At a Glance
- Tasks: Connect and empower grassroots groups to drive social change and build a thriving community.
- Company: Join The Social Change Nest, transforming funding for communities and grassroots movements.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, travel covered, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Exciting role with opportunities for networking and learning across the UK.
- Why this job: Be part of a movement that supports social justice and community empowerment.
- Qualifications: Experience in community organising, strong communication skills, and a passion for social change.
The predicted salary is between 35805 - 35805 € per year.
Salary: £35,805 full time (open to part-time) 18 months FTC
Location: London (Hybrid Working Environment) or remote (must be in the UK)
Reporting To: Head of Community & Impact
About SCN
At The Social Change Nest (SCN), we’re radically transforming the funding landscape and strengthening civil society. We remove the financial and administrative barriers that often prevent communities, grassroots groups and informal movements from accessing funding and focusing on their core mission. We also work closely with funders, providing Grant Distribution and Fund Management services, enabling them to support social action with confidence and transparency. We currently support over 700 groups across the UK and abroad addressing issues such as social injustice, climate, housing, wellbeing and racial justice.
About The Community Nest
Built of changemakers and allies offering their support and solidarity, The Community Nest is a place for groups to share skills, strengths, challenges, and resources — to lend a helping hand, grow a strong network and feel the power and hope that collaboration provides. The Community Nest supports grassroots unincorporated groups and networks to overcome the barriers they face by ensuring the tools, resources and skills needed to make social change happen are within reach. We provide opportunities for help with admin, training, capacity building, networking and more.
This is a new role. We’re at an exciting point in the design iteration of The Community Nest. One year into delivery and equipped with a year of learning, we are growing and expanding our movement and community building work to best support our ecosystem and strengthen our offer. This will include building out our Participatory Grantmaking function and organising more in‑person convenings to foster greater collectivity and knowledge sharing across our ecosystem.
About the role
We are looking for a creative and enthusiastic Network Organiser with excellent attention to detail, who enjoys talking to and connecting people and is excited by The Community Nest and the potential to increase its impact. This is a unique opportunity to support the largest network of unincorporated community groups in the country, and don’t forget that we also have networks overseas. We have some exciting opportunities coming up which can further develop the community and are looking for someone to support with the development, communications and connections across the ecosystem.
This role also represents a great opportunity to work directly alongside our partners who are a range of social change networks including Civic Power Fund, Practical Governance, Small Axe and more. Through this role you will benefit from the extensive knowledge of community building, network management and communication from all these sources. There may be occasional evening and weekend work and we are committed to making this job an interesting and worthwhile opportunity. You should be open to regular travel across the country (average twice a month) to connect with our community in person. In these instances, travel and accommodation will be covered by The Social Change Nest.
Job Description
- Network Organising and Weaving: Develop and implement engagement strategies for connectivity, knowledge exchange and weaving to build a self‑organising thriving network and community. Connect members of The Community Nest ecosystem to each other and identify pockets of innovation across the ecosystem. Carry out regular group visits in person across the country and work closely with colleagues across our Community, Communications and Governance team to share learnings and insights. Support and organise peer learning sessions, Action Learning Sets and help foster knowledge exchange across the ecosystem with support from Head of Community & Impact and Community & Knowledge Lead. Lead on outreach and auditing of the ecosystem to help with mapping and iterative, responsive systems design. Ensure the Community Nest offers (training, action learning, events, learning resources) are maintained and well publicised. Support the community governance and work closely with the Head of Community & Impact to build out a Community Panel/Advisory Group. Ensure excellent accessibility practice across the entire Community Nest ecosystem.
- Communications & Marketing: Act as an Ambassador to raise the Community Nest’s profile through social media, learning case studies and getting out and about to in‑person events. Utilise strong oral and written communication skills that concisely communicate to stakeholders the big ideas that are being discussed in the ecosystem. Work closely with the Marcomms team to generate online communication such as blogs and case studies and set up online workshops and webinars using comms tools such as WordPress, WebinarPress, HubSpot and social media schedulers. Identify and manage online tools and platforms that enable quick communication and knowledge sharing across the ecosystem.
- Sustainability & Growth: Support with the development and rolling out of our Participatory Grantmaking offer. With oversight from the Head of Community & Impact and the Community & Knowledge Lead, support budget management of The Community Nest. Provide insights and trends from the grassroots community with the wider team to facilitate dialogue with funders.
About you
First and foremost, the ideal candidate will enjoy getting out and about, have a positive attitude and be open to learning and growing with us. On top of seeking out partnerships and opportunities that will help SCN better support its community groups, you will be regularly holding spaces for groups to connect and feeding back any relevant insights to the team.
Skills & Experience:
- A natural relationship builder with the ability to spot trends across the ecosystem; and to spot opportunities for network building and community weaving.
- Strong listening and analytical skills with the ability to hear in between the lines and also synthesise large amounts of information to bring back to the team for service design.
- Comfortable networking and holding relationships with a variety of stakeholders from hyper‑local grassroots communities to large international movements or intermediaries.
- Ability to work both as part of a collaborative team but also independently when needed.
- Experience working in the network and community organising or social justice space.
- Experience facilitating peer learning spaces.
- Strong storytelling interest and skills.
- Awareness of trauma‑informed approaches and how to embed these in community building.
- Familiarity with analogue and digital skills that enable movement building and foster connectivity.
You must be able to manage your time effectively, and prioritise a varied and demanding workload. You’ll be organised, curious and enterprising, with well‑honed people and strong writing and communication skills.
Network Organiser in London employer: The Social Change Nest
At The Social Change Nest (SCN), we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions social change and community empowerment. Our hybrid working environment in London offers flexibility, while our commitment to employee growth through training and networking opportunities ensures that you will thrive in a supportive and collaborative culture. Join us in making a meaningful impact as we work together to dismantle barriers and foster a vibrant ecosystem for grassroots movements across the UK.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Network Organiser in London
✨Tip Number 1
Get out there and network! Attend events, workshops, and community gatherings related to social change. It's all about making connections and showing your enthusiasm for the role. Remember, people hire people they like!
✨Tip Number 2
Be proactive in reaching out to potential contacts. Don’t wait for them to come to you! Send a friendly email or message on social media to introduce yourself and express your interest in their work. It shows initiative and can lead to valuable conversations.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your passion for community building during interviews. Share stories of how you've connected people or facilitated learning in the past. This will demonstrate your fit for the Network Organiser role and your commitment to SCN's mission.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and contributing to the amazing work we do at SCN.
We think you need these skills to ace Network Organiser in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for community building and social change shine through. We want to see how excited you are about the role and how it aligns with our mission at SCN.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in network organising or community engagement. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your skills and how they can contribute to The Community Nest.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your writing clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured applications that make it easy for us to see your qualifications and fit for the role. Avoid jargon and focus on what matters.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Social Change Nest
✨Know Your Community
Before the interview, dive deep into understanding The Community Nest and its mission. Familiarise yourself with the challenges faced by grassroots groups and how SCN is addressing them. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you articulate how your skills can contribute to their goals.
✨Showcase Your Networking Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully built relationships in previous roles. Be ready to discuss specific instances where you've connected people or facilitated collaboration. Highlighting your experience in community organising will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Be Ready for a Test and Learn Approach
Since this role involves a test and learn methodology, come prepared with ideas on how you would approach building and engaging the network. Think about innovative strategies that could enhance connectivity and knowledge exchange within the ecosystem.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice articulating your thoughts clearly, especially when discussing complex ideas related to social change and community building. Use concise language and be prepared to answer questions about your communication style and how you would engage with various stakeholders.
