Comic Relief is seeking a manager, with relevant experience in the charitable sector or with a funding organisation, to join a team that manages funding calls, ongoing relationships with funded partners in the UK and internationally, and relationships with key stakeholders. 

The postholder will ensure that trust and learning are present in all funding relationships, collaborate across the organisation in support of our strategic change themes, and represent our social change strategy internally and externally.  

We want to hear from candidates who have experience in one of Comic Relief’s social change priorities. An advantage will be experience in supporting community responses to mental health.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage medium- to high-risk investments, and relationships with funded partners focused on (but not limited to) a social change theme

• Manage the process of funding design and investment decisions relating to a thematic area of Comic Relief’s social change strategy, reporting upwards to the Social Impact Committee, and Trustees where appropriate

• Manage the work of freelance Assessors and other contractors as required

• Work with funded partners to promote organisational strengthening, and their sustainability and resilience

• Ensure that trust and shared accountability are the hallmarks of all partnerships

• Ensure that people with lived or learnt experience are actively engaged in the way we design our funding calls and manage our funding portfolios

• Act as first point of contact for a primary thematic area, and as a knowledge source for secondary area(s), drawing on knowledge from relationships with external partners

• Develop knowledge of a secondary area of the social change strategy, and work closely with colleagues to support the content and delivery of programming in this area

• Retain the ability to speak coherently across all areas of the social change strategy, and provide input and support when required

• Work collaboratively across CR, ensuring leadership of Thematic Working Groups, share knowledge, and contribute to storytelling and learning

• Provide support and guidance to the wider Impact and Investments Team, and where necessary the rest of Comic Relief, on relevant social change theme(s) and our funded partners

• Work closely with Evaluation & Learning Manager(s) to identify shared learning, support ongoing peer learning platforms, and make choices about where to amplify and disseminate learning more widely

• Work creatively to identify where research and development, learning or co-funding can further facilitate impact and learning for Comic Relief and our partners

• Represent Comic Relief in issue-specific networks and coalitions, and with funded partners and co-funding partners, as appropriate

• Represent CR externally, and be a credible spokesperson for the organisation, focusing on developing strategic engagement with the sector and broader civil society in line with our social change strategy

• Communicate in an open, honest and transparent way with potential applicants, funded partners and funding partners

• Up to 10% of the role should be spent on identifying, developing and maintaining relationships with Trusts, Foundations and public sector funders in line with our social change strategy and supporting the I&I Leadership Team to secure new partnerships and income as appropriate

• Manage relationships with co-funders and, when relevant, assimilate their due diligence, monitoring, evaluation and learning into Comic Relief’s funding management

• Adhere to and support all relevant Comic Relief policies, such as travel and security, and safeguarding.

• Travel (including some international) is required within this role

Essential Experience and Competencies:

• Significant experience within the impact and investment arena and working closely with funded partners for social change

• Understanding and experience of proposal assessments, and governance and financial assessments

• A good understanding of developing, implementing and reviewing investment programmes and portfolios

• Effective relationship builder, with the ability to nurture trust and respect in all relationships

• Analytical thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture and make appropriate and effective decisions

• Confident communicator who understands and embraces cross-functional and collaborative working

• Strong planner, with excellent flexibility and resilience to navigate the unexpected

• Commitment to Comic Relief’s values, including equality, diversity and inclusion

• A fun, positive and engaged professional

Desirable Experience and Competencies:

• Experience in one or more of Comic Relief’s social change themes

Inclusivity at Comic Relief

We recognise diversity and inclusion are a source of strength in achieving our mission. We therefore welcome everyone, trusting what makes us different brings creativity, styles and experiences to help us collectively do our best work. That’s regardless of your gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural identity. We especially welcome those from under-represented groups in modern grant-making and fundraising. We are on a journey, but if you join our team you will be part of a community that is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where we want you to:

• Be valued for being yourself

• Do your best work, and be supported to break down barriers so you can succeed

• Be heard, respected, and treated as an equal, whatever your level, experience or background

• Be part of a team that is committed to making this happen – with our colleagues, partners, and contributors.

Comic Relief is committed to preventing and protecting all people from harm in their interactions with us. We expect all those that act in our name to uphold our approach to doing no harm.