Social worker jobs in tilehurst, berkshire

Job Title:  Grants Officer (Associate), Europe
Location: This role is open to candidates based  in the following European countries  where we have the capacity to employ staff: France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Please note we currently do not have the infrastructure to support VISA/right-to-work sponsorship and you must be living and authorised to work in these locations
Reports to: Grants Programme Manager
Employment Type:  12 months Fixed Term Contract (FTC) with the possibility of extension

Hours per week:  37.5 - 40 hours/ week (depending on location)

Compensation at an  Associate level : £40,934 - £50,759. Salaries are benchmarked to the country of residence and mapped to years of experience. Please note that to counter inequity, salaries at CPI are non-negotiable. 

Closing Date: Friday 8th August  2025, 23:59 (11:59pm) British Summer Time

About the Centre for Public Impact (CPI):

At the Centre for Public Impact, we believe in the transformative potential of government to improve lives and create better outcomes for all. Yet, we recognize that many of today’s government systems, structures, and processes are not yet designed to address the complex challenges of our time. That’s why we are committed to reimagining government- working towards systems that truly serve everyone, equitably, and effectively. 

As a not-for-profit organization founded by the Boston Consulting Group, we act as a learning partner for governments, public servants, and a diverse network of change makers. Though we are a small organisation, our global footprint is expansive. We have dedicated and innovative teams in Asia, Australia/Aotearoa New Zealand, Europe and North America. We are all aligned by our  Global Hub operational team who provide people & culture, operational, finance, and communications partnership across the regions.

CPIE was founded in 2020 and our culture is founded on the values and principles within our vision for government. So in everything we do we aim to be humble, open, empathetic, authentic, trusting and trustworthy, curious and to champion diversity and inclusion. We continually experiment with ways to embody our values, striving to share power and devolve decision-making to those best placed to make the decision. We challenge traditional hierarchies, adopt a strengths-based approach, and prioritise mutual support. 

Our Values: 

• Curiosity - We champion exploration and creativity.

• Courage - We are authentic and brave in our decisions and actions.

• Collaboration - We share power and work together.

• Empathy - We embrace others’ perspectives and experiences.

• Equity - We disrupt systemic barriers to shift power.

The AI Opportunity Fund:

The AI Opportunity Fund, led by the Centre for Public Impact with support from Google . org, is currently a  €16 million initiative aimed at empowering underserved workers across Europe with essential AI skills. The programme has selected 73 organisations from hundreds of applications to provide tailored AI training to 20,000 workers across 24 European countries. These organisations focus on diverse communities, including rural job seekers, underemployed women, and public sector workers, aiming to bridge the digital divide and promote economic resilience. The initiative underscores AI's potential to drive social mobility and equitable growth across the continent. We are also hoping to scale our work in this area in the future. 

Position Overview: 

At CPI we believe people are at the heart of our success. We are seeking a Grants Officer (Associate)   based in Europe to join our CPI Europe (CPIE) team. Your role is  critical  in ensuring the smooth delivery of the AI Opportunity Fund. This role is responsible for the effective administration of grants including ongoing due diligence and accurate record keeping, contributing to assessing proposals and organisations, stewarding and maintaining effective relationships with grantees and wider partners,  and ensuring compliance, timely reporting and payments. This role does not involve managing others.

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Grant Strategy & Development

• Contribute to shaping the strategy, design and execution of the AI Opportunity Fund.

• Support Management to ensure excellent donor stewardship of Google . org, building their confidence in CPIE as a thought and delivery partner.

• Work collaboratively with programme teams to gather necessary information, data, and insights for compelling letters of inquiry, grant applications and contract bids.

2. Grant Management & Compliance

• Oversee the implementation of awarded grants and contracts, ensuring adherence to donor guidelines, reporting requirements, and project targets and timelines.

• Actively manage programmatic risks and conduct ongoing due diligence on grantee and wider partners to ensure compliance. 

• Prepare and submit accurate and timely grant reports to key stakeholders in collaboration with finance and programme teams.

• Monitor grant budgets and expenditures, flagging any discrepancies or potential issues.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for grantees, fostering positive relationships,  triaging and addressing inquiries and supporting them to deliver effectively.

• Identify and escalate issues  in a timely manner, actively participate in proposing and implement solutions. 

3. DEIB & Collaborative Working

• Actively contribute to a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and belonging (DEIB) culture by embracing different perspectives and fostering an environment of respect.

• Support cross-team collaborative efforts to strengthen the grants administration and monitoring systems, processes and procedures.

• Share knowledge and best practices with the team, contributing to a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

• Engage in open and transparent communication, providing constructive feedback and actively listening to others.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Building

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective funders, grantees and wider partners, understanding their interests and priorities.

• Support the wider team to convene peer learning and knowledge exchange between grantees and wider partners.

• Represent the organisation professionally in interactions with external partners, demonstrating our mission and impact.

• Participate in relevant networking events and workshops to stay informed about trends in funding and government innovation  and to build connections.

This job profile isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list of your duties, rather it gives an outline of what your role will involve. 

Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience of  implementing grants or project management systems and processes. 

• Experience of administering and managing grants including conducting due diligence and risk management. 

• Knowledge of good grant making practice.

• Demonstrated ability to write and present clear, concise, and compelling  proposals, briefings and reports.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask  and meet deadlines.

• Excellent attention to detail and high levels of accuracy, particularly in reviewing grant guidelines and preparing financial information.

• Proficiency in using Customer Relationship Management Systems or databases.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of building meaningful relationships  with diverse stakeholders.

• Proven ability to problem-solve and think on your feet.

• Demonstrated experience of positively embracing and adapting to change.

• Intercultural competence and proven commitment to advancing DEIB.

Salary, Benefits, and How to Apply

The salary range for this role is £40,934 - £50,759, mapped to years of experience and region. At the Centre for Public Impact, we are committed to countering pay inequality and  have conducted a global compensation benchmarking process to ensure that we're paying our staff fairly and well for the roles that they hold. Therefore, salaries at CPI are non-negotiable. 

CPIE offers comprehensive benefits to its employees including a range of high-quality health, dental, and vision plans; employer’s contribution to pension/retirement as applicable;  dedicated professional development funds; generous paid leave and public holidays;  short/long term disability, paid parental leave and extended illness leave; and a year-end organisation-wide closure. We anticipate this position will require approximately 10-15% domestic and international travel.

We use a structured review process to ensure fairness in our hiring. Please note that we are collecting CVs and cover letters instead of asking for paragraph-length answers for this recruitment. We understand applicants may use tools like ChatGPT as thought partners however, we are looking for original work that reflects your unique perspective, skills and reflections. Please do not submit content that is directly copied or heavily reliant on AI  as these will be flagged and marked down. We have a team of  real people  who review and score your CV and cover letter and a system that helps us ensure applications maintain authenticity. Please apply by Friday 8th August 2025 23:59 (11:59pm) British Summer Time,  the portal closes automatically and we will not be able to reopen it.

To advance our purpose of reimagining government so that it works for everyone, CPI seeks to attract and support a diversity of backgrounds, experience, talent and thought. For this reason, we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy here. CPI is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, colour, caste, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship  

Purpose of the post

The Engagement and Involvement Lead will engage with young people, families, schools and other interest-holders in the process of designing, delivering and ensuring the best outputs from the Adolescent Health Study, and is critical for the success of the project.  We are at the early stages of laying the foundations for this and in this new role we are seeking an experienced and passionate individual to co-ordinate and lead AHS’s cross-UK participant and public involvement and engagement activities.

This is a role that requires high levels of confidence, autonomy, enthusiasm and skill. The postholder will be responsible for delivering the project’s new Engagement and Involvement Strategy, including:  establishing and coordinating a Young Persons’ Advisory Group for AHS; developing and delivering AHS public engagement and involvement activities; outsourcing and supervising engagement and involvement activities that are better provided by external partners; scoping and advising on which routes for involvement and engagement activities are best suited to different tasks. 

Main responsibilities

Planning & strategy delivery

· Ensuring the study delivers the values and approaches set out in the AHS engagement and involvement strategy

· Planning, delivering and reporting on an ongoing, regular and important programme of engagement events and activities

· Reviewing/revising/adding to existing policies, processes and procedures to support effective working together with people and communities (such as reimbursement, compensation, making reasonable adjustments)

· Developing and implementing appropriate evaluation, monitoring and reporting of Community Engagement & Involvement

· Keeping up to date with good practice & sector advances and sharing these with the AHS team.

Practical engagement and involvement

· Developing methods to enhance engagement and involvement, and helping to build positive relationships with young people and stakeholder groups, including charities, third sector & advocacy groups

· Overseeing day-to-day planning & delivery of a high-quality engagement and involvement programme.  To include, for example:

o Managing and supporting Youth Advisors

o Recruiting and running a standing Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG)

o Organising & delivering other ad hoc engagement activities as necessary

· Securing external partners where necessary, and managing contracts and delivery of their work across the UK

· Ensuring that any external parties (e.g. organisations, freelancers, consultants) supporting AHS’s involvement and engagement work have clear roles, responsibilities & goals

· Working with the Head of Communications to develop and manage provision of relevant information to members of the public, teachers, young people & researchers

· Keep clear records of involvement and engagement activities, ensuring results are used to inform the study and the wider research community.

Team support

• Checking for and capitalising on possible opportunities for engagement and involvement to be embedded in the work of the wider team
• Ensuring appropriate induction, training, mentoring and support is organised for the research team and communities involved
• Sharing examples of emerging good practice and CEI (Community Engagement & Involvement) impact across the research team.

Wider

• Contributing to shared learning and future sustainability as part of wider CEI communities of practice
• Acting as a key point of contact for community members and partners involved in the research
• Representing and presenting the AHS study’s engagement and involvement work to the wider research community at a senior level, including in national engagement & involvement networks as necessary.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

· Undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant field

· Experience developing and delivering engagement and involvement activities with young people and other relevant interest-holders (such as parents, families, teachers and schools)

· A proven track record or professional background in working with young people – such as in youth work, counselling, mentoring, education, or a related setting

· Understanding and experience of good practice in youth engagement and involvement,  including the principles and implementation of safeguarding, data protection, and inclusive practice

· Awareness of culturally sensitive approaches and methods to be inclusive of all relevant perspectives, including  marginalised and vulnerable groups

· Experience of successful project management and ability to deliver, working independently.

· Ability to design and deliver workshops, focus groups or meetings that encourage open dialogue and collaboration

· Ability to manage a budget and report on financial activity accurately

· Ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team, with experience of working alongside and influencing senior level professionals

· Research literacy, with a clear understanding of large UK-wide research initiatives and the various competing demands and pressures the study will face

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to communicate effectively and confidently with a range of stakeholders and to summarise and report key information clearly and accurately, both verbally and in writing

· Demonstrated commitment to youth participation and the meaningful inclusion of young people’s perspectives.

· Confident using online tools (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom), and collaborative platforms (e.g. SharePoint, Microsoft 365)

Desirable criteria

· Relevant qualification in engagement and involvement

· Post-graduate degree or equivalent experience

· Understanding of key concepts and challenges in young people’s health and wellbeing and the transition to adulthood

· Familiarity with health research and data governance frameworks

· Understanding and knowledge of key potential partners across the UK for delivering youth engagement in the sector.

· Experience using digital engagement and facilitation tools for online workshops (e.g. Miro, Mural, Mentimeter, Canva, PowerPoint)

Dimensions

· This has been designed as a full-time role, although part-time work could be considered for the right candidate.

· Flexible working across several geographical locations in the UK.  Travel may be required to AHS locations and partner organisations.

· AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK.

Application Process

This post is subject to receipt of satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check and right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available). Please apply with a CV and a covering letter (of no more than two pages) explaining what you can bring to this role, and including your current salary.

The closing date for this position is midnight on Sunday 17 August 2025.

Interviews are currently expected to be held during the week commencing 08 September, tentatively scheduled on Thursday 11 or Friday 12 September 2025.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.