Purpose of job:

Comic Relief is offering a fantastic opportunity to join our funding team as an Approach Manager. This role will be responsible for overseeing the development of the pop culture for social change work across Comic Relief, including managing a portfolio of pop culture investments (including the Power of Pop Fund - a pooled fund Comic Relief has established with a group of other funders to invest in organisations advancing narrative power and cultural change), supporting our storytelling, narrative change work, fundraising and public engagement agenda and engaging key stakeholders to drive forward the learning and growth of the field in the UK and internationally.

You will work closely with the Head of Convening & Approaches and Head of Social Change Impact to promote Comic Relief as a sector intermediary and thought leader in this area. You will also work with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to develop clear impact measurements in line with global learning towards achieving a Just World free from Poverty.

If you have an interest in the importance of storytelling, engaging with the public, a commitment to racial justice/equity and making a difference both nationally and internationally, then this could be the perfect role for you. You will sit within a team dedicated to centering the voices of those with lived experience and that’s committed to empowering communities. This is a real opportunity to shape the role, learn and grow, while also contributing your own expertise.

Racial Justice/Equity is a huge component to this role and while we will accept applications from all communities, we particularly encourage those with lived personal and professional experience to apply.

 We are also interested in applications from people with a creative arts background, ideally in film and/or TV who could use this experience to influence the design and growth of the Power of Pop fund.

These are a few of the wonderful things that you are going to do:

Key responsibilities:

• Oversee funding relationships, ensuring that the portfolio is managed in a timely and responsive way using Comic Relief systems and processes

• Work closely with the Head of Convening & Approaches to develop a comprehensive and measurable programme of social and cultural change

• Work with colleagues across Comic Relief to influence delivery of pop culture for social change through our storytelling, fundraising and public engagement

• Manage relationships with external strategic partners focused on driving forward pop culture for social change, ensuring that trust and shared accountability for learning and sustainability are the hallmarks of all partnerships.

• Contribute to long-term UK and global partnerships that deliver both Comic Relief and the partners’ goals, thinking holistically about impact.

• Contribute to Comic Relief’s fixed income target from specific partnerships with clear definition of restricted and core income

• Work collaboratively across Comic Relief to support storytelling and provide expertise to funding partnerships, including corporates and trusts, Foundations and Institutions (TFIs).

• Engaging with the funding and delivery sectors (both UK and International) to maintain excellent networking, learning and co-working with the aim of increasing collaborative working

• Manage budgets relevant to the investment portfolio

• Ensure that, when applicable, people with lived or learnt experience are actively engaged with our work, contributing to the design and decision-making process of our funding portfolios

• Work closely with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team members to identify shared learning and to make choices about where to amplify learning

• Travel (including some international) will be required within this role

Person specification

 Essential criteria

• An understanding or lived experience of, and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and tackling social injustice and prejudice.

• Personal and effective relationship builder able to nurture trust and respect in all relationships.

• Experience of working in partnership with major UK or global Trusts, Foundations, and Institutions as well as corporates.

• Knowledge and experience of the Pop Culture for Social Change Field.

• Experience and knowledge of grantmaking and programme design – ideally in the areas of  racial justice and migration.

• Strong networking, negotiating, influencing and persuading skills.

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

• Experience of working with and managing consultants.

Desirable Criteria

• An understanding of how to embed participatory design within grantmaking and a commitment to equitable and accessible programme design centred around Funded Partners.

• Experience of managing, or working within, a collaborative or pooled fund.

• An understanding of the philanthropic sector in the UK and global south.

• Experience of managing budgets.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Comic Relief we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.