Programme Manager

Careers4Change is delighted to support Responsible Finance in their search for a Programme Manager during a pivotal time for the CDFI sector. 

Role Purpose:

Responsible Finance is the membership association for the UK’s Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are community lenders, committed to delivering positive social impact, and offer fair and affordable finance to businesses, social enterprises and to people unable to access it elsewhere.

This is a pivotal moment to be joining the CDFI sector. Responsible Finance and CDFIs are poised for exciting growth following two record-breaking funding announcements in late 2024 which has seen the sector backed by Government and leading financial institutions including the British Business Bank and JPMorgan Chase. This follows Lloyds Banking Group becoming the first mainstream lender to invest in the CDFI sector earlier in the year.

This new funding will enable business-lending CDFIs to scale their reach and impact, supporting economic growth and financial inclusion across the UK. Successful candidates will play a vital role in helping to make sure that CDFIs are supported to build their operational capacity and maximise the opportunity this brings.

We are seeking an exceptional candidate to help us to deliver an ambitious Capacity Building programme for our business-lending CDFIs and support our wider and growing member base, particularly our social enterprise lenders. You will manage the delivery of key projects within both the Capacity Building programme and more broadly to support our CDFIs across the personal, micro, business and social enterprise lending sectors. The role requires close working with our members and stakeholders and high levels of versatility and flexibility to deliver outstanding results.

No prior knowledge about CDFIs is required so long as you have a keen interest to learn about the sector and are passionate about increasing access to fair finance for businesses, underserved communities and people. Do not be discouraged from applying if you do not meet all the criteria listed in this job description. If you know how to deliver results, overcome challenges and obstacles, and are a committed team player, with a can-do attitude, we want to hear from you!

The Programme Manager will manage the delivery of key projects and support the Programme Director in overseeing the smooth running of a Programme Management Office (PMO), ensuring that the CEO and Board have the information needed to steer the success of the Capacity Building Programme and other projects and programmes.

The role-holder will also be the relationship owner for Responsible Finance’s social enterprise CDFIs with responsibility for driving the continuous improvement of our member support to this sector.

 Key Responsibilities:

• Project managing the delivery of key work streams and projects such as the award and monitoring of grants to support capacity building and Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for the delivery of training.
• Monitoring the progress of projects, identifying issues and proposing solutions, and maintaining and producing a range of high-quality project documentation (plans, risk and issues registers etc) to support effective delivery – and leading on project and programme board meetings.
• Working closely with CDFIs and stakeholders to identify needs, lead problem-solving, provide support to overcome challenges, and commission reports on progress – synthesising these reports into overall progress reports and presenting back to the programme oversight group and main grant-funder (JPMorgan Chase).
• Developing RFPs (Request for Proposals) and leading procurement and ongoing contract management of external suppliers to deliver strands of the Capacity Building Programme.
• Further development of Responsible Finance’s support offer for social enterprise lending members, being the day-to-day point of contact and organising and leading sector meetings with these members.

This is a varied and dynamic role, working closely with our members and a range of high-profile external stakeholders. This job description is not exhaustive; it outlines the key tasks and responsibilities of the post which are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.

Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Strong and proven project/programme management and delivery experience and demonstrable ability to manage multiple projects at once.
• Highly self-motivated and able to drive your own work forward, but equally a team player with a collaborative working style.
• Experience of grant management and/or contract awards and monitoring.
• Excellent communication skills including concise writing skills and ability to synthesise information into an easy to comprehend format/narrative (both written and verbal).
• Experience managing project budgets.
• Willingness to travel.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills. Must be comfortable working with stakeholders at a range of levels.
• Experience analysing and synthesising data from multiple sources and presenting findings clearly and succinctly to stakeholders and members. Fluency with applications such as Excel is essential.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and get information needed from busy people.

Desirable:

Working as part of a small organisation, you will need to demonstrate flexibility and versatility and have opportunities to support a range of other projects and support services for our members, developing a wide range of skills and competencies.

Therefore, in addition to the essential criteria above, we are also interested in candidates with the following skills and experience:

• Experience of managing capacity building programmes.
• Experience in organising and delivering events and workshops.
• Experience of creating and delivering presentations.
• Experience managing web content, online newsletters and social media posts.
• Experience in developing graphics/infographics using apps such as Canva.
• Experience with research, monitoring and evaluation.
• An understanding of CDFIs and/or lending helpful – particularly investor relations and social enterprises.

Equity and fairness are at the core of our organisation and we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can be their best.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Careers4Change website.