Policy/Research Jobs in Greater London
ROLE PURPOSE
This position involves identifying and prioritising potential donors capable of making significant contributions to help us deliver a range of projects aimed at enhancing the student experience and supporting the local community. By providing the Development and Fundraising Team with tailored and insightful research, this role will enhance the prospect funding pipeline and facilitate the cultivation of a diverse pools of donors, including individuals, grant-making trusts, and companies. This role will also manage a well-structured stewardship program for donors. Responsibilities include promptly acknowledging donations, creating personalised impact reports, and overseeing bi-annual events which recognise and celebrate their support.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
· To maintain and develop the University’s database of fundraising prospects through proactive identification, analysis, and segmentation, (individual and aggregate) record updating, and original research, including the identification of new prospects.
· To prepare prospect profiles (which may include wealth ratings), and work with relationship managers to devise appropriate tailored cultivation and solicitation plans, enabling appropriately targeted fundraising asks.
· To develop and manage reporting in the database across fundraising portfolios to help ensure prospects are strategically moving along the prospect pipeline towards major gift solicitation • To produce and provide due-diligence reports on prospective donors as part of the University’s gift acceptance procedures.
· To deliver an annual donor recognition event to acknowledge and celebrate the support of the University’s most generous supporters.
· To organise smaller bespoke events for higher level donors to the university, for example, site visits to project sites and/or opportunities to meet student beneficiaries.
· To write insightful and impactful bespoke reports for donors supporting the University, ensuring reports demonstrate the positive impact of support and encourage repeat gift solicitation from the fundraising team.
· To keep abreast of regulations, including the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) ensuring that all prospect research and cultivation is compliant and understood by fundraisers.
· To undertake any other duties as appropriate within their competence, as required by their Head of Unit from time to time.
CONTEXT
The primary purpose of the Development team is to secure philanthropic income to support the delivery of the University’s Being Westminster 2022-2029 strategy. The Development team forms part of the Global Recruitment, Admissions, Marketing and Communications (GRAMC) directorate. The team also works closely with the Business Engagement Directorate to deliver an integrated approach to the University’s relationships with its key external stakeholders. The Development team collaborates with the Alumni Relations team to inspire and engage the University of Westminster’s vibrant, global community of alumni and supporters to build lifelong and mutually beneficial relationships with the institution.
DIMENSIONS
· The role has no budgetary responsibility.
· This role will be expected to manage a varied workload with limited, direct supervision.
· The post holder will be expected to support key GRAMC activity which may include some unsocial working hours.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
· Educated to degree level.
· Membership in a relevant professional body (e.g. CASE)
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
· Experience researching potential funders/prospects or investors using a range of sources and analysing and synthesising findings.
· Familiarity with a range of tools and information sources useful to prospect research
· Strong working knowledge of fundraising and understanding of the fundraising and gift management process.
· Experience of working with CRM systems
· Experience in working with large and complex sets of data; analyzing and communicating key findings in an understandable way
· Experience in handling confidential data with tact and discretion, with good practical knowledge of the Data Protection Act
· To understand individual health and safety responsibilities and an awareness of the risks in the work environment, together with their potential impact on both individual work and that of others.
· Experience in delivering events that recognize and acknowledge key stakeholders thoughtfully and creatively.
Desirable
· Experience working within a Development and Alumni Relations/Advancement function within a UK HEI
· Experience of The Raiser’s Edge
· Thorough knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
APTITUDES, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Essential
· Excellent interpersonal, networking, and verbal communication skills and proven credibility in engaging senior internal and external stakeholders, clients, and donors
· Strong writing skills and the ability to write compelling and insightful reports that demonstrate impact.
· Ability to work well under pressure and to successfully manage several projects simultaneously, to deadline.
· MS Office proficiency and experience with Excel spreadsheets
· Excellent organizational skills, methodical approach, and attention to detail
· High attention to detail
· Fully committed to contributing to a stimulating learning and working environment that is supportive and fair, based on mutual respect and trust, and in which harassment and discrimination are neither tolerated nor acceptable.
· A proven record of working cooperatively and flexibly as part of a team.
· Commitment to the role of philanthropy within a university setting
· Resilient and tenacious
· Self-starter, able to act on own initiative.
· The post holder will be expected to work unsocial hours on occasion.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this vacancy, please visit our vacancies page where you will be able to download our application form template. You will then be requested to complete a quick registration before being able to upload the completed application form and any supporting documentation.
Applications should include:
· A concise statement in support (ideally no longer than two pages), addressing the criteria in the Person Specification and motivation for applying.
· You may also include an up-to-date curriculum vitae;
· names and contact details of two referees (although referees will only be approached at the offer stage).
The deadline for receipt of applications is midnight on 8 June 2024.
Interviews will take place on 19 June 2024.
An appointment will be made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and satisfactory references being obtained.
At the University of Westminster, diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity are at the core of how we engage with students, colleagues, applicants, visitors and all our stakeholders.
We are fully committed to enabling a supportive and safe learning and working environment which is equitable, diverse and inclusive, is based on mutual respect and trust, and in which harassment and discrimination are neither tolerated nor acceptable.
The University has adopted Smart Working principles to support and further our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion aims of being an inclusive, collaborative and flexible employer. Further details of Smart Working can be discussed at interview stage.
OUR BENEFITS
The University offers a range of well-being and work-life balance benefits to recognise and reward the essential contribution our colleagues make to success and growth. Our benefits are inclusive for colleagues of all backgrounds including LGBTQ+ colleagues, disabled colleagues, pregnant colleagues, parents, and carers, as well as colleagues of all genders, ages, ethnicities, nationalities, religions and beliefs, and marriage and civil partnership status.
· 35 days annual leave per year, plus bank/national holidays and University of Westminster closure days (pro-rata for part-time staff).
· A generous occupational pension scheme.
· Annual incremental progression and/or cost of living reviews.
· Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
· Flexible working and smart working.
· Learning and development opportunities.
· Free membership rates for a wide range of sporting facilities, including gyms at Regent Street and Harrow campuses, as well as the Chiswick Sports Ground.
· Employee assistance programme.
· The opportunity to participate in other attractive employee benefit schemes such as Cycle to Work, Eye Care Vouchers, Season Ticket Loans, and Give As You Earn.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
The essentials …
- Full-time (Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- 8 – 10 month fixed term contract
- £40,000 - £45,000 (depending on experience)
What you’ll be doing …
Manage and administer the pilot project to develop a recognition arrangement (RA) framework for licensing Chartered Geologist (CGeol) status to professional bodies overseas, using the new framework to secure three RAs within the project period.
Overall responsibilities / requirements …
Systems and Process
- Setup systems and processes to manage new licensing framework and chartership applications.
- Setup systems and processes to manage quality control of applicants and assessments.
- Setup systems and processes to manage billing and data/records management and sharing.
- Setup Systems and processes to assess RA candidates for Chartership.
Support licensing application process
- Manage enquiries relating to licensing applications.
- Process applications for licensing including data entry and file management.
- Working with the Chartership Officer (CO) organise training for licensed organisation assessors.
- Support the CO to develop and manage the Society’s Chartership assessor’s training programme.
- Organise welcome packs & certificates and training materials.
- Ensure accurate record management and compliance with GDPR guidelines.
Provide effective support to Licensed organisations
- Ensure communications are handled in a prompt and professional manner.
- Ensure that Service delivery targets are maintained
- Ensure regular data collection from licensed organisations for their CGeol registrants.
- Organise invoicing and fee collections for licensing and associated fees.
- Organise periodic review of licensed organisations to ensure quality control.
Support Lead generation and promotional activities
- Working with the Head of Fellowship Services, develop and implement initiatives to promote and generate leads for potential partners for Licensing.
- Initiate and engage with potential partners for licensing.
- Working with the Head of Fellowship Services develop and maintain a licensed organisation engagement programme.
- Review and update web pages in relation to licensing.
Other responsibilities and expectations
- Adhere to stated policies and procedures relating to health and safety, and quality management.
- Adhere to procedures relating to the proper use and care of equipment and materials for which the role has responsibility.
- To be proactive in identifying areas for potential improvement in systems
- Communicate and provide information by relevant methods internally and externally to assist and enable organisational operations and effective service to connect groups
- To ensure that positive working relationships are created with other departments at GSL.
- Undertake other tasks consistent with the role as reasonably required by the Head of Fellowship Services
- To provide cover for other roles within the department as required
What we’re looking for …
Candidates for this role will be required to demonstrate a range of skills, competencies, and abilities for the role. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
ESSENTIAL
- Project management experience
- At least three years’ experience of professional accreditations management and or Earth Science background
- Degree level academic qualifications
- Good records and process management skills essential
- Good organisational and administration skills essential
- Good interpersonal and communications skills
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft office suite
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
- Good problem-solving ability.
- Attention to detail.
- Flexible working approach
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
DESIRABLE
- Chartered Geologist or Chartered Scientist qualification
- Experience of Microsoft Dynamics
- Experience of government funded projects
A bit about us …
The Geological Society is a registered charity and employs just over 50 staff at its offices in London and Bath. Our London office is situated in the beautiful London hotspot of Piccadilly in Burlington House, just next door to The Royal Academy.
As an employee conscious company, we invest in our staff by emphasising training, growth and progression in every role. We firmly believe in a positive work/life balance and offer a flexible approach to working from home as well as 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) when you start with the option to add 2 extra days per year.
The Society is committed to fostering an inclusive culture that promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a harmonious inclusive environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members visitors and staff are respected. We are an equal opportunities employer and the post-holder will be expected to adhere to and support the Society’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
To apply for this position, please forward a copy of your CV together with a short cover letter (500 words maximum). Please ensure that your cover letter highlights your experience.
We would also be grateful if you could let us know if you will require any special provision as a result of any disability should you be called for interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our programme supporting Higher Technical Education has big ambitions. Known as the ‘missing middle’ of higher education in England, we want to see the declines in level 4 and 5 technical education reversed and more providers emerge who can offer high-quality education and training to help people access highskilled occupations. Key to this transformation is the role of Institutes of Technology (IoTs) – collaborations between further education colleges, universities and employers – and we have been working closely with the National Network of Institutes of Technology to support their success. We are looking for a Project Officer to play an integral part in the successful delivery of this programme, as well as becoming an advocate for Higher Technical Qualifications more broadly.
This role sits within the small Higher Education Team at Gatsby, and you will work closely with the Project Manager and Director of Programmes to: develop and deliver a range of projects to support our programme objectives; represent Gatsby at external meetings; organise meetings and events; and develop strong working relationships with key partners.
Key Role Responsibilities:
- Deliver projects to support Gatsby’s Higher Technical Education programme, with clear objectives and planning, delivering outputs on time and within budget.
- Research, create and write compelling communications that support programme objectives.
- Co-ordinate regular meetings and external events, including drafting agendas, writing minutes, liaising with and organising contributions from external stakeholders.
- Work effectively with other Gatsby programme teams to ensure higher technical education is appropriately represented within their areas of focus.
- Commission consultants/researchers to undertake pieces of work that will inform programme direction.
- Undertake project evaluations to measure success, analysing outputs/feedback and making informed recommendations to improve activity.
- Manage the National Network of Institutes of Technology website and LinkedIn pages, ensuring they remain a compelling national presence with engaging and relevant content.
- Provide administrative and budget support for beneficiary grants and contracts.
- Create and maintain data and contact information relevant to the Institutes of Technology and other key stakeholders in higher technical education.
- Maintain a secure understanding of all high-level Gatsby policy positions and able to communicate them effectively in written form and verbally.
About You:
Experience
- Managed projects to successful outcomes, including some budget responsibility.
- Organised meetings and external events.
- Managed external contracts or grants to deliver agreed objectives on time and within budget.
- Developed and maintained a network of external contacts.
- Have produced effective communication materials for different audiences.
Knowledge & Expertise
- Some knowledge and understanding of the UK post-18 education and skills landscape.
- Basic understanding of the ways in which policy decisions are influenced and enacted in England.
Skills & Abilities
- Comfortable working with partners in education and industry, able to initiate and develop positive relationships with a diverse range of people and organisations.
- Able to persuade, engage and build rapport quickly with new contacts, and maintain important working partnerships.
- Oral and written fluency in English and able to prepare and present accurate and readable briefings and reports from complex information.
- Constantly striving to improve own projects and processes. Open to new ideas and ways of doing things, enabling constructive contributions to organisational progress and innovation.
- Able to set and meet own deadlines under pressure, often balancing conflicting priorities, and dealing calmly with unforeseen issues.
- Diplomatic and politically sensitive, using good judgement and evidence to form opinions.
- An ability to apply an awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
Personal Attributes & Other Requirements
- Strong interest in the role of technical education and careers guidance in improving life chances.
- Highly self-motivated, setting high standards for themselves and those they work with.
- Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities.
- Enjoys working as part of a small team.
- Able to be flexible about working hours and locations, including working remotely and travelling to meetings around the UK and potentially overseas (may include overnight stays).
For the full job pack and details of the application process, please click the How to Apply button.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Description
The Head of Advocacy and Policy will be responsible for developing an excellent Advice Service and Retention Team to support and advise students effectively to enable excellent student experience and satisfaction.
This role will lead on the development of effective insights, representation and support initiatives/campaigns for students, across our three campuses at Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway.
This role will enhance work with the diverse student population of the University of Greenwich and lead a dynamic team to ensure students have consistent and accessible services that contribute to positive student experience.
This role sits within the wider Membership Services department, together with other key areas consisting of; Activities, Sport, Academic Communities, Representation and Democracy, we provide a high-quality service for students, that they can shape, steer and be at the heart of.
This postholder will be part of the GSU Senior Leadership Team and will be expected to contribute to department and organisation wide strategic development.
The post holder will:
- Have expert knowledge in areas of in relation to Advice and Retention and policies and legislation relating to such activity
- Support and develop strong student-led communities and campaigns in areas of: Advice, wellbeing and retention so that members can thrive
- Provide line management support to staff so that the team have up to date, specialist advice skills, knowledge and understanding of University regulations, policies and procedures that may affect the work of the Advice service and oversee engagement across Greenwich’s 3 campuses
- Undertake casework and provide expert advice for the team on all aspects of Advice
- Lead on the project management of wellbeing/health promotion campaigns and initiatives throughout the year, as well as any external bids through bodies such as OfS
- Oversee the Retention and Wellbeing Project work, and other relevant projects with external partners
- Lead on insights work relating to retention, wellbeing and support
- Lead on responses to external consultation and enquiry responses, including but not limited to OfS, Department for Education, OIA and Universities UK
- Support elected officers to deliver on campaigning priorities
- Ensure the Advice service has the skills and is equipped to support the diverse needs of students at Greenwich and Kent at Medway.
- Provide regular insights and reports on the GSU Membership to inform our strategy and service provision
- Work with other Heads to develop relevant and modern Front of House services for each GSU campus ensuring ease of access and consistency for all members.
Key Areas
- Be an engaged and active member of the Senior Leadership team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers
- Provide leadership, strategic direction and day to day operational management to the Advocacy and Policy: recruiting and inducting members of staff, motivating, supporting and developing team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles as well as manage performance
- Develop a proactive results driven culture within the team, ensuring agreed objectives and targets are delivered, whilst promoting a collaborative approach to working with internal departments
- Develop succession plans and identify training and development opportunities within the team
- Be accountable for the quality of outputs of the team
- Provide support to the Officer team helping and equipping them, particularly in their roles as representatives and providing pastoral support and guidance.
- Ensure the whole organisation is aware of and understands the work of the Advocacy and Policy Team and its contribution to our strategic objectives
- To maintain expert and up-to-date knowledge on sector policies and regulations relating to advice, retention and student success, providing relevant guidance to officers and staff as required.
- Develop and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team to ensure we can adapt to changing students’ needs and priorities, as well as building on successes and preparing for the future.
Strategic Development
- Contribute to the strategic objectives of GSU, with a particular focus on advice, support and wellbeing in relation to the student experience
- Develop and oversee a new and innovative approach to proactive health and wellbeing campaigns that empower students to look after themselves and each other, as well as seeking support
- Lead on Access and Participation Plan Engagement, acting as the key contact on this area with the University.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with relevant senior UoG staff and departments including Student Academic Services, Faculties and our partners at Kent Unio
- Develop and oversee the Advice service to support advocacy initiatives at multiple levels within the University, ensuring both students and University stakeholders view GSU as a credible and reliable source of information on the needs of students.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Develop and oversee a structured approach to gathering, analysing and reporting on data relating to engagement of students with our services and to student views on key issues relating to retention and success
- Develop and oversee processes of collecting quantitative and qualitative data from casework to analyse trends and inform feedback for the SU and university
- Ensure evaluation mechanism are embedded in the teams working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services
- Support Officers by preparing information, statistics and trends about key services to be shared within the University committee cycle
- Be responsible for the implementation of service standards for the Advocacy and Policy Team and to monitor and report on adherence to these standards
- Prepare materials to apply for any relevant quality mark accreditations for the service.
Budget and Financial Management
- Manage a budget relating to Advocacy and Policy including any restricted funds.
- Be responsible for the teams resources, ensuring these are effectively allocated, managed and controlled
- Review and establish processes, systems, polices and where appropriate standard procedures to maximise efficiency ensure deadlines are met and a positive return on investment
- Review and provide narrative for scrutiny at monthly management meetings with the Finance Team
Stakeholder management
- Collaborate with GSU colleagues, particularly the Student Voice and Engagement Teams to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students
- Work with students through our representative structures and forums to ensure we shape services students want and need, taking into consideration the varying campus priorities
- Maintain strong relationships with key university staff to develop, deliver and evaluate collaborative projects and interventions supporting advice and retention
- Attend meetings relating to Advocacy and Policy as well as associated areas at both GSU, the University and externally, included, but not limited to regional networks
- Identify opportunities to share best practice and represent the work of GSU and your team to the wider HE community, through conferences and publication.
Personal Specification
Essential Experience
- Line management experience
- Relevant experience working in the youth, education, students’ union or other membership or advisory organisation
- Experience of leading a multi-functional team
- Experience of mentoring coaching staff/elected officers
- Experience of developing operational policies and procedures
- Experience of budget management, project management, and operational management
- Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working or strategic networking
Essential Skills and Abilities
- Ability to work with and lead a high performing team
- Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
- Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
- IT skills at a level that supports membership CRM systems, Advice Pro and other platforms
- Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage others to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
- Ability to write strategies and be able to effectively communicate vision and mission
- Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
- Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects and operational change
- Able to draft policies and procures with an eye for detail and accuracy
Essential Knowledge
- Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector
- Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including Advice UK, NUS, Citizens Advice, OIA, Ofs, Student Minds
- Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
- Knowledge of Safeguarding, advice legislation, risk assessments and GDPR
- Knowledge of providing 121 support
Education/Training
- No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required. For example: ILM, City &Guilds etc.
Personal Attributes and other requirements
- Able to travel within the Borough and Region.
- Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary.
- Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
- Be eligible for a DBS check if needed
- A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
- An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
- Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU.
Desirable other requirements
- Visionary, creative, and innovative strategist
- A positive, solution focused leader – able to make ‘tough’ decisions; determined and resilient in order to cope with the demands of the role
- Empowering, authentic leader with high levels of emotional intelligence
We help students at the University of Greenwich become the best they can be at university and beyond.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This role will primarily sit within our Capacity Building and Standards (CB&S) function but will work closely with our Innovation and Practice (I&P) and Advocacy and Communications (A&C) functions.
The CB&S function aims to build capacity both inside and outside of public institutions to embed the processes, skills, structures and cultures needed for effective public participation in decision-making. The I&P function is responsible for the deliberative, dialogic and participatory projects and processes that we run. The A&C function aims to build political and public understanding of and support for making participation and deliberation an everyday, integral part of our democracy.
This role will have a thematic focus on public engagement in decision-making within the science, technology and data sectors. Candidates do not need an educational or work background in this sector, although it would be useful, but we would expect the successful candidate to take a keen interest in these topics.
Involve achieves its impacts by growing expertise in sector-specific areas where public engagement is important. Science and tech represent policy areas where citizen engagement on both principles and practice is vital and where public engagement can also open the door to broader deliberative democratic interventions and feedback loops. Technological advancement, including AI, presents risks and opportunities and will be an ongoing priority for government with five critical technologies likely to be central to UK policy for at least the next Government.
Involve has a significant pedigree and is well networked in the area of public engagement in science. Over the last 20 years we have been thought leaders in this space, in particular running the government’s science and tech engagement programme, Sciencewise. We have developed a reputation for best practice public dialogue, deliberation and capacity building.
Given the opportunity to grow this area, our reputation, and the important democratic need, we don’t want to stand still.
As Engagement Lead you will play a central role in leading Involve’s work, and building out our strategy, on public engagement in the science, technology and data field. The job will involve leading on our Sciencewise programme of public dialogue as well as supporting, growing and communicating our science and tech public engagement in general. You will be a proven project leader and strategic thinker looking to make your next move and develop your leadership and profile in this interesting and important area of public engagement in decision-making.