Head of Engagement (maternity cover)

About Impetus

Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by ensuring they get the right support to succeed in school, in work and in life. 

We find, fund and build the most promising organisations working with these young people, providing core funding and working shoulder-to-shoulder with their leaders over the long term to help them become stronger. 

At Impetus we focus on the critical factors that influence the education and employment outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the UK, working with organisations that have the potential for impact at scale, helping their leaders to deliver lifechanging, benchmark beating, sustained outcomes. 

We provide them with the funding and the tools to grow and deliver on their promises to the young people they serve. We also seek to influence government and the wider sector to back effective support for young people and invest with other like-minded organisations to tackle the most difficult and under-supported challenges. 

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our charity partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

About the team

The Philanthropy and Partnerships team at Impetus is a friendly, driven team that is passionate about building fantastic relationships with a variety of funders that lead to meaningful outcomes for the young people we serve. The Head of Engagement role sits within the wider Philanthropy and Partnerships team, working alongside colleagues driving forward philanthropic income generation and donor retention. It plays a critical role in the stewardship of our partnerships and provides our funders with the chance to give their time and expertise as well as their financial contributions.

As Impetus embarks on a new five-year strategy, we are driving forward our ambition to grow our income and support more young people. A key element in achieving this ambition is sustaining a high-performing engagement programme which will support our fundraising activities. This is therefore an exciting time to be joining the team to help us meet our goals and continue transforming the lives of young people.

About this role

We’re looking to recruit an experienced individual who will lead on the donor engagement for all Impetus donors. This person will bridge the gap between our funders and the work we do with organisations in our portfolio and other partners to transform the lives of young people.

They will be primarily responsible for leading and delivering engagement through volunteering activities, and through this securing ongoing support for Impetus’s work. The role is strategic, working in close collaboration with our Investment team to first identify suitable volunteering opportunities via our portfolio partners and then working in close collaboration to deliver opportunities which closely align with the aims of our funders. Our volunteering activities span online CV workshops through to in-person Insight Days, work experience and beyond. The volunteering programme is a vital component of our stewardship offer to our donors, who seek opportunities to meet and support the young people that Impetus serves through the organisation in its portfolio.

The postholder will also support the Head of Engagement (Pro Bono) to enable Impetus to source pro bono support from corporate partners. The role line manages a Philanthropy Officer who facilitates the day-to-day running of volunteering events with partners.

Key responsibilities

Volunteering

• Manage and deliver c.50 online and in person meaningful volunteering activities a year via Impetus portfolio partners.
• Through this delivery of c.50 activities, support the management of Impetus’s funding partnerships, including Corporates, Individuals and Grant Making Trusts, to ensure donors are engaged with Impetus’s work and continue to support.
• Lead meetings (online and in person) with funders to identify their volunteering needs and drive forward engagement opportunities.
• Liaise closely with the Impetus Investment team and organisations in our portfolio to build relationships and craft the planning and delivery of a high-quality programme of volunteering sessions.
• Deliver new strategic opportunities to advance our volunteering programme, including the set-up and initial delivery of a new mentoring programme.
• Identify other new donor engagement opportunities through relationships with our portfolio, expanding the range of opportunities available to donors in response to need and availability.  
• Craft relevant communications and collateral for the volunteering programme, alongside Development Directors and the Communications team.
• Ensure all communications with external stakeholders are prompt, clear and compelling.
• Work closely with account managers to ensure effective stewardship over the course of donors’ annual giving cycles, strategically advising on when to hold and host volunteering opportunities.
• Lead on the data analysis of the volunteering programme, regularly feeding back to the Development Director and Investment team in written, verbal and presentation form.
• Ensure the systems and processes around volunteering are maintained and up to date, as well as ensuring the effective use of Salesforce to hold key data.
• Line manage the Philanthropy Officer and oversee their work plan and development.
• Be prepared to travel across London to deliver volunteering events at corporate partner premises.
• Come into the London office two times per week.
• Attend Philanthropy team events outside of work hours including our evening Summer Party; our Saturday Triathlon; and our evening Transforming Lives Dinner. These are in London and outside of London.

Pro Bono

• Support the Head of Engagement (pro bono) in delivering new pro bono partners, including supporting the research of new partners and attending meetings (where necessary) to build new Pro Bono relationships.
• Working alongside the Head of Engagement (pro bono) and the Investment team, to source external support for pro bono projects. You may also support in monitoring the delivery of these projects and reviewing the quality of execution.
• Support in the stewardship of existing pro bono partners including leading appropriate meetings or Lunch and Learn sessions.
• Record all pro bono contacts and projects within Salesforce database.

Other

• Demonstrate professionalism and best practice in all duties. 
• Share the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally.
• Work within Impetus strategy, policies and procedures. 
• Attend Impetus events to provide support to Philanthropy team. 
• Represent the Philanthropy team on internal projects, working groups and committees as required.

Person specification

Essential

• Experience of running a volunteering or membership programme and familiarity with the fundraising landscape, including a good understanding of the corporate donor marketplace.
• Exceptional project management experience, with the ability to devise donor engagement plans and use project/account plans, budgets, and other financial information.
• Proven experience of maintaining and developing excellent relationships and partnerships with a range of stakeholders, each with different needs.
• Ability to proactively seek and originate new business and activities whilst maintaining and developing existing networks.
• Understanding of the role which skilled volunteering can have for charities.
• A strong interest in partnering closely with charities that are committed to learning about the role of volunteering, building out their volunteering programme and working collaboratively to co-design opportunities for Impetus funders.
• The ability to grasp and interpret complex ideas, including the venture philanthropy model of Impetus and the private equity industry.
• A commitment to Impetus’ mission.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Growth mind-set: seeks out and acts on feedback in order to improve performance.
• Presence, credibility and ability to look beyond own area of expertise.
• Excellent line management and staff development skills.
• Excellent team player, with a commitment to working in a collaborative and inclusive style.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work independently to prioritise workload and manage conflicting demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent IT skills with experience and knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience in using Salesforce or a comparable CRM system.

Desirable

• The ability to work through the fundraising cycle with donors.
• The ability to work through the pro bono engagement cycle with donors.
• Experience of working in a similar role.
• Knowledge or experience of the youth or charity sector.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative andgets better results.

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, or marital status. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

How to apply

You will need to:

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form)
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification. 
You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission. 
As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The deadline for applications is 9am Monday 02 December 2024.

Interviews

First round interviews will take place: week commencing 09 December 2024

Second round interviews will take place: week commencing 16 December 2024

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.