Head Of Development Jobs

Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight.

In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:

• Can this be stopped?
• How will I live my life?

At Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation, we pursue positive answers to both questions. We do this by funding the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight.

Our researchers are at the forefront of eye research, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will prevent and treat eye disease. The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people: from tackling loneliness to supporting people who have survived domestic abuse.

We have a clear ambition, led by our CEO, Keith Valentine, who has valuable lived experience of vision loss. We’ve secured well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors and patrons, from Sir John Major to Marsha De Cordova MP.

This is an exciting time to join us, as we activate our new brand and five-year strategy.

If you share our mission and have the skills, experience and drive to contribute to our dynamic team, we’d love to hear from you.

Role Description

The Head of Research and Programmes is a new role, leading and overseeing the delivery of our grant-making activity across eye research and social change: delivering first class grant programmes that respond to need as our organisation scales up. The role will lead on key strategic projects and relationships that will increase the Impact of our funding and the value we add to the sectors we work in.  This role will also develop and own an appropriate impact framework to ensure we're able to amplify the work we fund and demonstrate the value of our approach to funders and supporters.

Responsible to

Director of Impact and External Affairs

Direct reports

Senior Programme Manager (Research): Programme Manager (Social Change): Impact and Evaluation Manager

Working hours and contract

This is a permanent full-time role, 35 hours a week.

Salary

Circa. £60k 

Location

Aldgate E1 and hybrid working. Minimum two days in the office and external meetings and events as required.

Start date

As soon as possible

Role Responsibilities:

Overseeing our Grant Programmes

· Driving work in areas where our organisation can add value and meet need, including scoping new potential programmes and partnerships as well as ensuring our current programmes evolve

· Lead on delivering high quality  funding programmes that meet regulatory (AMRC) requirements as appropriate and provide an excellent experience for applicants, both successful and unsuccessful

· Be responsible for the financial management of budget associated with our funding programmes, working closely with the Finance Team

· Lead and manage the programme teams to analyse the external environment, identify unmet need and how we can add greater value in the sectors we work in

· Proactively disseminate insights from our funded research and project partners, gather sector knowledge, e.g. through delivering presentations, networking and representing our organisation externally with other grant makers/philanthropic organisations and sector partners. 

Impact, evaluation and learning

· Work with the Director of Impact and External Affairs to develop and deliver an appropriate impact framework for our organisation, ensuring that we’re able to amplify the work we fund and demonstrate value to our funders and supporters

· Work closely with the Head of Communications and External Affairs to ensure that the narrative around our impact is powerful and consistent

· Initiate and facilitate new partnership opportunities, e.g. for co-funding grants, or for co-creating innovative project ideas for consideration through our funding programmes.

Strategic projects and relationships:

· Act as the primary point of contact for scientific advisors and subject matter experts, supporting the programme managers by providing senior stakeholder and relationship management support, e.g. with funded researchers, institutions, sector partners and potential future partners

· Commission relevant evidence gathering, project or development work to support the evolution of our funding programmes, specifically our focus during 2024/25 on the North East of England .

· Work with fundraising colleagues to provide support and information to develop cases for support, including pitching alongside the fundraising team when required.

· Work closely with colleagues in communications to ensure that the scope and impact of our work is widely understood and communicated

· Lead on specific initiatives to support our research strategy and to enhance our social change funding programme, e.g. developing a network for early career researchers and involvement of experts by experience across our work.

Leadership and Management

· Lead the team to deliver high quality funding programmes, ensuring that impact is embedded and widely shared

· Provide leadership to the team to support Its ongoing and future development, including creating ways to build skills and expertise within the team

· Work alongside other senior managers in the organisation to provide leadership that ensures our organisation is able to make the most of opportunities, increase its profile and credibility.

· Deliver strong and effective grant-making through our decision-making and governance structures

· Deputise for the Director of Impact and External Affairs as appropriate.

Person specification:

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential 

· A postgraduate degree in a biomedical sciences, health or social sciences subject or equivalent work experience

· Experience of working in a funder organisation, ideally supporting research or social change programme delivery including patient and public involvement and/or other co-production methods.

· Enthusiastic about vision research with strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret, analyse and summarise evidence, including from technical scientific papers, for a variety of audiences.

· Experience of monitoring, evaluation and learning within a grant making environment, including facilitating opportunities for grantees to come together, either through structured development programmes or sharing best practice

· Proficient in the use of standard IT packages including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and ideally familiar  with Grant Management Systems or able to learn how to use these quickly.

Desirable

· An advanced research degree (PhD) in biomedical sciences, health or social sciences subject or equivalent work experience

· Experience of working directly in or supporting vision and sight loss research or funding programmes.

· Understanding of the wider research and programme funding landscape and initiatives for responsible funding activities

Personal chararteristics and behaviours:

· A confident and clear communicator, both orally and in writing, with an ability to articulate our impact with internal and external stakeholders

· A collaborative approach, able to problem solve and work with colleagues to generate ideas or overcome barriers

· A focus on quality, attention to detail and accuracy in content and presentation

· A strong project manager with the ability to work independently and within a team to plan and prioritise activities across multiple projects. 

· Commitment to the research that will prevent, treat and cure eye disease and the change that is needed to improve life for blind and vision impaired people.

· Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Flexibility

· The role description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and may be amended from time to time.

· The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

About the role: 

We believe everyone should be able to take part in life, no matter their disability.  
Our work helps thousands of people who are deafblind or who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential.  
To see a world where this happens, our campaigning and influencing needs to change hearts and minds. The Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research will be part of an engagement team that will think big and deliver life-changing work. 
You’ll join our London-based colleagues working on a hybrid basis, and lead a high-performing Policy, Public Affairs and Research team. 

The role is responsible for: 

• Playing a senior leadership role in Sense’s Leadership Team and Engagement directorate, planning ahead to our 70th anniversary year in 2025 and beyond 
• Ensuring Sense is seen by national decision makers and stakeholders as the foremost and most authoritative voice on the issues facing people with complex disabilities and their families. 
• Ensuring that public policy in England meets the needs of people with complex disabilities and their families, whilst supporting similar work in Wales and Northern Ireland  
• Providing the expertise and evidence base on the lives of people with complex disabilities and the changes they need to see. 
• Ensuring that the organisation is seen as credible, influential and accurate by external partners. 

To succeed in this role you will meet the following requirements: 

• Relevant graduate level qualification, or equivalent experience
• Evidence of effective influencing of public policy
• Evidence of continuing development of relevant knowledge and skills in the field of public policy development and research 
• Able to demonstrate a significant history of achievement at a senior management level
• Able to demonstrate significant achievement in influencing the development of public policy
• Able to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the way that public policy and new legislation is formulated and developed 
• Track record of successfully influencing MPs, policy makers and opinion formers to achieve improvements on behalf of disadvantaged groups within society through the use of evidence, information and data gathered from a diverse range of stakeholders
• A passionate commitment to people with complex disabilities and Sense’s vision and values; a willingness to learn communication skills and how to make activities, opportunities and work accessible for people with complex disabilities. 
• A demonstrable commitment to delivering positive change in the lives of people with complex disabilities and their families. 
• Evidence of effective consultation with stakeholders using a range of methodologies to gather evidence to inform the development of policies. 
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at a senior level. 

To Apply 

Please use the link below to complete your application.  
 
Managers will use your supporting statement to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly.  We would recommend that you read the candidate guidelines, job description and person specification (found at the base of this advert) before applying. 

Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time. 

No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable. 

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to an enhanced DBS check. 

For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential. We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.