Are you an impact-focused leader with a track record of leading ambitious programmes?

We’re looking for a Programme Director to lead the design, development and delivery of our new long-term programme focused on the health effects of adolescent mental health.

Programme Directors design, develop and lead our place-based programmes focused on complex health issues with an impact that reaches nationally and beyond. They set the strategy for our programmes and lead a team of Portfolio Managers to establish a diverse portfolio of partnerships focused on achieving defined impact goals – with a typical portfolio value of c.£20-30m.

We invest in solutions of all shapes and sizes to achieve our programme impact goals, using a blend of grants, debt, equity investment and non-financial support. This means Programme Directors have the freedom to develop partnerships with everyone from grassroots community groups and social enterprises through to cutting-edge technology ventures, public sector leaders and international corporations. They build and lead effective multi-sector partnerships, managing the competing demands of different stakeholders towards common goals.

Programme Directors are senior members of the funding directorate, with responsibilities for building out the capabilities and capacities of the team to achieve impact through our work. They manage our Programme Committees and lead the process of taking programme funding decisions through our Executive Investment Committee. They are also part of our Executive Investment Committee, which makes funding decisions of up to £2 million.

We’re an ambitious organisation with a commitment to making a major impact on the health challenges associated with inner-city environments. We set expectations high and support people to achieve their full potential – providing all members of the team with personal development budgets, access to networks, training, coaching and mentoring.

We believe that building different perspectives into our multidisciplinary team will both inform and enhance our work. This means we’re open to applications from a broad range of backgrounds and experience.

Lambeth and Southwark are densely populated, with a rich and complex ethnic and social mix, so experience of working with diverse populations in an urban context would be particularly valuable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and implementation of a programme strategy for adolescent mental health

• Manage and influence key stakeholder relationships required to achieve impact – working at a local, national and international level

• Lead a team of Portfolio Managers to build a pipeline of high impact investment opportunities – ensuring alignment to programme strategy and supporting them to hone ideas by advising partners on a project’s strategic fit, risk, budget, complexity, impact potential and ability to be evaluated

• Support and coach the team to lead projects through our internal investment process – ensuring we make high-quality investment decisions

• Manage our Programme Committee for adolescent mental health – consisting of senior leaders and issue experts. Provide the Committee with accurate and timely information to ensure effective oversight, leveraging their expertise and managing the Charity’s relationship with the Committee Chair and members.

• Line management of 2-3 Portfolio Managers within a matrix management structure – including a focus on building out skills and capabilities to effectively deliver the aims of the programmes

• Develop close working relationships across the Charity – including with strategy, communications, finance and operations teams

• Act as an Ambassador for the Charity – supporting public promotion of the programmes and for new ideas in urban health

Person Specification

Experience (essential)

• Senior leadership experience in a relevant professional discipline – such as healthcare, social innovation, management consulting, impact investing or other sectors (public, charitable or commercial)

• Extensive experience of developing, shaping and overseeing complex programmes of activity

• Strong track record of leadership and effective management of teams at a senior level

• Experienced in developing funding and investment propositions, including managing comprehensive due diligence processes

• Experience of leading, influencing and communicating effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and decision makers

Experience (desirable)

• Experience of managing funding and/or investment portfolios

• Experience in cutting-edge foundation practice – including venture philanthropy and impact/ social investment

• Experience of tackling similar or relevant issues related to adolescent mental health

• Experience of engaging local communities to design, develop and implement programmes

• Experience of leading complex research and analysis, using mixed method approaches to inform programme design

Skills, abilities and attributes

• Ambitious, determined and resilient individual – setting high standards and achieving them

• Leading from the front – inspiring others to follow

• Focused on impact – with the persistence to achieve outcomes

• Dynamic – willing to get stuck in and work at pace

• Clear strategic thinker – able to manage a complex range of projects and competing priorities

• Innovative thinker – not afraid to take risks and to make hard choices to achieve goals

• Powerful influencer – persuasive in situations without direct levers to pull

• Strong interpersonal and management skills – with a proven ability to motivate and develop others

• Analytical mindset – track record of analysing complex issues and generating insight

• Exceptional stakeholder management skills – with the ability to obtain and maintain the trust of a range of both internal and external stakeholders

• Good communication and presentational skills – with the ability to communicate convincingly to a wide range of audiences

• Considered judgement – with demonstrable political ‘nous’

Values

Enterprising - looks at things from different angles, with willingness to experiment and test

Collaborative - gives time and attention to people and ideas, and motivates others

Delivery minded - is willing to get stuck in and takes ownership for results