We are seeking to appoint someone on a 12-month fixed term contract as maternity cover, to join our Grants Team in
delivering The Ideas Fund, an exciting programme which looks to connect communities with researchers in order to
develop and try out ideas related to mental wellbeing. The Fund is delivered in four areas of the UK – Oldham,
Hull, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and North West Northern Ireland, although this role can be remote,
based anywhere in the UK.
With support from the Head of Grants, we expect that you will have lead responsibility for our work in two of these
areas, building strong relationships with our Development Co-ordinators and contributing to the successful
delivery of the overall programme. You will oversee the support for grant holders to learn from what is working
and feed this learning into our overall approach with the Fund, as well as sharing insights externally. It’s an
exciting time for the Fund; you can find more details about our plans here.
You will work with our existing Grants & Learning Manager to ensure that our due diligence and grant reporting
requirements are met, responding flexibly and creatively to issues that arise. Importantly, you will
consistently focus on how we can continue to be innovative with our grant making, and how our learning can
influence long term change in funding and public engagement practice.
Key responsibilities
The main responsibilities of this role are to:
- Work with the Head of Grants to deliver an innovative programme that constantly evolves based on what we
learn.
- Deliver excellent grant-making using relational, flexible and participatory
approaches.
- Design and implement high-quality assessment, due diligence and grant management processes,
continually reviewing and refining the approach.
- Support the assessment and delivery of a portfolio of
‘evidence building’ grants, with projects due to begin in January 2025.
- Design and implement learning
and evaluation strategies and processes, reviewing and refining as needed. Manage relationships and/or contracts
with learning partners where appropriate.
- Support local Development Coordinators to:
- Ensure the
programme’s aim of supporting underserved communities is fulfilled and the grants budget is
committed.
- Work with applicants and collaborators to develop high quality innovative
proposals.
- Work with grant holders, collaborating researchers and project partners to overcome
challenges they might face in delivering their projects.
- Collate and share local learning as part of an
evidence building and practice sharing strategy, which is currently in development.
- Develop
and manage a small pipeline of discretionary ‘infrastructure’ grants to add value to the portfolio and/or make
systemic impact at local or national level, if necessary.
- Develop bespoke application and grant
management and learning processes as appropriate.
- Work with the Head of Grants to devise a learning and
development plan for the Grants Team.
- Build and engage a network of key stakeholders to ensure
successful delivery of the programme.
- Champion innovation in supporting community/researcher
collaboration, community-led research, systems change and grant-making across relevant sectors including:
- Sharing learning, practice and ideas with a broad range of stakeholders through a range of
approaches.
- Representing the British Science Association at external events to share innovation and
learning.
- Develop and deliver events and/or content to showcase practice.
- Support the
Head of Grants with developing the BSA’s strategy around future grants programmes.
In addition, the post-holder will be expected to:
- Support colleagues across the organisation, especially at busy times or on specific areas of
expertise.
- Undertake assessment or grant management work on other programmes as required.
- Other
duties as reasonably required by the line manager.
Our Head Office is based in London, but we have an agile working policy enabling people to work at another UK
location up to 4 days/week.
Permanent remote working in the UK is possible and we welcome applications from people based in other parts of the
UK. We are happy to consider secondments.
For more information including the person specification and full job
description, and for details on how to apply, please visit
britishscienceassociation.org/grants-and-learning-manager-maternity-cover