***THIS JOB VACANCY HAS NOW CLOSED***
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund is inviting applications for the position of Grants Assistant to work as part of a small team. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is a new grant making charity which from 1 April 2018 has had £10 million each year to support the Armed Forces Covenant by funding projects which address specific priorities.
The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and the armed forces. It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to current and former members of the armed forces and their families, and it sets out how they should expect to be treated.
The Fund was managed within the Ministry of Defence from June 2015 and in spring 2018 it became an independent charity.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity as it establishes its position as a major funder of the armed forces sector, and continues the work begun in-house at the MOD of becoming an intelligent funder, which is committed to learning from and sharing the achievements of its grant holders and impact of its funding programme. Some previous experience of working in a charity would be an advantage as would an interest in or knowledge about the armed forces sector. The successful candidate is likely to have an interest in, and commitment to, the difference that charities can make.
The Grants Assistant will work as part of a small team in the Trust’s offices not far from Victoria Station in London. The Trust is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to providing development and training opportunities.
Reporting to: Grants Manager
Summary of role: Supporting the Trust’s day to day grant making activity, supporting all assessment and monitoring, including responding to applicant and grant holder queries and maintaining grant records.
Salary: £25-28,000 pro rata dependent on experience
Contract: Full-time role
Location: Office based in central London
Deadline: 28 March 2019
Main duties
- Assist the grant team with all aspects of grant making
- Undertake recording, classifying, analysing, and reporting all grant management transactions
- Undertake day to day administration of the grant related enquiries to the Trust – responding where appropriate, supporting applicants through the system, and passing complex queries to colleagues as necessary
- Ensure grant payment claims and monitoring report documents are complete and ready for the lead grant team member to review and grants are closed when all requirements are deemed to have been met
- Prepare data and liaise with the Finance and Operations team to ensure that grants are paid on time
- Support the grants team to prepare reports and assessments for the trustees
- Active management of the grants management system and the quality of data within it, ensuring accuracy of data and proactively increasing the usefulness of the Trust’s systems for managing electronic files relating to grant making
- Support the whole team including organising meetings and events, diaries, preparing papers and minuting
- Provide administrative support for office-wide projects as required
- Any other duties that could reasonably be expected
Person specification
Essential
- At least two years in office-based administrative roles
- Experience of preparing and presenting basic written reports to colleagues and seniors
- Excellent organisational and administrative skills
- Excellent general IT skills including MS Office and databases
- Ability to multitask, work in a dynamic environment, and to remain calm under pressure.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work with minimal direction and work well in a team.
- Ability to deal with sensitive and/or confidential information.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a charity, or other not for profit or small organisation
- Evidence of interest in and commitment to the work of the Trust
- Experience of grant making
- Personal knowledge or experience of working with or being part of the Armed Services community
- Knowledge of grant management systems (particularly Blackbaud Grant Making – also known as ‘GIFTS’)
- Good knowledge of using Office 365
How to apply:
Applications should take the form of a letter (no more than two pages of A4) providing evidence of how you meet the person specification and CV – both attached to an email addressed to enquiries@covenantfund.org.uk giving the contact details for two professional referees, and how you know them. Please include ‘Grants Assistant Application’ in the subject line. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview.
The deadline for applications is 28 March 2019.
