Deputy Director, Funding Strategy

The National Lottery Community Fund; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK funding organization is seeking a Deputy Director, Funding Strategy to oversee and enhance its funding strategies and policies. This leadership role involves working across multiple departments and engaging with senior stakeholders to drive initiatives that promote equity and collaboration. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in grant making, funding strategy development, and leadership within relevant sectors.

Qualifications

• Experience of grant making and philanthropy at a senior level.
• Significant experience in funding strategy development.
• Leadership experience in related departments.
• Experience embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with Board and Committee members.
• Experience working in a UK-wide context.
• Experience within statutory and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Oversee core funding strategy capability.
• Drive development of funding strategies and policies.
• Represent the Fund and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Identify gaps and opportunities in funding strategy.
• Promote a culture of collaboration and experimentation.

Skills

Grant making and philanthropy experience

Funding strategy development

Leadership experience

Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion

Working with senior stakeholders

Experience with non-executive Board

Working across public, private, and voluntary sectors

Understanding of statutory and regulatory frameworks

Job description

Deputy Director, Funding Strategy – The National Lottery Community Fund

We are now seeking a proactive and purposeful leader as our new Deputy Director, Funding Strategy. In this role you will oversee our core funding strategy capability, ensuring the Fund stays ahead of change and remains at the leading edge of grantmaking practice. You would lead a multidisciplinary team working across our UK-wide organisation, including Funding Strategy Development, Funding Policy and Practice, Equity Diversity and Inclusion, and Youth Voice.

This is a crucial leadership appointment – you will be part of the Funding Strategy, Innovation and UK directorate leadership team, driving the ongoing development of funding strategy, policies and ways of working. You will have holistic oversight of funding strategy from inception to decision by executive and non-executive committees, and drive through into embedded practice.

You will be responsible for representing the Fund, developing excellent relationships with senior level external stakeholders, actively engaging with and building constructive relationships with senior level colleagues across the Senior Management Team and all Directorates. You will take the lead in understanding our progress in delivering funding strategy across a devolved context, identifying gaps and opportunities to go further in the delivery of our ambitions.

This post is critical for the development and improvement of our overall funding strategy, driving the flow through into practice and working across the Fund to realise the ambitions we have set out. We are looking for a candidate to promote a culture of experimentation, and collaboration that supports our priorities around equity, environmental sustainability, and community power and evolve our funding policies and practice – making them more open, insight-driven, and transformative.

Interview details

• Date: 11 November 2025
• Format: Online
• Location: UK-wide – the role can be based at any of our UK offices (Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Newtown).

There will be an online information session on Thursday 23rd October 16:00‑16:45. Please contact [e-mail] to book a space or ask any questions about the recruitment process.

How to apply

Upload your CV in Word format and write a supporting statement (up to 1000 words) aligned with the criteria below. Your application will be scored against these criteria.

Supporting statement criteria

• Experience of grant making and philanthropy at a senior level and understanding of the policy and sector context of the National Lottery Community Fund
• Significant experience of multi‑faceted funding strategy development and translation into effective practice
• Leadership experience of at least one of the departments within span of control
• Experience of embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of work
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders across public, private and voluntary sectors
• Significant experience of working with non‑executive Board and Committee members
• Experience of working in a UK‑wide context
• Experience of working within statutory and regulatory frameworks

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio‑economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)