Grants Officer

Overview

Job Purpose
This is an exciting and varied role to support the management and delivery of the Rufford Small Grants Programme, ensuring that grantees have support during implementation of their Rufford-funded projects and can potentially scale up their work through applications for further funding.

The Grants Officer will dedicate most of their time working within a small team to review applications, provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants, and assess progress and project delivery of successful grantees. Mostly, this will entail checking that applicants and their proposals fit our guidelines and then forwarding applications for technical review by external experts. Through internal discussions, the Grants Officer will also provide input into project review with other members of our conservation team. The assessment of Rufford Small Grants requires day-to-day administration, which is an essential part of this role.

The Grants Officer will also identify and support grantees to deliver in-person learning events, funded by The Rufford Foundation, to build the capacities of participants. The Grants Officer will be encouraged to bring new ideas to enhance the foundation’s small grants and grantee development work.

The Grants Officer will be involved in key events in the UK and potentially overseas (e.g., the Student Conference on Conservation Science and the International Congress for Conservation Biology) to conduct outreach on Rufford Small Grants, deliver workshops, discuss funding opportunities with new applicants and meet with existing and former grantees.

Principal Responsibilities
Rufford Small Grants
• Perform an initial eligibility review of applications to the Rufford Small Grants Programme. Initially, this will be done with the support of the Grants Manager.

• Forward eligible applications via an online portal to an external coordinator for expert review.

• Review expert feedback on unsuccessful applications and summarise this succinctly so it can be passed back to applicants who can then consider reapplying to Rufford (or other donors) in the future.
• To assist with the eligibility review of Booster and Completion Grants. The Grants Officer will conduct rapid reviews of previous project updates and financial, narrative and final evaluation reports, checking that further applications are designed to scale up on previous projects.
• Review referee feedback forms, submitted upon completion of Rufford Small Grant projects, and analyse comments for reporting back to grantees, colleagues, CEO and Trustees.
• Support existing and previous winners of Rufford Small Grants to scale up their projects through the development of new funding applications for 2nd Rufford Small Grants and Booster and Completion Grants.

Rufford Learning Events and other Conferences
• Promote and facilitate opportunities for Rufford grantees to plan and deliver in-country learning events that bring together Rufford grantees and build their capacities through multi-day workshops.
• Identify grantees who can coordinate in-country learning events.
• Review learning event funding applications, ensuring they involve learning, sharing of knowledge and networking.
• Assist with connecting grantees within countries and regions where learning events take place.
• Provide grantees with connections to subject experts and trainers as required.
• Take an active role in participating and facilitating learning events in agreement with the grantee(s) organising and hosting the event.
• Review post-event reports and evaluations to gauge the effectiveness of each learning event and share lessons with grantees planning future events.
• Identify and take part in events, conferences and networking opportunities in the UK, overseas or online.

General
• Cultivate strong relationships with colleagues.
• Represent The Rufford Foundation as required at events in the UK and overseas to promote Rufford Small Grants to relevant audiences and ensure the foundation is well connected with conservation and donor communities.

• Highlight key findings from Rufford Small Grants, learning events and wider trends/ interests in conservation with colleagues at weekly team meetings.
• Ad hoc work in support of the Grants Manager and CEO.
• This job description is not exhaustive, and the role may evolve.

Person specification
Experience
• At least 5 years’ experience of working within an environmental or biodiversity conservation NGO.
• Fundraising or grant-making, ideally within the conservation sector.
• Reviewing funding applications for conservation projects, supporting the grant selection process, drafting feedback.

• Planning and delivering field-based conservation projects, preferably within developing country contexts.

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, including the preparation and facilitation of workshops, training courses or conferences.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluating conservation projects and learning events/ workshops.
• Candidates will ideally have completed an MSc in an environmental/conservation- related discipline.

Skills and abilities
Essential:
• Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, grantees and collaborators.
• Interest in connecting with donors and others working in conservation and capacity building.
• IT literate with experience of using online application and review systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good research, analytical, and administrative skills.
• Able to manage a consistently busy workload.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
• Good team player who enjoys working within a small, friendly team.
• Capable of working under their own initiative.
• The job holder may be requested to travel overseas as part of their work.
• Must have the right to work in the UK.

Desirable:
• Public speaking experience.

• Ability to communicate in a second language e.g. French, Spanish or another language.

What we offer:

We offer a competitive salary, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, attractive employer contribution-only pension scheme and private medical insurance cover.

Deadline for applications is Sunday 8th September 2024.

How to apply:

Please send your CV (max. 2 pages) and covering letter (max. 2 pages) explaining your interest and suitability for the role to [email protected]. Your CV and covering letter should be saved as attachments e.g. YOUR NAME_Grants Officer_COVERLETTER and YOUR NAME_Grants Officer_CV. Please also ensure that your name and the position appears in the email subject line.