Grants Coordinator

Location: London (remote working within the UK is possible)

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (5 or 4 days per week)

Remuneration: FILE salaries and benefits are benchmarked appropriately to the location where our staff are based 

Contract: We are recruiting for 2 roles Permanent & Fixed term (12 months)

Reports to: Grant Manager or Head of Grants 

About FILE

The Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) was set up in 2018 to be the major philanthropic re-granter scaling up legal action globally to tackle the climate and the biodiversity crises.

We work as movement enablers, campaign strategists, and impact funders, using the law in pursuit of three interconnected system-level goals:

• Reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to protect the climate
• Safeguarding nature
• Delivering climate and environmental justice

We pursue these goals not just by supporting legal action directly. We believe in growing the strength of the climate and biodiversity legal movement globally, and in enabling people and movements to use legal action to shift narratives.

As movement enablers, campaign strategists, and impact funders, we at FILE do not ourselves bring litigation. As a regrantor, FILE is not an endowed foundation, but rather we engage in fundraising to secure resources to support our partners globally.

The Role

The Grants Coordinator will play a key role within the Grants Team, a growing team at FILE. This role will work closely with the Grants Managers and Heads of Grants across key FILE portfolios to ensure that programmes and partnerships are delivered at pace and to schedule. Whilst initially this is largely an administrative role, it is an opportunity to gain an insight in the workings of an international philanthropic organisation focused on systemic change through partnerships with a variety of outstanding legal strategists and NGO partners.

As Grants Coordinator, you ensure the quality of FILE’s grant-making processes and provide support to the Grants Managers and Heads of Grants during the entire life cycle of a grant. As well as working closely with the Grants Team, you will be working together with all the relevant stakeholders at FILE, i.e., grantee partners and our colleagues in finance, legal strategy, impact & learning and operations. 

This is a unique opportunity to support world-leading non-profit partners in delivering strategic legal interventions to impact. We are looking for a candidate who is excited at the prospect of working for a dynamic and fast-growing organisation with a mission to solve the climate crisis. 

Key Responsibilities

• Grant administration – support the internal processes of contracting, payment approvals and tracking financial disbursements. Lead on grantee communication regarding payments and reporting.
• Ensure timelines and the approval process for grants and contracts run to schedule, ensuring all relevant information is presented to senior FILE team colleagues and decisions are documented.
• Ensure grant data and documentation is up-to-date and filed appropriately, including input into FILE systems as required.
• Perform data capture and maintain database records. Support the management of FILE’s key grants database, including supporting development and revision of database processes, structure and workflows.
• Regular communication with applicants and grant holders, particularly when supporting the due diligence process for applicants.
• Collaborate with the Grants Manager on annual planning, grants development, in-life grants management, pipeline planning and partnership building with partners.
• Work up to managing and holding relationships with partners for a small number of grants.
• Performance & outcome monitoring – support the Grants Manager to effectively monitor the progress and outcomes of projects and grants together with the Legal Strategy and Impact and Learning teams. This will include the scheduling of reporting requirements, and supporting the evaluation, impact and learning processes.
• Support other portfolio teams if required and time allows.

Key Competencies 

• Ability to work unsupervised, a motivated self-starter, with robust problem solving, administrative, multi-tasking skills and is good on follow-through.
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to assimilate and digest large volumes of information.
• Strong attention to detail and strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage workload effectively and to work with changing priorities and time pressures.
• Ability to occasionally adjust working hours to fit with multiple time zones as required.
• Strong written and communication skills. You will be able to present information in a compelling way through proposals, memos and PowerPoint presentations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people from different cultures and backgrounds
• Desire to contribute to new ideas and ways of working to develop improved models, processes and use of technology in grant-making.
• Outstanding partnership management skills, with the ability to support and establish highly collaborative internal and external partnerships.
• Experience with databases/grant-management or CRM systems highly desirable
• Financial and budget management skills desirable but not necessary.
• Ability in French and/or Spanish desirable but not necessary.

About you

• Works unsupervised, with robust problem solving, administrative and multi-tasking skills
• Is good on follow-through – completes with consistency and to high standard
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to assimilate and digest large volumes of information
• Strong attention to detail and strong organisational and project management skills
• Manages workload effectively and pivots around changing priorities and time pressures
• Strong written and communication skills
• Presents information in a compelling way through proposals, memos, and PowerPoint presentations.
• Communicates effectively with people from different cultures and backgrounds
• Contributes to new and innovative ways of working to develop improved models, processes, and use of technology in grant-making
• Outstanding relationship management skills, with the ability to support and establish highly collaborative internal and external partnerships
• Experience with databases/grant-management systems desirable but not necessary
• Financial and budget management skills desirable but not necessary
• A willingness to occasionally adjust working hours to fit with multiple time zones as required

Applications

We look forward to receiving your application. Please do ensure that your application details your interest in joining FILE, how your skills and experience match our vision for this position, and the contribution you think you could make to the our overall mission in this space.

This role is open for applications immediately, closing date 19 January 2025. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role so encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Should you have any questions, please email careers@filefoundation.org.

Working for FILE

FILE is a collaborative community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about climate, nature, and justice. Together, we share knowledge and experience to support our mission.

Individuals are empowered to work as both part of a wider team and individually to make impactful change and deliver to a high standard. Roles here are ideally suited to those who are highly flexible and happy to change and grow in line with the ever-changing challenges of the Foundation – those who are willing to get stuck in and make an impact.

FILE is committed to challenging inequality, valuing diversity in all areas of life. We firmly believe that we are strengthened by the diversity of our staff. We actively work to ensure an inclusive culture where colleagues feel welcomed and supported to succeed and thrive.

Diversity & Inclusion

As an equal opportunities employer, FILE is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join FILE.

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