Trusts and Foundations Manager

We are a not-for-profit organisation committed to increasing the diversity and numbers of young people entering engineering and technology to meet the future workforce needs, as well as promoting roles that help us work towards net zero and drive environmental sustainability.

This role is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced manager wanting to take ownership for strategy development, or a specialist seeking to take the next step in their career. With experience in grant funding – from trusts, foundations or government – you will build on EngineeringUK’s pipeline of prospective funders, take the lead on developing proposals, and relationship-manage our most significant funders to have a direct impact on our mission to increase the number and diversity of young people enabled to choose engineering and technology careers.

We are looking for a self-starter with an approach to collaboration which gets the most out of colleagues when working on cross-department projects. You will have persuasive writing skills, with the ability to condense technical information into something impactful and easy to understand. You will also have strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently, and prioritise the things which will best achieve our strategic goals. Most importantly, you will live EngineeringUK’s values, will be committed to our mission, and have a passion for fundraising.

About EngineeringUK

Our purpose is to drive change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers.

Our vision is that the UK has the workforce needed for engineering and technology to thrive, to improve sustainability and to achieve net zero.

Our mission is to enable more young people from all backgrounds to be informed, inspired and progress into engineering and technology.

In the UK, we don’t have enough engineers and demand is going up. So, we need more young people to realise there could be a future for them in engineering and technology. To really thrive, we need a stronger, more diverse and representative workforce and for that we have to do things differently to make engineering more appealing.

We are a not-for-profit working with hundreds of organisations across business, education, professional institutions and the third sector so we can all grow the future talent pool together. We drive that collective effort through research and evidence, leadership, activities for schools and advocacy, with a focus on long-term sustainability.

We guided by a series of values that we apply to all our activity:

• We are inclusive and care about diversity. We understand that we have different needs and create opportunities for everyone's voice to be heard
• We are collaborative. We listen, share and work in partnership to achieve our vision
• We are curious and keen to learn. We challenge ourselves and others to innovate and experiment
• We are insightful. We evaluate what we do and draw on research to make decisions and to improve our collective understanding
• We are driven by a strong sense of purpose. We are determined to make an impact and achieve our goals

About the role

We are looking for a passionate and skilled Trusts & Foundations specialist to expand EngineeringUK’s relationships in this field and develop grant-funding as a core income stream for our work. We receive significant funding from grant funders already but are looking to scale this income stream. This gives the successful candidate the opportunity to have an early impact and have influence over the direction of our strategy for grant-funding.

Whilst this is currently the sole role focusing on this area, you would be supported by the Director of Business Development & Partnerships and the Chief Executive, both of whom have experience in this type of fundraising. Senior level engagement and support means we can be flexible to the level of experience of the successful candidate, making this role a great opportunity for an experienced Manager wanting to take ownership of a strategy, or for a Specialist looking to take their next step and develop their strategic skills.

The Trusts & Foundations Manager role will be part of the Business & Industry team (11 people), who have responsibility for all funding and industry relationships across EngineeringUK. The team works strategically with stakeholders across the engineering, technology and education sectors, to support our mission to increase the number and diversity of young people choosing engineering and technology careers. Opportunities for funding include our bursary programme, in-school programmes such as EnergyQuest and Climate Schools, Big Bang Programme, supporting our community of Code signatories, and developing new programmes.

Once funding is secured, the postholder will account manage the relationship and see the project through to contract-end. Therefore, in addition to being able to secure new funding, interest in and experience of delivering excellent account management is essential.

Whilst the core focus of the role will be on developing relationships with trusts & foundations, there may also be some opportunities to explore key relationships we hold in government, particularly for some larger projects we have on the horizon.

The role is London based at our office at 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN and may involve some travel in the UK.  We believe that hybrid working has many benefits and are pleased to offer flexible working with a baseline of 2 days (or 40%) a week in our vibrant central London office overlooking the Thames. We also offer core hours of 10am to 4pm. Further details on our flexible working practices can be discussed at interview or you can reach out to a member of our HR team.

Further details of the role can be found in the job description and person specification.

Person specification

Essential Skills / Competencies

• Experience of identifying, securing and delivering grant-funding from trusts, foundations and/or government.
• Good understanding of the grant-giving environment, with the ability to quickly identify the spaces and conversations your organisation should be engaging in.
• Experience of building and prioritising a pipeline.
• Confidence securing introductions to new people and organisations in-person, virtually, and through written correspondence.
• Excellent writing skills, with the ability to condense detailed information and present it in a compelling and persuasive way for a variety of audiences.
• Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to quickly build rapport, understand, and respond to the needs of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong record keeping, with experience of using a CRM for maintaining records and reporting.
• Ability to understand and present financial information for a funder.
• Ability to make decisions quickly and aptly with minimal supervision, whilst consulting as widely as appropriate when the situation warrants it and/or in line with organisational ways of working.
• Strong attention to detail and good time management.
• Commitment to our mission and values, you will be able to engage with our values and work in a way that supports our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Desirable skills/competencies

• An understanding of education and/or STEM, especially in the funding environment, would be advantageous but not essential.
• Experience of writing and delivering a strategy. 
• Financial management skills.
• Formal education qualifications are not required, but evidence of continuing professional development is very welcome.

EngineeringUK is committed to being an inclusive workplace, where everyone feels they belong.  This is supported by the dedicated work we are doing to ensure our policies and practices are inclusive and that our staff are trained to be able to fulfil this commitment.

We value the benefits of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.  Our recruitment process is designed to be as accessible and inclusive as possible and to ensure people are individually assessed regardless of their backgrounds or characteristics. We are an equal opportunities employer and are open to flexible working, including job share.

Applying for this role

Applications
 

If you would like to request to submit your application in an alternative format to support accessibility, please let us know.  
 

The deadline for applications is midday 12th January.

Interviews

Applications will be assessed against the requirements for the post as set out in the Role Profile and Person Specification.

We are a Disability Confident committed employer. We guarantee an interview to any disabled people who meet the minimum requirements of the role. Additionally, if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to make this process easier for you then we are happy to do so. Just complete the relevant sections of the online application form. 

We aim to notify candidates who have been shortlisted on 14th January.  If you have not heard from us after this date, please assume that you have not been successful.

First interviews will be held on 17th January.

What can we offer you?

• Competitive salary
• 28 days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), in addition we normally close for the Christmas week
• Competitive pension (10% employer contribution)
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Flexible working
• A vibrant office with terrace overlooking the Thames embankment and Tower Bridge
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Insurance (4 x salary)
• Long term illness/incapacity insurance cover (permanent health insurance or PHI)
• Annual private health check for all employees over 40 once they have completed their probationary period and to employees over 35 after 3 years’ service
• Discounted gym membership
• Yearly flu vaccination