About

Job title: Head of Grants & Operations
Location: YCF office, LABS Atrium, Camden Lock Market, with the option of some flexible working
Reporting to: CEO
Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week, with some out of hours work / visits occasionally required (0.8 considered for the right candidate)
Management responsibilities: Operations & Administration Apprentice (FT) and Programme Manager (HAF) FT
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £40,000-£44,000 (dependent on experience)

About the role

In this important role you will lead on YCF’s grant giving and operations, working closely with the CEO to also support fundraising and partnerships.

You will lead and develop YCF’s significant grant-giving programmes, organising and improving the grants process, keeping donors in the loop, and communicating the impact of the small grants programmes, and coordinating support from the team to ensure this work is well supported. In this role you will oversee both YCF’s small grants programmes to members, and also YCF’s delivery of the Holiday Activities & Food Programme, which together amount to around £900,000 per year in grants out to Camden’s youth sector.

You will lead on YCF’s operations, including clerking to the Board of Trustees, ensuring timely applications and reporting to funders, and overseeing all aspects of YCF’s operations. You will be supported by our Operations & Administrations Apprentice. You will support the CEO across YCF’s partnerships, cultivating our pipeline of funders, including Trusts & Foundations and corporate donors, and spotting and supporting opportunities wherever you can.

As a natural team player working in a small team, you will spot opportunities to support YCF’s membership (especially regarding grants) and the other functions of YCF’s work. As a place based organisation, you will ensure you are known in the local community, and amongst our key stakeholders, including grassroots VCS partners, Camden Council, and our key funders.

Along with the CEO and the Head of Membership & Impact, you will support YCF’s partnerships, including with business neighbours, spotting opportunities to amplify YCF’s work.

Main Purpose of the Role

Grants management:

Grants management: You will direct and lead the YCF small grants programmes (including Small & Mighty Fund, Holiday Opportunities Fund and Heads Up Mental Health Fund, of around £150,000 p.a.), including leading on design and guidelines, engagement with YCF’s grants committee structures, and reporting back to Trustees and funders. You will lead on grants decisions processes and communications, as part of YCF’s membership offer. You will oversee all due diligence processes as part of YCF’s grant giving offer, and ensure smooth reporting cycles with grantees
Strategic oversight of HAF: Strategic leadership of the Camden HAF programme, overseeing the HAF Programme Manager in the stewardship of this DfE programme, and retaining oversight of key deliverables, together with the Heads of Children’s Commissioning at Camden Council

Fundraising and reporting:

Fundraising: You will maintain our pipeline of supporters, including of our grants rounds, and lead reporting for YCF’s grants and core funding to funders, supported by the team. You will ensure timely funding applications submissions Together with the Head of Membership & Impact, you will support the CEO in all fundraising for YCF and our programmes, including identifying funding and partnership opportunities, drafting bids and pitches, and so on.

Reporting: You will oversee and deliver timely reporting across YCF’s funders. You will manage and be supported by the Operations Apprentice to ensure smooth and timely processes. You will ensure YCF’s monitoring and evaluation frameworks are fit for purpose. You will work with the rest of the team to ensure this function is properly and efficiently supported, and will proactively identify ways to more efficiently record and report on information to funders, including effective use of our CRM.

Operations and governance:

Operational leadership: You will be responsible for YCF’s operational running as an organisation, ensuring our processes are smooth and fit for purpose. In practice, this may include supporting the CEO in operational and strategic planning, supporting budget oversight (and leading in the areas of grants). Supported by the Operations Apprentice, you will oversee YCF’s HR processes for onboarding, recruitment and so on.
Governance: You will support YCF’s governance processes, due diligence and compliance, ensuring YCF is compliant with our charitable obligations, and ensure our policies are up to date and we are compliant with them.
Board minute taking: You will take minutes of YCF’s Board meetings, and ensure actions are followed up with, and oversee the Operations Apprentice in the setting up of meetings and logistics. You will support the CEO and Chair with the preparation of papers, as needed.

Management and leadership

Management: You will manage two important roles for YCF, modelling leadership at YCF, alongside the CEO and the Head of Membership & Impact
Representing YCF: You will represent the organisation at a senior level at external events, including via speaking opportunities

Person specification

In an ideal world we are looking for the following essential and desirable areas of experience. However, if you are missing one or two of the essential areas, but bring relevant experience / aptitudes, we would still value hearing from you.

Required experience and aptitudes

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following professional experience:

Experience of high-level operational responsibilities, with demonstrable exceptional organisational skills
Proven exceptional written and verbal communication skills to a range of audiences
Experience in producing high-quality written reports
Fundraising experience, including writing successful funding applications and bids
Line management experience
An appreciation of the value of grassroots community-based VCS organisations
Willingness to learn, adapt and be flexible, in a small and changing team

Desirable experience

Grants management experience (including grantee engagement and good grants practice)
Understanding of Camden’s voluntary and community sector, and the challenges it faces
Experience developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks
Professional experience of working in a youth focused organisation
CRM systems experience such as Salesforce
Experience working with a Board of Trustees
Understanding of corporate / charitable partnerships
Educated to Degree level

We know that skills and experiences come in different forms, so if you’ve got a range of our essential criteria, and a willingness to learn, there are training and education opportunities at YCF to train you up in post.

To apply

Please submit a cover letter (no more than 2 A4 sides) and your CV to our e-mail at info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk specifically outlining how you meet the criteria and your interest in the role by Sunday 26th April at midnight, with the title ‘Head of Grants & Operations application’.

Interviews are due to take place w/b 4th

and 11th May. Please indicate in your covering email if there are any dates that you cannot do in those weeks.

Use of AI

We understand that AI may sometimes be useful in helping you clarify your ideas or check grammar. However, please ensure that the application submitted is written by you and is truly reflective of your experience.

Organiser

Young Camden Foundation

https://youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk/

info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk

Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AH

Young Camden Foundation

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Head of Grants & Operations