We’re looking for a Senior Specialist in Systemic Change to join our Place and Systemic Change team.

· Initially a 12-month fixed term contract, with strong ambition for the role to become permanent

· We think this could work well as a part-time role (minimum 0.6 FTE) but are open to other options

· Deadline for applications: Monday 13th March at 9am

· Interviews to take place: Wednesday 22nd March

What does the team do and who do we work with?

Our Place and Systemic Change team works closely with both the frontline and the consultancy teams at Renaisi. There are five key elements to our work:

· Facilitating and partnering for local systemic change. We work as part of the delivery team across place-based partnerships to play a key role in enabling local long-term change. This includes our work in Southwark, as accountable partner for the Local Access Partnership, and in Lambeth as employment specialist and embedded learning partner to the No Wrong Door Collaborative.

·Supporting people, organisations and partnerships to explore a systems change approach. We do this in a number of ways including providing training on systems thinking, tools and approaches; working with place-based systems to explore their own local system and some of the relationships, deeply embedded issues, and opportunities within it; and working with organisations to map the systems they operate within to identify levers of change.

·  Working as a learning partner to organisations or partnerships adopting a systems change approach. This can include developing and learning against a theory of change, supporting with ongoing reflection around how change is happening at different levels of the system and how relationships are changing over time, and reflecting with partners on their own journeys of place-based or systemic change.

· Supporting people, organisations and partnerships to explore place-based approaches. This can include playing a facilitative role to support the exploration of a place-based collaboration or working closely with our consultancy team to play the role of an embedded learning partner in a place-based project.

· Sharing our ongoing learning to support thinking in the sector around place-based systemic change. This includes reflecting on and sharing our learning from all of our projects through our communications channels, and holding a regular community of practice for organisations and practitioners looking to drive place-based systemic change. It also includes our role as a founding partner of Place Matters, a partnership created to share learning across the sector on place-based approaches.

In 2023, we will be launching a new systems change offer, centred on the question: ‘what does it take to change a system?’

This offer will draw on elements of each of our areas of expertise above, enabling us to create bespoke and proactive support offers for organisations and partnerships.

What will it be like working in this role?

Working alongside the Associate Director of Place and Systemic Change, you will play a key leadership role in our systems change work. You will proactively support business development in our systems change work, identifying opportunities, writing proposals and attending pitches. You will also carry out proactive business development work, talking to charities, funders, local organisations and councils about their systems change needs, and building methodologies and plans as part of proposals to help them to do this.

Delivery will be a key element of this role, and you’ll deliver support to individuals, organisations and partnerships looking to drive systemic change. You’ll deliver coaching, workshops, training sessions, strategies and reports to enable organisations to embed systemic approaches in their work.

You will play a Project Director role on some of our systems change projects, ensuring we deliver to a high standard and supporting Senior Project Managers, Project Managers and Researchers working on these projects.

You will also support the development of systems thinking and approaches across Renaisi more broadly, helping others shape their own work.

Finally, you’ll play a key role in reflecting and learning on our central learning question: what does it take to change a system? This will include coming together with the place and systemic change team to share reflections and develop communications to the sector more widely.

About you

We’re looking for someone with expertise and experience of systems thinking and systems approaches, who wants to bring these skills and experiences to support communities, organisations and places.  Most of all we are looking for a driven individual who can be a subject-matter expert for our team and clients, with the credibility and networks to develop our business and impact through that area of knowledge.

We are looking for candidates who have an understanding of using and implementing systems change practices and tools, as this is often what our clients are looking for. Candidates may also have additional areas of expertise connected to systemic change, including but not limited to: power, systemic injustice and oppression, coaching and facilitation, collaborative decision-making, service design and co-design.

Duties and responsibilities

Delivery of our systems change offer

• Design and deliver programmes of systems change support for clients and partners

• Facilitate systems change approaches across multiple partnerships and clients

• Support other staff across Renaisi to build systems approaches into their own projects and contracts, where appropriate.

• Deliver workshops, coaching, and strategy sessions for clients, focussed on systemic change.

• Develop reports, strategies and action plans for clients, focussed on systemic change.

Supporting the strategic development of our systems change offer

• Bring your experience and expertise in systemic practices to help support and develop the overall direction of travel for the Place and Systemic Change team.

• Build and maintain proactive relationships with others in the systems change field, to enhance our understanding and positioning in the market.

• Take a leading role in supporting colleagues across Renaisi to reflect on our learning question: what does it take to change a system?

• Take a leading role in communications about our experience delivering systems change support.

• Build and maintain a strong external profile in relation to our systemic change work.

• Proactively develop the systems thinking and systemic practices of the whole organisation, including delivering support and training for other teams.

• Play a key supporting role within the Place and Systemic Change team in helping develop colleagues’ expertise in the field, and coaching them to apply this knowledge on their own projects.

Project/ client responsibilities:

• Take on Project Director roles for larger pieces of work, building strong relationships with clients and partners.

• In a Project Director capacity, support Project Managers and Senior Project Managers to keep the projects on track (i.e. budget/ timings), and help develop the team in their skills and thinking on projects, including through creativity and trying new approaches.

• Take responsibility for high standards of work by quality assuring outputs and thinking throughout .

• Own safeguarding/ethical responsibilities for projects – (ensuring safeguarding issues are dealt with appropriately and reported into the system if needed).

• Ensure project teams are well resourced & supporting with delegation/team dynamics if needed

Business development work:

• Proactively develop relationships with prospective partners and clients who may be interested in systems change work.

•Lead the bidding process for bids relating to systemic change work (and others where required), ensuring the tendering process runs smoothly/ opportunities are picked up in time; identifying what to bid for, and allocating resource to priority bids.

• Lead pitches for key pieces of systemic change work, and contribute to pitches for other projects for Renaisi.

•  Use your profile and our comms channels to proactively drive new opportunities and contacts, to create new collaborative systemic change projects and new opportunities to explore key our key questions around systemic change.

Company-wide responsibilities:

• Help drive organisational learning, for example through internal initiatives such as sustainability or equitable approaches to research and evaluation.

• Promote the image of Renaisi, which may include attending conferences, training, exhibitions and other events and preparing publicity material.

• Actively support and promote our company ambitions around embodying the change we want to see in the sector, aligning with our policies and practices around equity, diversity and inclusion at all times.Duties and responsibilities

Delivery of our systems change offer

• Design and deliver programmes of systems change support for clients and partners

• Facilitate systems change approaches across multiple partnerships and clients

• Support other staff across Renaisi to build systems approaches into their own projects and contracts, where appropriate.

• Deliver workshops, coaching, and strategy sessions for clients, focussed on systemic change.

• Develop reports, strategies and action plans for clients, focussed on systemic change.

Supporting the strategic development of our systems change offer

• Bring your experience and expertise in systemic practices to help support and develop the overall direction of travel for the Place and Systemic Change team.

• Build and maintain proactive relationships with others in the systems change field, to enhance our understanding and positioning in the market.

• Take a leading role in supporting colleagues across Renaisi to reflect on our learning question: what does it take to change a system?

• Take a leading role in communications about our experience delivering systems change support.

• Build and maintain a strong external profile in relation to our systemic change work.

• Proactively develop the systems thinking and systemic practices of the whole organisation, including delivering support and training for other teams.

• Play a key supporting role within the Place and Systemic Change team in helping develop colleagues’ expertise in the field, and coaching them to apply this knowledge on their own projects.

Project/ client responsibilities:

• Take on Project Director roles for larger pieces of work, building strong relationships with clients and partners.

• In a Project Director capacity, support Project Managers and Senior Project Managers to keep the projects on track (i.e. budget/ timings), and help develop the team in their skills and thinking on projects, including through creativity and trying new approaches.

• Take responsibility for high standards of work by quality assuring outputs and thinking throughout .

• Own safeguarding/ethical responsibilities for projects – (ensuring safeguarding issues are dealt with appropriately and reported into the system if needed).

• Ensure project teams are well resourced & supporting with delegation/team dynamics if needed

Business development work:

• Proactively develop relationships with prospective partners and clients who may be interested in systems change work.

•Lead the bidding process for bids relating to systemic change work (and others where required), ensuring the tendering process runs smoothly/ opportunities are picked up in time; identifying what to bid for, and allocating resource to priority bids.

• Lead pitches for key pieces of systemic change work, and contribute to pitches for other projects for Renaisi.

•  Use your profile and our comms channels to proactively drive new opportunities and contacts, to create new collaborative systemic change projects and new opportunities to explore key our key questions around systemic change.

Company-wide responsibilities:

• Help drive organisational learning, for example through internal initiatives such as sustainability or equitable approaches to research and evaluation.

• Promote the image of Renaisi, which may include attending conferences, training, exhibitions and other events and preparing publicity material.

• Actively support and promote our company ambitions around embodying the change we want to see in the sector, aligning with our policies and practices around equity, diversity and inclusion at all times.

 Person Specification – your skills, knowledge and experience

• Proven and demonstrable commitment to the principles and practice of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (essential).

• Identify with the values and ethos of Renaisi (essential).

• Significant and demonstrable experience of systems thinking and systems change approaches, including putting these into practice within systems and partnerships (essential).

• Experience supporting or implementing routes to systemic change, which may include one or more of the following: developing understandings of power, tackling systemic injustice or oppression, building and facilitating collaborative partnerships and decision-making, co-designing new services or approaches to change (essential).

• Experience using tools and practices for systemic change, which may include approaches such as system mapping, root cause mapping, causal loop mapping, three horizons, theory U etc (essential).

• Experience supporting others to adopt systems thinking approaches (essential).

• Overseeing and coordinating tasks across multiple projects, and managing project teams of colleagues (essential).

• Designing and delivering projects within a strong ethical framework (essential).

• Experience of design thinking and practice (desirable).

• Developing new approaches and business (desirable).

• Demonstrable and developed expertise in systemic change (essential).

• Excellent knowledge of the issues affecting the communities and organisations that Renaisi works with, which could be developed through either learnt or lived experience of the systems we work with (essential).

• Demonstrable knowledge of systems change tools, approaches and practices, and how to implement different approaches according to different needs (essential).

• Strong knowledge of the current landscape in the social sector around systems change, and associated trends and developments (essential).

• Strong facilitation, coaching and training skills (essential).

• Excellent organisational and time management skills including the ability to plan and prioritise to meet competing demands (essential).

• Managing project teams and maintaining positive working relationships with other staff (essential).

• Ability to communicate highly effectively, both orally and in writing with colleagues and external clients (essential).

• Excellent client liaison and negotiation skills (essential).

• Self-motivated and able to act on own initiative(essential).

•Confident in adapting to fit with changing conditions, tasks, responsibilities or people (essential).

• Ability to work with a wide range of audiences and ensure everyone feels safe and supported, including vulnerable people and those who might be experiencing harm from existing systems (essential).

• Interest in and flexibility to work across different projects and sectors (essential).

• Professional qualifications in any discipline that includes numeracy, writing skills and/or oral communication/presentation skills is desirable but not essential if you have other relevant work experience (desirable).

How to apply:

Please apply by completing the application form. Please attach a CV and answer all sift questions to outline your skills and experience against the  Job Description and Person Specification. For questions or queries about the role please contact Beth Stout at b.stout@renaisi.com.

CLOSING DATE: Monday, 13th of March2023 at 09:00 am. Applications received after this time will not be considered.

We encourage applicants to submit their applications as soon as they can.

Renaisi is an equal opportunities employer. If you require any adjustments as part of your application please contact us to discuss.

No agencies please.

Benefits:

As much as we’re looking for someone with the relevant skills, knowledge and experience, we are also looking for someone who wants to make a difference to communities, organisations and places. We’re passionate about that and you’ll need to be too!

We want to give back to our team as well and offer:

• £45-£50k (pro-rata) salary per annum,

• NEST pension scheme (6% Pension contribution),

• 5 days paid charity days per year,

• 25 days holiday entitlement + 1 day per year of tenure (max 5),

• Cycle To Work Scheme,

• Employee Assistance Programme.