassroots seeking racial, social and economic justice.

In tandem with our strategy review, we are undergoing a comprehensive change process to address all aspects of the way we work which includes refreshing our Board and rebuilding our staff team. This transformation also extends to revising our operational systems, policies and practices with Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at its heart. 
 

About the role

The Programme Officer is a new role at Tudor Trust and offers an exciting opportunity to lead transformative initiatives that amplify the voices of under-resourced communities and contribute to systemic change. By the end of 2024, we expect to have three Programme Officers in place. 

As a Programme Officer, you will play a pivotal role in reshaping Tudor’s grant-making approach, fostering collaborative relationships with grantees and stakeholders, and contributing to strategic thinking to drive long-term racial, social, and economic change.  

The Programme Officers together will oversee a different approach to distributing our funding, which could range from small start-up grants, long term multi-year funding, through to a big bet approach with a focus on larger scale collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Grant-making Rebuild

• Take a proactive role in rebuilding Tudor’s grant-making strategy, identifying opportunities to develop alternative networks and power-building initiatives within disproportionately disadvantaged communities impacted by discrimination.
• Hold a grant-making portfolio and work closely with grantees to develop comprehensive change strategies that foster broader societal impact.
• Build genuine and respectful relationships with organisations and leaders in the field, actively identifying potential funding relationships and opportunities for collaboration.
• Apply a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) lens to guide funding decisions towards under-resourced groups and leaders, taking accountability for equitable decision-making.
• Building careful dialogue between Tudor’s staff, trustees and advisors to ensure all decisions are understood.
• Effectively manage budgets, ensuring funds are allocated with diligence and accuracy.

Collaboration, Listening and Dialogue

• Maintain a curious and open mindset towards potential grantees, actively listening to their perspectives and how they want to describe themselves. Continue this listening approach throughout the relationship with all grantees and support Tudor in developing an approach to ongoing dialogue that is based on learning together.
• Proactively network grantees with each other and wider stakeholders, creating spaces for meaningful dialogue through workshops and other meeting platforms.
• Collaborate with Tudor colleagues and stakeholders to develop a grant-making approach rooted in inquiry and learning, aimed at achieving sustainable racial, social, and economic change.

Learning and Strategic Thinking

• Bring insights from grant-making experiences back to Tudor, contributing to challenging and evolving strategic thinking within the organisation.
• Identify and articulate key themes emerging from grant-making activities, providing valuable insights into how social change is being achieved.
• Contribute to developing frameworks, using different methods, on how to best capture the learnings, social change and wider impacts of grantees activities.  
• Undertake research and commission studies on issues related to racial, economic, and social justice, contributing to Tudor’s deeper understanding of the wider landscape and systemic challenges.
• Assist in wider communications to amplify Tudor’s mission and impact through the website, newsletters, formal presentations and networks in the field.

Person Specification

 Experience and Knowledge

Previous experience in grant making is not essential. We will collaborate with you to define the responsibilities of the role, taking an iterative and reflective approach and we’ll keep reviewing and improving it together.

• Experience in the activist, campaigning, policy space, and/or philanthropy preferred, but not essential.
• Ability to navigate and challenge assumptions, unconscious bias, fostering inclusivity and diversity in all initiatives.
• Ability to build relationships and network with individuals from diverse backgrounds and positions within the sector.
• Proficiency in facilitating and chairing meetings, synthesizing ideas, and driving actionable outcomes.
• Demonstrable ability to take responsibility for a range of tasks and initiatives, managing priorities effectively.

If you share our commitment to the transformation to a more equitable grant making future, and feel you have the skills and passion to help Tudor Trust make real its commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion we would love to hear from you.

Click on 'Apply' for more details about the role in the Recruitment pack

At Tudor Trust, we value and celebrate the differences that make us who we are. We respect the unique differences that each individual brings to the table, whether it's age, cultural heritage, disability and mental health, ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or social background.

Tudor Trust is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us and we are particularly interested in applications from people from all backgrounds.