Purpose of the Role:   

The primary purpose of the role is to support charities that we work with, with a focus on the needs of those with the potential to scale the impact of what they do.  

To do this, you will build strong relationships with our partner charities and on specific interventions with our Pilotlighters (partner business people). Our projects are about bringing people together – Pilotlighters and Partner Charities – to tackle the challenges our Partner Charities face. As Charity Partner Facilitator, you will act as contact, coach, and administrator of a selection of key charity relationships, taking a lead role in our projects and support for them, with a strong emphasis on relationship building and enabling mutual understanding.   

You will be based in our Charities Team, but also, where appropriate, work as part of the wider Delivery Team to deliver projects to meet the needs of charities looking to scale from a range of programmes that strengthen and develop charities and their leaders to better tackle some of society’s biggest issues and to help them help people more effectively.  

As part of this, you’ll manage a portfolio of projects focused on all aspects of organisational development including purpose, strategy, governance & leadership, impact measurement, people, funding and operations. Coaching and mentoring are central to the way we work, strengthening our impact for both Partner Charities and Pilotlighters alike. 

Key Areas of Responsibility: 

You will deliver an exceptional project experience for Partner Charities and Pilotlighters by:  

• Being the relationship manager for a cohort of charities with the potential to scale their impact  

• Acting as a sounding board for them, drawing on knowledge of the team at Pilotlight or our community of Pilotlighters in order to give timely advice and guidance  

• Building effective referral networks for wider skilled volunteering support for charities, through agencies that are part of two informal networks Pilotlight is supportive of: UK Pro Bono Association and Civil Society Group  

• Managing support for them, which may mean several short or long Pilotlight projects simultaneously, enabling Pilotlighters and Partner Charities to collaborate effectively (in-person, virtually, and hybrid)  

• Building strong relationships with and among Partner Charities and Pilotlighters in the context of support through specific projects, including   

• Ensuring mutual understanding among project participants of the Partner Charity’s needs and challenges  

• Managing Pilotlighter and Charity Partner engagement, communication and participation to create a participatory environment inside and outside meetings, including  

• Effective diary management  

• Collaborative planning and facilitation of meetings (in person, virtual, and hybrid) of various lengths and depths  

• Coaching participants to be effective and to grow in their roles  

• Capturing project documentation (e.g., meeting notes, Salesforce data) in a conscientious and accessible way  

• Maintaining and developing a resource toolkit for supporting charities with scaling, for use across our teams  

• Proactively identifying potential barriers to outcomes (including interpersonal ones), and addressing them in a constructive and timely manner  

• Drawing on personal, project participants’ and Pilotlight’s expertise in strategy & impact, (charity) finance & funding, governance & risk, and people & change to maximize the effectiveness of our projects and their contribution to scaling  

• Managing the overall logistics of your charity portfolio, including setting the project schedule within agreed time frames and diary management.  

• Working with our Partnerships and Charity Experience teams to provide feedback on levels of engagement and effectiveness of contribution and contribute to the evaluation of Pilotlight’s work.  

Experience and Competencies: 

• An understanding / familiarity with the not-for-profit sector and/or organisational development is essential. Above all we are looking for someone that is keen to continuously learn and improve their understanding of the sector and its potential to scale.  

• At least 3 years’ experience in a client-facing role – experience of dealing with senior people is advantageous  

• Strong experience of facilitating/leading meetings, planning days or other activities  

• Exceptional organisational skills, with experience of working to tight deadlines on multiple projects/tasks  

• A strong communicator (verbal and written) who is personable, calm and dependable  

• Confident in day-to-day administrative tasks and using any of the Microsoft office package  

• Comfortable with taking the initiative, and able to self-manage  

• An affinity with Pilotlight’s mission and values and excited about working with organisations tackling some of society’s biggest issues  

• Team oriented, with a ‘can do’ and ‘hands on’ approach to helping the wider Pilotlight team wherever necessary 

• Commitment to Pilotlight’s mission and work.