Programme Manager - Community Leadership Grants

We are seeking a Programme Manager to join a small and friendly team to lead the new Unitarian Innovation Challenge scheme, which provides matched funding to enable our free and inquiring spiritual communities to grow their reach and impact. Congregations and other grassroots Unitarian groups will be able to apply to the fund for grants to invest in people who can help them innovate in the way they develop, communicate and deliver an engaging and rewarding spiritual and social experience for current and new members.

The Unitarian movement is committed to free and inquiring religious community, and comprises 150 autonomous congregations across Great Britain. Like many faith groups, we are at a time of transformation, and this role's purpose is to facilitate and enable bottom-up rejuvenation of our denomination.

We are seeking an organised, effective, relationship-building programme manager, who is passionate about community, and is aligned to Unitarian values of co-operation, tolerance, respect, and open to free-thinking religious ideas.

More information about Unitarianism:

Full details of the Innovation Challenge scheme:

Job purpose

To set up, promote, lead and administer the Unitarian Innovation Challenge Scheme

Role

• To support and encourage potential projects to successful applications
• To run briefings and/or workshops (on-line and face-to-face) to promote the grant scheme and coach would-be applicants in how to envision and prepare for successful projects
• To advise and coach congregations or groups on how to develop initial ideas in outline bids into successful grant applications, including via Development grants where appropriate
• To support and encourage funded projects to successful completion
• To assist and encourage funded projects that are struggling to overcome challenges and/or support the ending of a project that proves unviable
• To share learning and experience to leverage insights and inspire others around the Unitarian movement
• To evaluate progress and procedures and propose/implement improvements as experience is gained
• To organise and administer the process by which grant applications are evaluated
• To recruit, train, motivate and administer a pool of suitably qualified assessors
• To ensure the assessment process is fair, timely and accessible to a diversity of applicants
• To organise quarterly assessment panels
• To administer the process by which the Chair of the Assessment Panel reviews the assessments to check that the criteria are being applied consistently
• To administer the scheme
• To receive and approve progress reports from grantees
• To monitor the scheme's budget
• Prepare short quarterly reports for the Executive Committee, both quantitative (statistics on number of applications, number and value of grants, budget etc) and qualitative (achievements of grant-aided schemes, insights and improvements) and present a summary annual report of progress and learnings for the GA AGM.

Reporting to: Ministry and Congregational Support Officer

Location: homebased, or in our London office

Term of appointment: This is expected to be a five-year position.

Person specification

• Experience of motivating and coaching or building teams to innovate
• Experience of grassroots community or faith settings
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with a people of different ages, backgrounds, level of experience in community development
• Project management vision and skills
• Excellent administrator with attention to detail
• Excellent written communication and financial modelling skills
• Skilled with database, spreadsheet and communication software
• Must be willing to travel frequently within the UK (including our London office from time to time, if homeworking).

The candidate need not be a Unitarian or person of faith but is expected to uphold our values.

How to apply

Please submit a CV along with a cover letter explaining your interest in and suitability for this role. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.