Grant manager jobs in London, greater london

Background

The Caerlow Trust (“the Trust”) is a family-led discretionary grant-making trust, governed by four trustees (the Board) that aims to alleviate poverty-related suffering in the United Kingdom.

The Trust’s operating principles are rooted in the basic belief that everyone deserves to have access to sufficient resources such that they are not concerned with day-to-day survival. It aims to achieve this by making grants targeting three main pillars of work: hunger, homelessness, and addiction.

Based in London, the Trust’s founders hope to make significant and meaningful change in the social landscape of London but also to grow to have a nationwide focus over time. The ambition is for the Trust to develop rapidly to become a versatile and flexible organisation that will have a very real impact and make a difference to the lives of the people supported through its grants. 

The Grants Manager will join our small but expanding team at an exciting time, having an important part to play in turning this ambition into reality.

Role overview and purpose

The Grants Manager will provide a range of services that will be key to the Trust’s grant management cycle including research,  assessment, database management and development, reporting and evaluation. They will be the key contact for a portfolio of grant applicants and recipients, to support them throughout their relationship with the Trust.

Key responsibilities

Grants Management:

· Managing a portfolio of grants throughout the entire grant cycle including assessment, award, support, monitoring and learning

· Act as the key contact for grant applicants and recipients, developing positive and supportive working relationships

· Organising and holding meetings with grantees, including taking notes and following up on actions

· Administrative tasks relating to grants, including correspondence, drafting and issuing agreements, tracking of applications, reports and payments

· Undertaking scoping work and research about organisations that may be appropriate for funding

· Reviewing grant applications, undertaking assessments and completing due diligence checks

· Drafting summaries and papers to support Trustees to make informed decisions  

· Reviewing grantee reports to evaluate progress and ensure compliance with any grant conditions

· Support budget management, financial reporting, cashflow monitoring and compliance with charity regulations in relation to grants

· Provide project management for new activities or grant programmes

· Working with colleagues and grantees to develop the Trust’s impact reporting capabilities

Database and system management

· Support the development and maintenance of our systems and grant management database, Beacon

· Ensure all data is accurate, kept up to date and retained in line with data protection regulations

· Provide support and guidance to grant applicants to access and use the grant application portal

· Provide support and guidance to Trustees and other external evaluators to use Beacon portal

Other responsibilities

· To represent the Trust at external events

· To support ongoing improvement in the context of grant-making and organisational development

· To role model desired behaviours in line with the Trust’s values

· Provide other ad hoc support to the Director as needed

Key internal relationships and reporting lines

· Receives line management and development from the Director

· Works closely with other colleagues and volunteers as part of an small effective team

This role doesn’t currently have any line management responsibilities but it is likely to in the future as the Trust grows.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience:

· Knowledge and understanding of the issues being supported by the Trust, developed through work or study in a relevant field or through lived experience

· Knowledge of charity finance, governance best practice, impact measurement and evaluation

· Experience of the grant management cycle

· High level of literacy and numeracy, including experience of handling and analysing qualitative and quantitative data

· High level of IT literacy with experience of working with MS365 applications and CRM databases

· Experience of liaising with a range of different stakeholders

Key skills and abilities:

· Outstanding communications skills with excellent written and spoken English

· Excellent interpersonal skills

· Attention to detail and commitment to quality

· Strong administrative, planning and organising skills

· Ability to work on your own and use initiative but knows when to seek advice and guidance

· Ability to identify improvements and propose solutions

· Collaborative and proactive approach to supporting others in a small team

Personal qualities:

· Commitment to the vision, mission and values of the Trust

· Dedication to the charity sector and the specific issues that are being addressed by the Trust

· Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity and inclusion

· Enthusiasm for continuing personal and professional development

· Good judgment and integrity

· Self-aware and empathetic

· Appreciative of the joy of grant making and sense of humour

· Adaptable and flexible, happy to work in an evolving and rapidly growing organisation

Other requirements

The Caerlow Trust is only able to consider applications from candidates who already have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

The Grants Manager will be required to travel across the UK as part of their role.

Working for the Trust

The Trust is committed to organisational and staff development. We offer various opportunities for staff to learn and develop, with management who are devoted to coaching and development. We encourage staff to attend events such as conferences, expert and donor meetings, to keep abreast of the developments in our areas of focus. The Trust is committed to being a good practice employer. We offer flexible working arrangements and a wide range of staff benefits.

Reports to: Board of Trustees

Salary: £36,000 (pro rata) 

Based in: Remote

Contract: 12 months fixed term

Hours: Part-time – 0.8 FTE, open to flexible working 

Benefits – 25 days Annual Leave (pro rata), staff learning fund, enhanced parental benefits package, flexible working.

Why this role is important – and why you’ll make a difference doing it:

Hope Unlimited exists to support people and organisations working at the grassroots to challenge hate, strengthen relationships and build hope in their communities. Much of the most important work to bring people together happens quietly, locally and without recognition –often led by volunteers, neighbours and community members responding to what’s needed around them.

Too often, these groups are locked out of funding that doesn’t reflect how they work or what their communities need. This role exists to help change that. As Grant Manager, you will help ensure funding reaches hyper-local organisations. You’ll play a key role in backing community-led work that builds connection, resilience and agency, and in supporting communities to shape their own futures on their own terms.

What you’ll be doing in this role:

Grant management & assessment

• Reviewing and assessing grant applications in line with the Grassroots Fund criteria
• Carrying out desk-based research and liaising with applicants
• Making grant decisions within agreed levels of responsibility, and supporting decision-making by subcommittees and Trustees where required
• Keeping clear and accurate records of grants in a way that supports transparency and shared oversight

Funding processes & governance

• Supporting clear, fair and accessible funding processes
• Preparing grant offer letters and agreement
• Ensuring grants support Hope Unlimited’s charitable purpose and meet basic governance requirements
• Improving and evolving our grant-giving and reporting processes, and suggesting changes that make them work better for communities and for Hope Unlimited

Reporting & learning

• Supporting grantees to share what difference the funding has made after 12 months
• Encouraging reporting that works for communities, including written, visual or creative formats
• Helping Hope Unlimited learn from what grantees tell us, particularly about what strengthens community resilience over time

Relationship management

• Being a supportive and approachable point of contact for funded organisations
• Responding to enquiries from grassroots groups who may want to be considered for funding, even where we are not able to accept open applications

What we think you’ll need to be able to do the job:

You’ll need to bring:

• Experience managing grants, funding decisions or similar processes
• The ability to make thoughtful, fair judgements with limited information
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence balancing trust and flexibility with responsibility and accountability
• Clear, kind and accessible written communication
• A strong belief in community-led change and local knowledge

It would also be helpful if you have:

• Experience working alongside small, volunteer-led or informal community groups
• An understanding of issues around community cohesion, division or far-right activity
• Experience with non-traditional or flexible approaches to understanding impact

We are seeking a motivated and experienced Contracts, Grants and Income Manager to join our team. This role offers the opportunity to lead meaningful change, manage high-impact services, and contribute to a safer, more resilient community.

Key Responsibilities

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of victim services and community safety. You’ll play a central role in delivering a forward-thinking commissioning and income generation strategy, ensuring services are impactful, innovative, and aligned with the Police and Crime Plan.

You’ll manage a substantial portfolio of grants and contracts, influencing how public funds are invested to deliver meaningful outcomes. You’ll be responsible for holding suppliers to account through robust performance management, ensuring services deliver value for money and meet the needs of victims and communities.

You’ll oversee the full commissioning cycle — from needs assessment and service design to procurement, implementation, and evaluation. This includes developing clear, evidence-based service specifications and introducing new services that respond to emerging needs and priorities.

You’ll be instrumental in identifying and securing new funding streams, from government grants to commercial partnerships. This is your chance to bring in fresh investment, pilot new ideas, and establish what works.

As a integral member of the team, you’ll represent the organisation on strategic boards and partnerships, giving you a platform to shape policy, build partnerships, and drive system-wide change. Your ability to influence and collaborate will be key to delivering shared goals.

You’ll also take responsibility for risk management and compliance, ensuring our commissioning and funding practices are robust, transparent, and legally sound. This includes drafting contracts, SLAs, and MoUs, and ensuring adherence to procurement regulations and the Victims Code of Practice.

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• At least 3 years’ experience in contract management and commissioning, including performance management and quality assurance.
• A strong understanding of procurement policies and processes.
• Proven project management skills and the ability to manage complex programmes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

· Strong awareness of the wider public sector landscape and the ability to work effectively in sensitive, multi-agency environments.

• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Introduction

Afield is a brand new charity responding to environmental injustice. We do this by working with communities to rewild disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods; and by supporting artists to undertake ecological research. This exciting and demanding role will be right at the heart of making everything happen!

Objectives

You will work alongside Afield’s two co-founders to define and run the urban wilding and arts grants programmes, including managing the cohort of grantees. We are looking for dynamism, energy and experience of grant management to help us launch the first round of grants and a support programme.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the two co-founders you will set up the arts research and wilding programmes. This will include launching and running opencall and selection processes, and the cohort support programmes. Once established you will lead subsequent programmes, and plan for future cohorts. You will be:

• Feeding into the design of the arts & wilding programmes

• Taking responsibility for, and running, the arts grants grants and wilding programme (including involvement in the selection of grantees, continual learning and evaluation)

• Liaising with partners on programme delivery (eg. local councils for wilding)

• Managing selectors and mentors, supporting peer learning, and organising workshops for both programmes

• Taking responsibility for managing the cohorts

• Working with a second team member (to be recruited) to promote the programme

Requirements

We’re looking for someone who is: 

• Empathetic, has a positive attitude and a desire to help our grantees

• Energetic with a can-do, self-sufficient attitude, and with the ability to independently manage a busy workload, multiple deadlines and priorities

• Confident in their ability whilst self-aware and committed to ongoing development

• Interested (and perhaps experienced) in nature, ecology or the environment

We would also like to work with someone who has:

• Experience of running a grants or funded cohort programme (ideally in either arts grants or a pioneer-style programme)

• Ability and comfort in creating structure out of ambiguity; identifying challenges and opportunities; and expressing clear proposals for change

• Exceptional communication abilities, both verbal and written

• Good analytical and project management skills, and strong competency in setting up and using technology such as an application management platform

• Experience of line management or managing contractors. This is not essential, as there will not initially be full line management responsibility, but would be a benefit.

Compensation and benefits

• 4 days per week role, for which the salary is £34,500 (FTE: £43,000)

• 21 company holiday days (increasing with the length of service) in addition to 8 bank holidays plus discretionary Christmas closure days each year

• 20 days fully paid company sick leave

• Flexible working hours and location. We are ideally looking for someone who is happy working remotely and willing to regularly meet in person in London (work space provided if required)

• Family friendly practices, such as enhanced maternity and paternity leave

More about Afield

Afield was co-founded by Liz Orton and Mike Saunders in autumn 2025. Its core funding is through a family legacy, which supports a small organisation, the goal of which is to challenge environmental injustice The first round cohort will be small, supporting about 6 people with a programme that will include mentoring, peer learning and specialist support.

As a new organisation, we have invested in developing our organisation values, which are to be:

• Bold: we embrace risk-taking and learning 
• Just: we contribute to social & environmental equity
• Imaginative: we support and take creative action
• Caring: we prioritise personal and collective needs and wellbeing

Afield will be publicly launching including its website and programmes in Spring 2026.

The Talent Set are delighted to partner with a mission driven charity on an exciting Grants, Trusts & Foundations Manager role. This pivotal position offers an opportunity to lead the development and management of funding strategies, directly supporting impactful charitable initiatives through strong relationships with funders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, develop, and maintain relationships with grant-making organisations, trusts, and foundations to secure funding aligned with organisational goals.
• Prepare compelling funding proposals, reports, and updates that clearly communicate the organisation's impact and needs.
• Manage and oversee grants lifecycle, ensuring compliance and timely reporting.
• Monitor funding trends and opportunity pipelines to maximise revenue streams.
• Collaborate with internal teams to collect evidence of outcomes and evaluate programme performance.
• Maintain accurate records of applications, awards, and funder correspondence.
• Provide strategic advice and insights to senior leadership on funding opportunities and partnership development.

Person Specification:

• Proven experience in securing and managing trusts, foundations, or similar institutional funding.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to craft persuasive proposals and reports.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management abilities.
• Well-organised with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
• Knowledge of the charitable sector and awareness of funding landscape.
• Analytical mindset for interpreting funding trends and assessing organisational needs.
• A collaborative approach to working across teams and engaging stakeholders.

What’s on Offer
Salary: £38,000 - £41,000 per annum
Working Pattern: Full time, Hybrid | 3 days a week on site

How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the ‘apply now’ button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, or age. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.