The Senior Advisor – Social Tech will be the organisational lead for strategic partnerships and the portfolio of grants within the social tech approach. The post holder will promote Comic Relief as a leading social tech funder, and broker new social tech partnerships focused on realising the potential of technology to offer solutions to social challenges.

Key Accountabilities / Objectives

• Champion Comic Relief as one of the leading social tech funding organisations in the UK and an emerging thought and practice leader globally.

• Act as the highest point of elevation in the organisation for social tech expertise, leading this strategic approach to social change alongside Sport for Change and the four core thematic areas.

• Personally manage strategic, high risk, value or complex relationships with social tech partners and provide strategic leadership to all UK and international social tech partnerships, ensuring that trust and shared accountability for learning and sustainability are the hallmarks of all partnerships.

• Personally make and manage all social tech grants outside of any partner-funded programmes, ensuring consistently high quality and strategic grant making.

• Work with the Commercial and Partnerships teams to actively develop and broker new tech focused relationships, advising on and developing potential funding and delivery models. Take personal responsibility for appointing any new tech funding partners and ensure they meet wider organisational objectives.

• Support colleagues across the Impact & Investment department, and where necessary the rest of Comic Relief, to integrate our social tech partnerships into our wider portfolio, sharing learning and insight.

• Deliberately and creatively find ways to support social tech outside of our traditional funding areas, including focused regional funding, supporting intermediaries, identifying higher risk opportunities, and learning by doing.

• Work with Finance to proactively manage all social tech budgets, including partnership budgets.

• Line manage and lead the Social Tech Partnerships Associate and provide strategic support and oversight on grant portfolios and funding partnerships under the Partnerships Associate’s remit.

• Seek out and engage in opportunities to broaden and strengthen Comic Relief’s understanding of social tech, keeping up to date with sector developments, potential areas for investment, and possible new partnerships.

• Represent Comic Relief’s social tech work externally, developing our profile at the forefront of social tech funding.

• Personally build a network of stakeholders with whom to share Comic Relief’s learning and best practice, with the aim of growing and strengthening the social tech sector and increase the quantity of funding available.

• Regular travel (including international) is required within this role.

Essential Education and Skills

• Significant experience within the impact and investment arena, working closely with other tech-focused funder partners for social change.

• A good understanding of developing, implementing and evaluating investment strategies.

Key Competencies

• Effective relationship builder with high emotional intelligence and gravitas 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, creative communicator that understands and relishes cross-functional / collaborative working.

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

• A fun, positive and engaged professional that demonstrates high proactivity.

Interviews will be occurring w/c 22nd of April