Grants Manager - Individuals

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Location Our office is based in Kings Cross, central London. Currently we work to hybrid working which requires 2 days per week attendance in the office.
Salary £37,000 - £44,000 pa and our policy is generally to recruit at the bottom of the scale.
Team Grantmaking
  • Closing: 12:00pm, 5th Jun 2023 BST

Job Description

About us

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF) is an independent grant-making foundation set up by Paul Hamlyn, the publisher and philanthropist. It aims to maximise opportunities for individuals and communities to realise their potential and experience and enjoy a better quality of life. 

The Foundation supports charitable activity in the areas of arts, education and learning, and social justice across the UK. It also supports local charities in India that help the poorest communities get access to basic services.

Our vision is for a just society in which everyone, especially young people, can realise their full potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.

Our mission is to be an effective and independent funder, using all our resources to create opportunities and support social change. We partner with inspiring organisations and individuals to make sure that people facing disadvantage are at the heart of leading change and designing solutions to overcome inequality.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation. This commitment drives how we work, who we work with and how we make decisions. You can read more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) here.

We have five funding priorities where we wish to see change. You can read more about our work based in the UK here.

•       Investing in young people

•       Migration and integration

•       Arts access and participation

•       Education and learning through the arts

•       Nurturing ideas and people

Our values are important to us and we work to and carry them through all of our activity.

About the role

The Ideas and Pioneers Fund aims to support individuals facing systemic oppression who have unusual or radical ideas that have the potential to change policy and practice to improve the life chances and opportunities of people in the UK.

We want to work with these pioneers whose ideas are in their early stages of development and will consider funding work to develop ideas from concept to set-up: this may include problem definition and analysis; scoping; exploratory work and prototyping. In addition to financial support (previously up to £25k), pioneers received a package of non-financial support through external providers.

Ideas and Pioneers Fund is currently closed to new applications as it undergoes a review.

As Grant Manager, and while reporting to the Head of Programme-Individuals, you will be involved in shaping the way the Fund operates, which we plan to re-open at the end of 2023. When the Fund is open you will lead on finding, assessing applications and supporting pioneers to ensure their ideas have the best conditions to thrive.

There is a current portfolio of c 30 live grants that you will manage. You will be the primary point of contact between these individuals and PHF.

You will:

  • Actively uphold and contribute to the Foundation’s diversity, equity and inclusion work.

Fund development

  • Work with the Head of Programme to shape the next iteration of the Ideas and Pioneers Fund based on learning and evaluation of the Fund to date and learning from others in this space.

  • Support the Head of Programme to review and improve our grant-making processes to ensure that they are accessible and do not perpetuate existing structural models of inequality.

  • Take on specific research or development roles within the team as appropriate, which might include maintaining strong relations with partner foundations, supporting funder collaborations, and the development of strategic initiatives.

  • Keeping abreast of developments in the social change, innovation and entrepreneurship areas of specialism to best support our grantees and inform the Foundation’s future thinking.

Grant management

  • Manage applications to the Idea and Pioneer Fund through all stages of the assessment processes; analysing the quality and potential impact of proposals and organisational viability; reaching a judgement or recommendation; preparation and presentation of written reports with analysis and recommendations to decision-making panels (made up of Trustees and Advisors); handling relationships throughout the process until the application is either successful or declined.

  • Develop and implement strategies to identify potential applicants and approaches to enable them apply to the Ideas and Pioneers fund.

  • Work closely with a portfolio of Ideas & Pioneers grantees, supporting them to achieve their own growth and development objectives, as well as help the Foundation to achieve its strategic priorities

  • Manage consultants, such as those supporting the non-financial support elements of the Ideas & Pioneers Fund grants

  • Lead and maintain systems and operational processes for the Ideas & Pioneers Fund, ensuring they are in line with the Foundation’s policies.

  • Monitor grants including: agreeing appropriate reporting requirements, analysing monitoring reports and authorising and generating grant payments in a timely fashion. Seek out and share learning from Ideas and Pioneers across the Grants Team

  • Work with others to provide a prompt and helpful service to potential applicants enquiring about the Foundation’s work.

  • Maintain PHF’s grants database (Blackbaud Grantmaking) – ensuring that records are accurate and complete.

  • Work closely with the grants administration and finance staff.

  • Carry out visits to grantees to see impact of work in action as required (virtually or in-person). Travel may be local or national across the UK.

  • Participate in learning and knowledge sharing activities relevant to supporting individuals and keeping up to date with relevant policy and practice to inform strategy.

  • Attend relevant conferences and seminars and occasionally speak at these events on the Foundation’s behalf.

  • Help develop and actively contribute to cross-departmental and multidisciplinary working, supporting continual improvement and professional development.

Person specification

We recognise that this person specification is extensive, and you may feel you do not meet all the criteria. We are open to making adjustments to the role and how it is delivered to enable those from a broad range of backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

If you are interested, please apply even if you do not meet all criteria.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

  • Sympathy with the values and aims of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, in particular our commitment to equitable grant making and being an anti-racist funder. The ability to apply these principles to ensure good decision making and support for the individuals we fund.

  • Understanding of the processes of grant-making particularly in the field of social justice or supporting individuals who have historically been overlooked by funders

    OR

  • transferable skills and understanding of what is needed to fund and support individuals to develop their ideas and get them get realised gain through own lived experience or work in a relevant field

  • Understanding of the current context and landscape for social change, innovation and entrepreneurship

  •  Experience of reaching and engaging individuals who have been historically overlooked by funders

  • Interest in how social change happens and how the systems and structures that create inequity can be challenged or transformed

  • Understanding of the organisational dynamics and structures, financial planning and business plans required for early stage idea development.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate with a range of audiences

  • Ability to analyse and synthesise complex information quickly and effectively 

  • Proven track record of an organised and methodical approach to work 

  • Good awareness of financial and budget management and confidence in extracting key information from financial reports.

  • Strong IT skills, (MS Office) and the ability to learn detailed processes

  • Strong project management skills and experience of delivering successful projects on time 

Behaviours and ways of working

  • Resourceful and proactive, with initiative and a problem-solving disposition. Ability to spot connections and learning across PHF’s work and that of others.

  • An ability to work effectively, build relationships and partnerships with a range of stakeholders including senior staff, trustees, grantees, organisations also working in the field and external consultants.

  • An ability to work well and flexibly in a small team, supporting other colleagues

  • Strong personal commitment to learning and improvement

 Desirable

  • Understanding or confidence using data

  • Understanding and/or experience of using Grantmaking management systems

  • Willing to and experience of working beyond your area of expertise across the PHF’s funding areas this role will support

  • Understanding and experience of evaluation, including use of a range of methods.

  • Experience of managing contracts with external consultants

The Foundation is based in light and recently refurbished offices near Kings Cross in London and we currently work to a hybrid working model with 40% of time worked in the office and the rest a combination of external grantee visits and homeworking. We offer fantastic benefits including

  • 25 days annual leave,

  • 10% pension contributions

  • Enhanced maternity and paternity policies

  • Complimentary lunch when in the office.

Interviews are expected to be held w/c 12th June.

Removing bias from the hiring process

Applications closed Mon 5th Jun 2023

x

Removing bias from the hiring process

  • Your application will be anonymously reviewed by our hiring team to ensure fairness
  • You won't need a CV to apply to this job

Applications closed Mon 5th Jun 2023