To design and steer Comic Relief’s Social Change Strategy. The Head of Learning and Strategy is responsible for setting organisational social change goals, measuring progress toward them and establishing processes for ongoing reflection and improvement. This includes leading a team of fifteen to ensure that funding processes, systems and decisions are informed by robust evidence, high quality data and user insights.

Key responsibilities

• Establish frameworks for tracking performance of Comic Relief’s social change strategy, using learning and participatory feedback to provide for continuous improvement;

• Play a central role in managing excellent governance of Comic Relief’s social change strategy, reporting to and working with Executive Directors, the Social Impact Committee and the Board of Trustees;

• Lead a high performing team which deliver the following key functions for Comic Relief’s Impact and Investment department:

  • Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, including the management of external evaluators, developing KPIs and data systems, regular reporting to corporate and institutional donors, and setting learning and reflection processes.

  • Application Journey Design, including funding criteria, tools, processes and systems;

• Driving greater end user participation and championing diversity and genuine inclusion – particularly of those with lived experience of the issues we fund – at all levels within Comic Relief

• Provide a key link between the Impact and Investment department and Comic Relief’s Assurance and Finance functions, specifically in relation to compliance, reporting, policies and risk management;

• Work directly with Comic Relief’s other global licensees to share learning and seek synergies where possible, including sitting on Red Nose Day USA’s grants committee;

• Actively participate in the Impact and Investment department Leadership Team, acting as a champion for Comic Relief’s values and approaches with colleagues, partners and the wider social change sector.

Essential Experience

• Proven leadership and management of high performing departments

• A track record of strategy development in the social sector

• Significant experience of performance tracking, evaluation and learning in the social sector

• An understanding of grant making or investment processes

Key Competencies

• Analytical, systems thinker who can create, evaluate and develop strategies into success by connecting the dots.

• Confident decision maker, with high resilience who can motivate teams and thrives in cross-functional and collaborative working.

• Effective relationship builder with strong emotional intelligence and political awareness to proactively challenge and persuade senior stakeholders and partners.