​​​​​​This role is offered on a hybrid contract giving you the opportunity to also work from home three days a week.

Purpose of job:​ 

The Head of Impact and Learning is responsible for leading the Funding Department Monitoring, Evaluation and learning function.  This post also leads the work to establish the impact of, and learning from, the grant making of Comic Relief towards our vision of a Just World Free from Poverty.   

The Head of Impact and Learning will be responsible for the ongoing development and operationalisation of Comic Relief’s Learning and Impact Framework, including supporting work on the communication of our impact.  This post will also be responsible for the ongoing effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the Funding Department Monitoring and Evaluation function.  

This role sits in the Funding Leadership Team, and will develop key relationships with other Comic Relief teams and leadership roles, including the Trustee Board.   This role will cement Comic Relief’s reputation as a progressive funder, sharing with and learning from the wider funding sector, building relationships with key external stakeholders.  

​​Key responsibilities

Funding Impact  

• Lead on our work to establish and track Comic Relief’s impact, including the continual development and operationalisation of our Impact and Learning Framework. 

• Work with Comic Relief’s communications, fundraising and partnership teams to assist work on the communication of our impact to support income generation.  

• Work with Comic Relief’s data and other teams to ensure that we have good quality data needed to support our Impact and Learning framework. 

• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) function to curate and analyse data for the Impact and Learning Framework, and ensure learnings are fed into future funding and strategy. 

• Work with others in the Funding team to ensure the development of high quality, impactful funded programmes in line with Comic Relief’s strategy.  

• Work with colleagues in Comic Relief across the Strategic Communications, Fundraising and Partnership functions to understand what funding monitoring and impact information is needed to support our fundraising activity, and ensure this is provided and platformed (including on our website).  

• Ensure Comic Relief is able to measure and report on funding impact for a range of audiences including trustees, funders, donors and other key stakeholders. 

Leading the Funding team’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Function 

• Lead and manage the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) function ensuring that:  

A)The sub-team is well integrated with the rest of the Comic Relief Funding team 

B)The sub-team is efficient and impactful 

C)That learnings from our funding programmes and practices are incorporated back into our funding.   

• Maintain strategic oversight of the monitoring, evaluation and learning from funded programmes, ensuring that learnings are effectively communicated, considered and actioned within CR, and disseminated externally to share learning and influence wider funding practice  

• Lead on the gathering of insights and feedback from Comic Relief’s funded partners, ensuring that this is collated into actionable feedback for internal and external learning.  

• Maintain strategic oversight of the convening for learning managed by the MEL function, ensuring that this is efficient and impactful.  

• Responsible for budget planning and management across the MEL Function  

People management 

• Proactively undertake business planning, prioritise activities and set clear and realistic objectives based on capacity, expertise and aspirations. 

• Provide balanced, constructive feedback, undertake effective performance management to embed accountability and proactively support the professional development and growth of staff. 

• Maintain regular two-way communication and dialogue with staff, ensuring information is cascaded and escalated as needed. 

• Model an enabling, inclusive and empowering leadership style that builds a values-based culture throughout the charity. 

Leadership 

• Support the Director of Funding in leading the wider Funding team through participation in the Funding Leadership Team. 

• As a member of the Funding Leadership Team, work with other funding Heads to position Comic Relief as a strong, learning-led and progressive funder and social change agent.  

• As a senior member of Comic Relief, represent the organisation at external events as required, disseminate learning and support the Director of Funding in networking and developing relationships for increased collaboration. 

Some limited international travel may be occasionally required for this role

​​Person specification​ 

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience and knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning within an international development / UK charity sector context 

• Experience and knowledge of techniques and approaches used to develop evidence of impact and communicate impact to support income generation. 

• Experience of grant making and programme design in the UK and the Global South.  

• Proven track record of working in alignment with Comic Reliefs commitment to social justice, anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, and equity 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.  

• Leadership experience – managing and motivating a team effectively to achieve high quality outcomes 

• Ability to think strategically and critically, and be solution-focused  

​​Desirable criteria​ 

• Knowledge and experience of the philanthropic sector in the UK and Global South 

• Engaging people with lived or learned experience in MEL work and funding 

• Budget management experience  

• An understanding of, or experience in, funding and progressive funding practice 

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.

Why work at Comic Relief

There are lots of good reasons to join us at Comic Relief. You can read more about our employee benefits, such as our commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We ask staff to come to the office twice a week, normally on agreed team days, so that we can do all those things that are difficult to do online. Our office is based in Whitechapel, London, There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and experience at Comic Relief, including opportunities to become a Mental Health First Aider or to participate in our Employee Network Groups that focus on making Comic Relief a more inclusive place to work.

Disability Confident employer

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we take positive action by providing first-round interviews to candidates who have a registered disability, provided they meet the minimum criteria for the role, as demonstrated on their CV.

We ask that candidates that wish to be considered for this scheme email j.scott@comicrelief.com to discuss further. Please do not email CV's/cover letters.