Grants Officer

Position Title: Grants Officer
Location: ERF Offices in West London, with some flexibility
Reporting to: Executive Director
Salary: £45,000 pa
Contract terms: Permanent, 37.5 hours a week

Background

The Ecological Restoration Fund (ERF) is an environmental charitable trust based in London. Our vision is a vibrant, healthy planet with thriving ecosystems where communities develop in harmony with nature. ERF aims to create transformational impact globally, focusing on initiatives that contribute to ecological protection and restoration while bringing dynamic economic, social, and cultural benefits to local communities. Since its inception in 2022, ERF has granted over £40 million to organisations worldwide. Joining us offers the unparalleled opportunity to make a substantial impact in addressing the global biodiversity crisis.

The Fund is governed by its Founder and Chair, Daniel Hotz, alongside Trustees Dr. Sigrid Rausing and Dr. Lisbet Rausing, and currently employs two staff. The Fund's offices are co-located with the Sigrid Rausing Trust in West London, within a collegiate working environment. More details on ERF’s work can be found on our website.

Working for ERF

ERF is committed to being a good practice employer. We offer staff development opportunities and flexible working arrangements, with a wide range of benefits including private health insurance, life insurance and an income protection policy.

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities.

Role Overview

The Grants Officer role is a new position within our small but expanding team. This role will provide a range of support focused on grant management, assistance to grantees and support to ERF staff.

The key priorities for the Grants Officer are:

• Lead the development and oversight of ERF’s new grants management system;
• Lead on data entry within ERF’s grant management system and provide support to programme staff and in due course, to grantees interacting with it;
• Support the whole grant management cycle including scoping, recommendation, approval and reporting on all grants;
• Produce key administrative outputs from ERF’s grant management system, including reports, reminders and reviews;
• Provide additional support to the ERF’s programme staff in the delivery of grant management tasks at key periods and provide cover as required;
• Undertake other delegated support activities as required, such as providing focused support to the Executive Director and to programme staff.

Key Responsibilities:

Grant management system

• Manage all aspects of the scoping, development and roll-out of ERF’s new grant management system, including managing relationship and correspondence with the database supplier;
• Support the provision and management of data inputs and exports in/from ERF’s new grant management system;
• Support and train ERF staff in the operation and management of ERF’s grant management system.

Grant administration

• Handle all administrative issues relating to grants, including tracking commitments and managing grant payments, under the direction of Executive Director and programme staff;
• Monitor and follow up on grantee compliance with all report submissions, and any other key deliverables and assist in reviewing grant reports;
• Handle correspondence relating to grant applications, requests for extensions, transfers, etc.
• Ensure that all grant information is documented appropriately and filed accurately, and that grant data are managed effectively;
• Support programme staff in maintaining effective systems for monitoring and managing grants administration;
• Undertake programmatic research assignments from time to time as requested;
• Provide administrative support to other grant making processes as required;
• Provide advice and guidance to applicants and grantees on administrative procedures, policies and practices.

Planning and reporting

• Support ERF Executive Director and programme staff in the preparation of grant-related financial reporting, Board papers, reports and presentations, including preparing charts and graphics and formatting of documents.

Other responsibilities

• Provide occasional ad hoc support to Executive Director on administration issues when needed;
• Provide occasional ad hoc support to programme staff in their wider work as needed.

Relationships and reporting lines

• Role will be line managed by ERF’s Executive Director;
• Works closely with programme staff colleague(s);
• Works collaboratively with ERF office support colleagues, sharing information and learning and mutual support;
• Provides a range of guidance and support to grantees and potential grantees.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge, qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience;
• A demonstrable understanding of the issues of interest to the Fund, and interest in developing this further;
• High level of literacy and numeracy;
• At least five years of work experience in an operational role, preferably in a related field;
• Strong administration skills;
• High level of computer literacy, including experience of using Microsoft Office particularly Excel, and ideally Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, grant-making software or other databases.

Key Competences, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to high standards of delivery;
• Strong planning and organising skills and ability to project manage complex activities to time and to standard;
• Excellent analytical skills and strong communications skills; ability to write concisely and persuasively and to present ideas confidently;
• Excellent written and spoken English. Knowledge of other languages a plus;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with people at all levels and from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities, to work on own initiative and proactively identify problems and potential solutions;
• Team player, and flexible approach to supporting others in a small team.

Personal qualities

• Demonstrable interest in and commitment to environmental conservation and ecological restoration;
• Commitment to the vision, mission and values of ERF;
• Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity and inclusion, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work;
• Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development;
• Good judgment and self-awareness;
• Integrity, humility, flexibility and a sense of humour.

Other requirements

ERF is only able to consider applications from candidates who already have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

How to apply:

Please submit a CV (of no more than two A4 pages) and covering statement (of no more than 1000 words) that answers the following questions: 1) Why are you interested in working for ERF? and 2) What, based on this advert, makes you a particularly good fit for the Grants Officer role? Please send these documents to recruitment@ecorestorationfund.org

Closing date for applications is Friday, 30th August 2024.

We expect to hold interviews during the week starting 16th September 2024.