Funding Officer

We are looking for a new Funding Officer to cover areas predominantly within Kent. The role will join a passionate, vibrant and friendly team and be part of ensuring our funding supports a wide variety of communities and places locally. As part of our London, South East and East (LSE&E) Funding team, you'll be part of a team, led by a Funding Manager, and comprised of five other Funding Officers. LSE&E is one of the largest teams in the Fund (circa 50 people) and distributes over £100m annually. The team is committed to learning and impact and the role offers a chance to gain insight into and learn from the fantastic work communities are doing on the ground and how this can be used to help others.

• You will assess applications for funding and manage grants from our Reaching Communities and Partnerships programme.
• You will use your local knowledge and experience, and the experience of our grant holders and local stakeholders, to ensure we are making the best decisions on the grants we make. By working closely with people and communities from a defined geographical area, you will understand what matters to them and where our funding can make the biggest difference.
• You will gain an understanding of our vision, our commitment to equity and inclusion and our funding programmes.
• You will be responsible for your own caseload; liaise with grant recipients, visit projects, identify and manage risks, supporting organisations to deliver their projects and measure their impact.
• You will need to understand and respond to the different needs of our applicants and grant holders by providing advice and feedback and be willing to have challenging but constructive conversations.
• You'll also need to work within the Fund's policies and procedures and the necessary legislation, and in a way that is in line with our vision and principles.
You will represent the Fund within your local area including at funding fairs and external meetings and create opportunities for people to come together. You will share learning from your conversations, events, grant holder reports and evaluations with other colleagues so that we can maximise our impact as a grant maker. You may come from a voluntary sector background - many of our colleagues do, but we are also very open to transferrable skills from any and all backgrounds. Just reach out to us for an initial conversation if you're unsure.

We are looking for local talented people from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences who share our values and are passionate about making a difference through our funding. Whether through lived or gained experience you will really understand the communities we work with., 1. Strong written and verbal communication skills and confidence to operate in a wide range of environments 2. Knowledge of the local areas you would be based within and their charity sectors. Experience working with underrepresented communities in the area is particularly desirable. 3. Ability to build and maintain excellent relationships at several different levels with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion 4. Confidence to use your judgement, take initiative and challenge when appropriate 5. Values-driven and passionate about the Fund's purpose Desirable: 1. Understanding of financial planning and business plans, ability to analyse accounts and numerical data. 2. Demonstrable IT skills and the ability to learn detailed processes. 3. An ability to manage your own workload with minimal supervision

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone - therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed. We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That's why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)