Grants Operations and Data Manager (Maternity Cover-12 Months)

We are recruiting an interim Grants Operations and Data Manager, responsible for the systems, processes and data that contribute to the smooth running of the Foundation’s funding programmes.

The Rothschild Foundation delivers funding programmes both locally, in its home county of Buckinghamshire, and nationally, across England. Our areas of interest are Arts and Culture and Regenerative Food and Farming, where we make a number of multi-year investments each year, as well as operating a Community Fund which provides small grants to support local communities.

This is an exciting time to join the Grants Team. We have begun to refine our approach to our local funding through a Theory of Change process, involving local stakeholders in developing our intended outcomes. Following a review of our food and farming activity, we are developing a rejuvenated Regenerative Food and Farming strategy for our national activity in spring 2024. We have recently begun to develop our evaluation and learning processes.

We are lucky to call the beautiful Waddesdon Estate our home, operating from an office based on the Estate. Our grant-making is inspired by the art collection and buildings of Waddesdon Manor and the natural environment and farming practice of the Waddesdon Estate. We develop close working relationships with our grantees, often using our spaces and our cultural and environmental assets to support their work.

We offer hybrid working with some home-working, with Wednesday a dedicated day with the department all in the office.
Through our funding we are committed to making a difference across all communities. In our organisation we are looking to increase the diversity of our workforce and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this role.

Specific Duties Include
Systems and IT:

• Management of grants database (Blackbaud Grantmaking) including maintenance, auditing and system updates.
• Development of the database including external portal to improve user experience.
• Management and creation of online grant application and reporting forms with associated grantee correspondence and staff management dashboards.
• Working closely with IT and Records Management to structure and maintain the Grants Team’s SharePoint site and shared drives.

Finance:

• Develop, manage and maintain reporting systems to enable effective financial reporting.
• Develop and implement robust due diligence processes for all stages of grant making.
• Oversee grant payment requests and instructions, liaising with Accounts department to ensure payments are made on time and in accordance with grant agreements.
• Liaison with the Accounts department to prepare year end grants reports for statutory accounts and external auditing.

Data and Learning:

• Management and development of systems for collating and organising quantitative and qualitative data to meet evaluation and learning needs.
• Data analysis including creation of infographics and data visualisation.
• Liaison with external partners on systems for collating, organising and sharing data in accordance with current data regulation.
• Supporting the Buckinghamshire Data Exchange (BDEx) by providing data updates and contributing to project effectiveness.
• Ensuring regular grant data updates to the 360 Giving portal are made

Communications:

• Management of the RF website including updates, content creation and liaising with website developers.
• Review of website content to ensure alignment with accessibility guidelines.
• Management of the RF’s social media presence including LinkedIn profile and MailChimp newsletter.
• Assist in production of the RF’s publications, such as Annual Review.

Line Management:

• Line management responsibility of the Grants Officer role.

Administration:

• Manage and improve administrative processes and procedures.
• Preparation of Committee and Trustee papers.
• Minute taking (if required).
• Support where needed in planning and organising logistics for events, in collaboration with Waddesdon’s Private Events and Operational Teams where appropriate.

The role would suit people who have:

• Experience of managing databases, including some experience of grant-making software. We use Blackbaud and training can be provided.
• Experience of share drives and Microsoft office.
• Experience of developing processes for data collection and analysis, including infographics.
• Some financial accounting experience. Strong numeracy skills and attention to detail is a must.
• Strong project management skills.
• Confident and articulate communication, both verbal and written.
• Initiative and are able to work independently, sometimes under pressure.
• An enjoyment of collaborative teamworking.
• Flexibility in approaching new areas with confidence and creativity.
• Access to a car and a clean driving license