Senior Voluntary Sector Grants and Project Officer

Would you like to be part of a passionate team supporting the vibrant voluntary sector in Wandsworth? This role is part of a wider team of voluntary sector development, community engagement and evolving partnerships with wider organisations. In this Wandsworth focused role, you will lead on the Voluntary Sector Grant programmes and provide co-ordination of key voluntary sector projects and partnerships in the borough.

It is a diverse role involving VCS related special projects, running VCS events, regular communications with the voluntary sector and supporting the wider Council in its relationship with the VCS.

You will be required to:

• Develop and co-ordinate the management of voluntary sector grant programmes including the Wandsworth Grant Fund, emergency grants, and other ad-hoc grant funding programmes.
• Manage discrete projects relating to service development, commissioning, and provision of Council owned property to the voluntary sector.
• Support with ad-hoc project work due to the cyclical nature of work.
• Act as a deputy to the Voluntary Sector Grants and Partnership Manager on Wandsworth based projects.
• Provide contract commissioning management support for contracts commissioned by the Voluntary Sector Partnership Team.
• Work with colleagues to oversee the production of clear, concise and consistent assessments and recommendations for circulation to the Council's Grants Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee, senior officers and Lead Members as required.

About the role

You will be part of the Community and Partnerships Team which provides support to the wider Council to enable it to put our communities first. Creating, building and sustaining good working relationships with residents, a range of local stakeholders including the voluntary sector, is one of the ways in which the Team helps the Council achieve its aims. The Team is responsible for helping the Council to listen effectively to stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, and to help bring them closer to the services and responsibilities of the Council and facilitate worthwhile engagement, partnership and funding opportunities that are fair, accessible and transparent.

The role will involve hybrid working and it is expected that the postholder will work from the Council offices a minimum of two days a week. The post holder will be expected to work flexibly across two locations (Wandsworth Town Hall and Richmond Civic Centre), but the primary office base for this post is Wandsworth Town Hall.

The main responsibilities of the role are to develop and co-ordinate the management of voluntary sector grant programmes including the Wandsworth Grant Fund, emergency grants, and other ad-hoc grant funding programmes. The role would also manage discrete projects relating to service development, commissioning, and provision of Council owned property to the voluntary sector and act as a deputy to the Voluntary Sector Grants and Partnership Manager on Wandsworth based projects.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will have a good track record of working with, or in, a local authority. They will have experience of managing grant schemes and working with small organisations to provide advice and capacity-building support. They will also have experience of funding mechanisms (fundraising, commissioning or tendering), and understand the key challenges facing the voluntary sector as well as its role within the community. Good project management skills and the ability to work independently, making decisions and using own initiative are a must, to deliver specified outcomes to agreed time scales. Stakeholder management skills, including excellent written and verbal communication skills, are essential. A demonstrable respect for equality and diversity is important for the role alongside an understanding of the needs and outlook of small community groups.

Closing Date: 22nd May 2025

Shortlisting Date: W/C 26th May 2025

Interview Date: W/C 2nd & 9th May 2025

For an informal conversation please contact Harriet Steele - Voluntary Sector Grants and Partnership Manager.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. This campaign is anonymised. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.