Grants Officer (15 hours a week)

The part time Grants Officer will dedicate most of their time to reviewing and assessing online grant applications from individuals seeking financial support. They will work closely with another part time Grants Officer and the Chief Executive to ensure an efficient and effective grant-making process, and impactful grant recommendations. The core role is to process applications within agreed timelines, following up with grant applicants on email, by phone and through the online portal for further information and clarification. The postholder will record the results of these checks and enquiries clearly, applying TST’s policies and procedures fairly and transparently. They will support applicants seeking help by explaining our process and criteria, managing expectations about what we can do. If a grant applicant is not eligible for support, the Grants Officer will tell them why and signpost to other sources of support. If they are eligible, the Grants Officer will summarise the key facts and make recommendations to the Chief Executive to meet the weekly deadline for Grants Committee consideration.

Core responsibilities

• Respond to applications and enquiries to TST for financial support, in a timely manner, providing empathetic customer service.
• Methodically and fairly assess applications and supporting information, to ascertain the grant applicant’s eligibility, circumstances and financial situation.
• Verify the grant applicant’s circumstances as far as possible, recording the results of checks undertaken and use a scoring system to make recommendations for awards, in line with the charity’s policies and procedures.
• Share safeguarding or other concerns with the team as soon as they are identified.
• Summarise grant recommendations to meet the weekly deadline, collaborating with the other Grants Officer and Chief Executive.
• Communicate grant decisions to applicants and signpost to other sources of support.
• Help gather and record feedback to evidence the impact of TST’s work.
• Gain understanding of the user experience and online application journey and suggest improvements, working with our trusted partner, Lightning Reach.
• As a representative of the charity to deliver a consistent brand tone (friendly, helpful, non-judgemental, inclusive) to all people in all dealings by phone, email and via the application portal.
• Comply with the Data Protection and Privacy Policy to ensure personal data is always protected.
• Participate in team and sector meetings and training to share information and insight about application trends.

Essential experience required

• Working in an administrative and customer facing role.
• Some prior experience of grant making or similar assessment work.
• Working remotely and/or in a hybrid team environment.

Essential skills and abilities

• A self-starter, able to act on own initiative and to organise, plan and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines.
• Ability to grasp and consistently apply criteria and policies.
• Strong IT skills and confidence working with MS Word, Excel and database systems.
• Fluent written English and ability to communicate people’s circumstances and needs to support decision making.
• Great people skills and ability to cope with individuals in need in a calm and sensitive manner.

Personal attributes

• Diligent, self-motivated and values-driven.
• Logical and systematic, with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Compassionate, non-judgemental approach to others.
• Ability to work in a small team, with a flexible, positive ‘can-do’ approach.
• Reliable, honest, efficient.