Funding Manager – Our Natural World (ONW)

Location: Hybrid – London, UK. The Foundation has a hybrid approach to working and the candidate
will work from the Kings Cross office (N1 9JY) two or three days per week – these will include
Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Occasional UK travel will be required, which may include an overnight
stay.
Hours: Full-time working to standard office hours (35-hours per week, Monday to Friday, broadly
office hours). We will also consider candidates looking to work 0.8 full-time.
Reports to: Director – Our Natural World

Esmée Fairbairn
Foundation is one of the largest independent funders in the UK. We aim to improve our natural
world, secure a fairer future, and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. We do this by
contributing all that we can to unlock change by people and organisations with brilliant ideas who
share our goals.

The Foundation provides around £50m annually in grants towards a wide range of work
in support of our aims. We also provide social and impact investment to support organisations
creating social and environmental impact.

In everything we do, we are motivated by the need to
address the causes and impacts of climate change and to recognise our role in addressing diversity,
equity, and inclusion.

More about our approach can be found on our website.

Useful
links to learn about us:

• Our values
• Working for Esmée

About the role

The role is based in the Foundation’s Our Natural World team. We are a small
and friendly team of six people that holds over 250 relationships across the UK, through grants,
investments and other support. These cover a wide range of organisations from the well-known and
high profile through to start-ups, social enterprises and organisations working on niche issues.
In Our Natural World, we
are working towards three impact goals: sustainable and ethical food, clean and healthy freshwater,
and preserved and improved species health and habitats.

We have five funding priorities under our
current strategy: nature friendly farming, fishing in tandem with nature, freshwater, peat and
space for nature.

This role will be primarily focused on sustainable and ethical food and our
nature-friendly farming priority. We are therefore seeking candidates with experience and passion
in this area. Last year, we undertook a review of
our work in nature friendly farming, which provides further context to our work.

The Foundation
aims to be an engaging employer and a good place to work. All members of the team have
opportunities to learn more about how we work and to join colleagues in visiting projects and
attending relevant meetings and events. You will be part of a vibrant organisation with a wealth of
knowledge and expertise. Contributions to the Foundation’s strategic direction are encouraged
throughout the organisation.

The Foundation has an executive team of 43. There are 12 trustees who
oversee the work of the Foundation via regular board meetings and committees.

Why apply?

We are in
the midst of a climate and nature crisis. This is a unique opportunity to work with and support a
range of organisations, initiatives and projects that are on the front line of tackling this
challenge and that are working with communities across the UK to secure a just transition. We have
independence, resources and influence that enable us to move at pace and make a positive difference
for people and communities in the UK. We have ambition and risk appetite to try new things and work
with new and unusual partnerships to deliver our aims. A key question that guides our work and
action is “what more can we do?” – come and help us answer it.

Purpose of Job:

The main purpose of
the post is to:

• To make a significant contribution to the delivery of the Foundation’s strategy – with a
  particular focus on our sustainable and ethical food portfolio.
• Identifying and building a pipeline of activities that will contribute to the delivery of
  the five-year roadmaps for the impact goals.
• Assessing a wide range of proposals and managing a broad portfolio of activities and
  relationships.
• Supporting the development of relationships between partner organisations and others so
  they can achieve greater impact collectively.
• Building relationships and brokering collaborations.
• Supporting the development of social investment opportunities in the sector.
• Gathering learning from activities and using that learning to inform future activity and
  the development of roadmaps towards our impact goals.

Key Responsibilities:

1. To assess and manage a portfolio of proposals including investigating, seeking further
   information, making site visits, giving advice to and taking advice from colleagues, advisers
   or other organisations.
2. To contribute to the development and maintenance of a pipeline of activities as part of our
   roadmaps towards our impact goals.
3. To build cross-sector relationships in the UK to support the Foundation’s strategy for the
   impact goals and to maximise the impact of the strategy.
4. To support the development of relationships between partner organisations (and others) so
   they can achieve greater impact collectively. This may include brokering, identifying and
   supporting unusual alliances.
5. To develop proposals with recommendations for consideration and approval.
6. To monitor the progress and impact of activities in line with the Foundation’s learning and
   evaluation strategy.
7. To represent the Foundation at seminars, conferences, functions and other events.
8. To be a positive and active member of the Foundation team, working with and supporting
   colleagues in helping the Foundation deliver the strategic plan.
9. To undertake any other duties in support of the Foundation’s business as may reasonably be
   required.

Please download and view the full Job Description on our website.

Benefits

12.5% employer pension
contribution (with a 5% employee contribution) and a range of benefits including: season ticket
loan, income protection scheme, life assurance, (taxable) private medical insurance scheme, Give as
You Earn scheme, cycle to work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme.

The Foundation has a strong
commitment to the professional development of all staff.

Our commitment to DEI in recruitment

Esmée
Fairbairn Foundation believes that a greater diversity of views, skills, and lived experience will
help generate better ideas, and will lead to better decision making. We want to encourage
applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. In particular, those with lived experience
of racial inequity, disability, or poverty.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 27th February
2025

Interview dates: 

• First Stage interview: 13th March 2025 (online)
• Second Stage interview: 19th March 2025 (in person, Kings Cross Office)

For a chat about the role, you can reach out
directly to Dom Szczecinski. Email [email protected].