Grants Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to add value to a growing charity and to make a real and lasting difference to colleagues working in grocery who are experiencing difficult times.

As a Grants Officer you will join a busy team at our Head Office in Sandhurst. Our motivated and dedicated Grants Officers are focused on supporting colleagues when applying for financial help, in an empathic and non-judgmental manner, delivering a high standard of client experience and keeping detailed, clear records.

Your days will be rewarding and varied and include acting as the first point of contact  for applicants managing a caseload of grant applications, ensuring all required information is ready for review.

You will have administrative experience of working in a busy, customer-facing role, ideally with a minimum of two years working in a grant giving environment and have used a database to record case notes.

Full training will be given on systems and services, followed by a structured personal development plan which will include benefits training and a deep understanding of the support and signposting available to colleagues.

The role is hybrid - working at least 2 days a week from the office in Sandhurst and the other days from home. 

The Charity

GroceryAid is a charity supporting people who are working or have worked in the grocery industry. We have been providing emotional, practical and financial support for grocery colleagues since 1857. 

Role Responsibilities

• Act as a first point of contact for the Welfare Department. Dealing with telephone, email, and post enquiries in an empathetic and non-judgmental manner, taking into consideration that they may be distressed or vulnerable
• Processing applications in an accurate and timely manner.
• Gathering additional or supporting information from applicants to ensure they meet criteria and enable a recommendation to be made whilst keeping the applicant updated on timescales.
• Helping applicants and grocery colleagues navigate through the services GroceryAid offer and identify additional areas of support that may be of benefit
• Create, record, and log all communications with applicants to a high standard and in a compliant and non-judgmental way.
• Actively manage tasks allocated through database work queues, meeting our GroceryAid Service Level Charter
• An ability to demonstrate empathy and good decision-making skills based on the criteria provided
• Be able to work calmly and productively under pressure and keep to deadlines
• Keep up to date with the benefits knowledge and undertake regular training and meetings to extend and update own knowledge of grant making, health and wellbeing
• Participate in internal/external meetings as required and attend in person training events and conferences as necessary
• Working with colleagues, and supporters in a supportive and collaborative way to meet GroceryAid’s charitable goals

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent administration skills with a strong eye for detail when assessing documentation
• Confident with Microsoft Office, particularly use of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database
• Excellent telephone manner
• A minimum of two years working in a grant giving environment
• Confident communication skills when managing difficult situations
• Proven personal resilience to support your wellbeing and those around you
• High energy, drive and passion to deliver the purpose of the Charity

Desirable

• Experience of working with a vulnerable client group
• Client case holding and management experience

Additional Information

• Basic salary £30,000
• Location: Sandhurst, hybrid working, currently a minimum of two days a week (Thursday and one day of choice) are in the office
• Hours:  Full - time 34 hours a week
• Flexible working is offered once training is completed
• Private health and dental care option
• 25 annual leave days plus public holidays (and additional 3 days at Christmas)
• Excellent contributory pension scheme (up to 10% Employer Contributions available)
• Life Assurance (up to 5 times salary)
• Colleague Support Programme
• £50 a month wellbeing allowance