Grant officer jobs in Birmingham
Senior Grants Officer - FTC 12 month maternity cover
Location: Fully Remote
Salary: £30,000 per annum
About The Role
Are you passionate about making a real difference?
The Forward Trust is looking for a Senior Grants Officer on a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave to help secure vital funding for life-changing services in prisons and communities across the UK.
This role is based remotely with monthly visits to our London Head Office.
Key Responsibilities:
- Identify, engage, and approach new grant-giving organisations.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing supporters.
- Develop compelling funding applications and progress reports with service-user insight.
- Collaborate with project leads on budgets and cases for support.
- Contribute to strategy and process improvements in trusts and foundations fundraising.
What we’re looking for:
- Experience in trusts and foundations fundraising.
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
- Passion for our mission and understanding of the criminal justice landscape.
This is your chance to be part of a passionate, fun, and target-driven team. You’ll work with over 30,000 individuals whose lives we’ve transformed and help shape an organisation generating £2.5 million per year from charitable sources.
At The Forward Trust, you’ll see the real difference your work makes every day, and grow professionally in a supportive, inspiring environment.
About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -
- Flexible working
- Training and development opportunities
- Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
- Season Ticket Loan Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Crisis Loan Scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
- Access to Blue Light Card
- 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
- Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
- Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
- Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.
We are seeking a dedicated Grants Officer to join our Online Grants Team ensuring that members of the Armed Forces Community receive crucial financial assistance when they cannot cover essential welfare needs themselves. This role is a vital link in providing immediate, life-changing support.
Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.
The Grants Department is dynamic, adapting its focus based on RBL strategy and emerging community needs. The team operates across two primary functions: the Online Grants Team and the Central Grants Team, and flexibility is essential to meet high service demands and ensure continuous support across the department.
Key responsibilities underpin our service delivery including:
- Case Advocacy: Assess case priority and know when to advocate for established policy exceptions to meet the applicant’s needs most appropriately.
- Customer Service Excellence: Deliver considered, tailored support and communicate all decisions and updates clearly, professionally, and within a 24-hour response time.
- Expert Knowledge: Maintain working knowledge of welfare benefits and relevant statutory provisions.
- Value & Compliance: Identify the most cost-effective products and ensure all data handling adheres to GDPR and charitable requirements.
- Professional Conduct: Manage challenging situations and complex client issues with the utmost compassion, dignity, and professionalism.
You will be contracted to your home address, and you will perform most of your work remotely there using our collaboration tools to work with colleagues, with occasional travel (incl. for monthly team meetings).
Employee benefits include
- 28 day’s paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
- Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 10%
- Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!
For more detailed information about the role, please see our Vacancy Information Pack attached to our direct advert. Our shortlisting is performed on the evidence provided in your application against the Essential and Desirable criteria in the Person Specification.
RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics.
We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
We provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. Our support starts after one day of service and continues through


