Senior Grants Officer - Liverpool

Senior Grants Officer - LiverpoolReporting to: Grants ManagerSalary: £31,125 – £39,826Hours: 37.5 hours per week*Location: Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Liverpool/Hybrid workingWe have an exciting opportunity for someone to join our grants team, to support the charity with providing approximately £5m of grant awards per year.The new Grants Lead will play an active role in supporting Alder Hey Children’s Charity’s grant development and awarding process, liaising with Trust colleagues on their grant applications and awards.The post holder will be responsible for working closely with, and sharing information with, our fundraising teams to support donor asks and onwards stewardship.They will also support the Grants Manager to develop systems and processes for effective grant management including maintaining up to date records on Salesforce.

Main Tasks/Duties:

Grant Programme Delivery & Oversight

• Oversee application pipelines and grant status to ensure efficient progression, escalating issues to the Grants Manager or Director of Grants & Impact as required.
• Monitor applications in development, ensuring alignment with Charity priorities and Theory of Change model.
• Take an active role in small grants assessment meetings, including responsibility for follow-up actions such as applicant liaison and issuing grant letters.
• Respond to enquiries from grant holders, ensuring risks or underperformance are appropriately managed or escalated.
• Ensure fundraising teams are kept informed of progress where external funds are attached to grants.

Applicant & Stakeholder Support

• Act as a primary point of contact for grant applicants, providing advice on eligibility, criteria and application processes.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with Trust staff, charity colleagues and external partners.
• Represent the grants team in internal meetings as required.

Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

• Support the Grants Manager to monitor KPIs related to grant-making, including turnaround times, and help ensure performance objectives are met.
• Identify opportunities to improve grant processes, documentation and systems.
• Share learning and best practice across the charity to enhance effectiveness and impact.

Programme Development

• Contribute to the development of grant programmes aligned with Charity priorities.
• Support the creation and continuous improvement of applicant guidance, grant programme materials and website or intranet content. ·
• Work collaboratively with Impact & Insights colleagues to support a cohesive, one-team approach.

Other Duties

• Be an outstanding advocate for Alder Hey Children’s Charity in line with the core values of the organisation.
• Be an active and supportive member of the Alder Hey Children’s Charity team, contributing to team development and working collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers.
• Attend and support events run by fundraising teams where required, including occasional out-of-hours working.
• Gain and maintain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the charity’s work, priorities and future plans.
• Any other reasonable duties as required by your line manager

Person Specification

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Experience working in the charity, voluntary, public, or philanthropic sector, ideally in a grants, funding, or programme role.
• Knowledge of the stages of assessing grant or funding applications, including reviewing project proposals, budgets and supporting information.
• Experience of delivering administration and management processes, including record keeping, applying due diligence, producing reports and responding to enquiries.
• Experience working with databases or grant management systems, maintaining accurate records and documentation.
• Experience coordinating multiple applications or projects simultaneously and working to deadlines.
• Demonstrable understanding of governance requirements and good practice relating to grant awarding and reporting. ·
• Understanding of the role of charities, grantmakers and community organisations, and the environment they operate in.
• Experience working in a grant-making organisation, foundation, or trust.
• Experience supporting funding panels, decision-making committees, or trustees, including preparing briefing papers or summaries.
• Experience of using Salesforce or similar CRM database.

Skills and Attributes

• Commitment to principles of equity, diversity and collaborative working.
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to gather information, review budgets and identify risks and opportunities.
• Clear and concise written communication skills, including preparing application summaries, recommendations, and reports.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with applicants and colleagues.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Self-motivated and positive attitude with the ability to work flexibly in a busy environment.
• High attention to detail when reviewing financial information, application materials, and grant records.
• Good judgement and integrity, applying funding criteria consistently and fairly.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and contribute to shared processes and learning.
• Ability to line manage and support to the Grants Assistant, providing guidance, oversight, and feedback.
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office and database systems.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Confidence contributing to process improvements in grant administration or systems.
• Experience building and managing positive relationships with grantees and applicants.
• Interest in learning and improving grant-making practice.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate appropriately with all people at all levels.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently, taking the initiative where required.
• A creative and lateral thinker with the ability to look for innovative solutions to problems.
• The ability to develop and maintain relationships with key contacts both inside and outside the Charity and Trust.
• The ability to work cooperatively with colleagues across the Charity to successfullydeliver the fundraising strategy.

Additional Requirements:

• Committed to continuing professional development.
• Strong interest in working for a children’s health charity.
• An understanding of and commitment to the values of Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
• Willingness to get involved with activities across the Charity.
• Willingness to occasionally work outside of normal office hours.
• High standards of personal conduct, honesty and integrity.
• Respect for and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• The ability to communicate sensitively and appropriately with donors, including families of children treated in the hospital.
• The ability to plan, prioritise and manage a number of projects simultaneously from start to finish, including meeting demanding time scales.
• The ability to multitask in a busy, fast-paced, office environment.

Our Values

Here at Alder Hey Children’s Charity, our values guide the way in which we work. By being courageous, working together, being passionate about our work, and making sure that we are creative in what we do, helps us to deliver the support necessary so that our Hospital can continue to deliver the very best care for our young patients and their families.Our values are: Courage : we try new things and take risks to innovate and drive forward new ideas. We have the courage to speak up and take a stance. We are accountable, responsive and responsible. We are unstoppable. Together : we work together as one team, sharing our knowledge and learning. We work in partnership with patients, families, supporters and colleagues. We are respectful, celebrate diversity and empower each other to achieve our aims. Passion : we are passionate about what we do and why we do it. We work together to share and grow. We inspire others. Magic : we are fun, creative and child led. We create special moments, provide little extras and go further for our brave young patients.____*In April 2025, the charity adopted a four-day working week policy, meaning staff previously working37.5 hours a week are now working 30 hours a week to enable a four-day working week. We are confident that by embracing a more flexible and balanced approach to work, we can continue to create a thriving and fulfilling work environment while driving growth and success for our charity. Note : This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this role. It is not exhaustive and may be subject to change or modification as required by the needs of Alder Hey Children’s Charity.Alder Hey Children’s Charity will make every endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments for applicants who require assistance in carrying out their duties due to a disability. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to equal opportunities and positively welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.The post holder may be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check.

Job Closes: Monday 27th April 2026, 12pm

Interviews : Thursday 7th May 2026

View our vision and values by clicking here

Download the job description here

You can apply by clicking the link below. Applications must include your CV and a covering letter (no more than one side of A4)which answers the following questions:

• How do you meet the person specification? If you don’t exactly meet all of the role requirements but have transferable skills please do consider applying and provide details as part of your answer.
• Why do you want to work for Alder Hey Children’s Charity?

If you have any questions about the role please contact: [email protected]