Purpose of role: To support international conservation grants programmes and lead on the development of our 200 strong global Winner Network at WFN: an impactful fundraising and grant-giving wildlife conservation charity focused on supporting grassroots projects in the Global South.

Reports to: Director

Place of work: Central London, with the option to work remotely up to 2 days/week

Contract: Full-time permanent contract, working 5 days p/w

Salary: £32,000 p.a.

Deadline: We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Please apply as soon as possible for consideration.

The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN)

WFN is a UK-registered charity (www.whitleyaward.org no. 1081455) offering funding (Awards), training and media profile to inspiring leaders of wildlife conservation projects across the Global South. We support pragmatic, sustainable and long-lasting work rooted in science and community involvement. The charity funds projects directly and we remain in regular contact with our winners. WFN also raises awareness of the serious problems facing wildlife, landscapes, climate and people through promoting the work of our winners. We focus support on nationals (leaders who were either born in the country where they work or have gained nationality) and aim to build the capacity of successful local NGOs and grassroots work. We fund mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America where income is often hardest to raise and can have the biggest impact for people and biodiversity. Our funding is raised each year, mainly from family foundations and trusts, as well as from individuals, corporates and international NGOs, with a current annual income of £2m/year. WFN is governed by a committed trustee board. Our small team is dynamic, hard-working and strives to go above and beyond expectations. The charity benefits from high profile support from Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, Trustee Sir David Attenborough, and Ambassadors Kate Humble and Tom Heap. Next year, WFN will be marking its 30th anniversary, which provides a special opportunity to celebrate 30 years of supporting inspiring conservation leaders, and to look to the future. In line with our ambition to raise £3m/year by 2025, we are expanding our team to meet targets and increase the amount of support we can channel to our growing network of conservationists around the world as we seek to further raise their profile and foster south-south collaborations among WFN alumni.

Position of Grants and Networks Officer

This new role at WFN provides an exciting opportunity to lead on the development of our growing Winner Network Development (WND) programme, identified as one of the charity’s key areas for strategic growth and maximised impact over the coming years. We are looking for an enthusiastic and outgoing self-starter who is passionate about conservation and can drive forward and create connections between our global network of over 200 conservationists, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. As part of this programme the GNO will help with delivery of annual thematic training workshops, with opportunity for international travel. The Grants and Networks Officer (GNO) will also assist our Head of Grants (HoG) in monitoring our portfolio of active grants and managing winner reports (focussing on Asia), will participate in the Whitley Awards application process by administering and screening the grant applications and supporting with due diligence, and will aid the team in the delivery of the annual Whitley Awards Ceremony week. If you have a conservation background, and experience with both monitoring active grants, and proactively managing growing networks, then this is the role for you.

GRANTS AND NETWORKS OFFICER – SKILLS REQUIRED

Essential:

• MSc in a relevant field (e.g., Conservation/ Zoology/ Environmental Science)
• Requisite experience in managing a portfolio of active grants within the environmental NGO sector including ongoing monitoring and evaluation of written and financial reports
• Demonstrable understanding of grassroots conservation projects, issues, and solutions (primarily in in Asia, but also in Africa, South and Latin America)
• Experience cultivating and managing networks of people, with a proven track record of successful engagement and network growth
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all levels (interface with team members, trustees, international grantees, donors, external assessors, suppliers)
• Past involvement in the planning and delivery of events and/or trainings, including logistics
• Innovative and strategic thinker; able to spot opportunities to maximise the collective impact of our winner network
• Efficient and organised, with high attention to detail whilst ensuring deadlines are met
• Analytical and competent in data handling
• Experience of using databases to manage funding streams, workflows and analyse data
• Proven ability in effective budgeting, negotiating and budget management
• Proficient in Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint
• Flexible ‘can do’ approach and will flourish in a small office environment
• Ability to work as part of team and on own initiative

Desirable:

• Experience working and/or travelling in the Global South
• Experience using Salesforce/CRM databases
• Experience working with high profile individuals

Additional details related to the position:

• Attractive holiday package totalling 30 days p.a. plus bank holidays
• The charity operates a Pension Scheme
• Apply: Send your CV, contact details for two referees and a covering letter explaining why you feel you would be right for this position and your motivation to: [email protected]. Please also send a signed copy of our Candidate Privacy Notice with your application
• Please indicate what your notice period, if any, would be in your letter
• Only applicants who have the right to work in the UK at the time of application will be considered for this role