Programmes Lead

Homeless Link; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Homeless Link is searching for a Programme Lead to manage a portfolio of grant programmes aimed at reducing homelessness. This role involves overseeing funded projects, leading evaluations, and developing strategies grounded in evidence. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in grant management within the social service sector, effectively coordinating relationships with various stakeholders. Join an organization dedicated to ending homelessness through innovative solutions and data-driven interventions.

Benefits

Interest-free loans for travel season ticket

Pension scheme with 8.5% employer contribution

30 days' annual leave increasing to 33 days

Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience in managing grants or in frontline delivery organisation of housing services.
• Understanding of homelessness policies across the UK is desirable.
• Experience in a fast-paced team environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day management of funded grant programmes.
• Ensure grantees meet performance milestones and budget adherence.
• Collaborate with communication teams to publish evaluation reports.

Skills

Project Management

Communication

Grant Management

Relationship Building

Job description

We are seeking a Programme Lead to support with delivering a portfolio of interventions, evaluations and research that aims to reduce homelessness and ultimately end homelessness with evidence. The role is a key part of the centre’s Programmes Team, which oversee and manage organisations including local authorities; charities; and evaluators, to ensure that work commissioned by the Centre is conducted to a high standard.

WHY IS THIS ROLE IMPORTANT FOR THE CENTRE’S WORK?

At the Centre, we help people to harness the power of evidence and data to improve policies and interventions to support people experiencing homelessness. You will help grow and shape the direction of our evidence-generation efforts, working very closely with organisations in the sector. The ideal candidate will be able to build strong relationships with Local Authorities and service delivery organisations, managing their needs carefully and sensitively, and supporting them to effectively implement the evaluations.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN DO

Grant management

• Lead the day-to-day management of funded grant programmes (both the delivery of a programme by an external organisation(s) and its independent evaluation) including working closely with grantees to monitor performance against milestones, identifying risks and ensuring these are mitigated or escalated appropriately.
• Plan and lead regular project update meetings with grantees. Review interim and final reports produced by delivery partners and evaluators, coordinating quality assurance and peer review processes.
• Proactively identify, create and grow strong relationships with potential partner organisations, working in a client-focused manner to identify opportunities, develop goals, and draft and deliver implementation plans and projects.
• Manage project-specific budgets, including checking financial reports and ensuring that projects are delivered on budget and/or budgets are realigned as required.
• Coordinate internal project teams on project management including planning, stakeholder management, monitoring, and reporting.
• Work closely with our Data and Evidence team to ensure that projects make use of rigorous and appropriate methods.

Commissioning

• Set up and administer grant funding calls for both delivery partners (charities, local authorities, and others involved in administering interventions), and evaluation partners (research organisations including consultancies and universities).
• Coordinate the rigorous assessment and review of applications, including coordinating internal teams to assess applications and providing secretariat for CHI’s grants and evaluation committee.
• Ensure that decision-makers have all the information required to be able to make quality decisions about which projects to fund, and which evaluators to appoint, and that there is sufficient documentation in place to provide an audit trail for all decisions.
• Commission peer review of research outputs produced by partners and manage feedback and revision by evaluators.

Communication and dissemination

• Collaborate closely with communication colleagues to support the successful publication of evaluation and research reports, leading on engagement with grantees in relation to publication, as well as other activities to ensure findings are implemented in practice.
• Draw on a broad toolkit of approaches (project management; user design; behavioural insights; public service transformation; interpersonal coaching) both from your own skills and our multidisciplinary team and expert partners and associates.

General

• Support the Head of Programmes with reasonable tasks to help develop templates and processes in this new team.
• Be a part of a learning and improvement culture across the organisation supporting improvement in all our processes.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND BEHAVIOURS

We need a self-starter, capable of scoping and delivering data-led projects and articulating effectively how these are aligned with our strategic priorities and the needs of decision-makers.

Your experience includes:

• 3-5 years experience in managing grants, either in a research or commissioning role at a funding organisation (including grant awarding charities, government departments, and what works centres) OR
• 3-5 years experience working in a frontline delivery organisation of housing services, including local government or charities.
• Experience working in a fast paced team environment, working flexibly and collaboratively across teams with diverse skills.
• Demonstrable experience in complex Project Management.
• An entrepreneurial approach and an ability to work effectively and flexibly in a lean, diverse and agile organisation with big ambitions. Keenness to stay abreast of data and statistical developments which may have implications for CHI’s evidence and data programme.

Nice to have:

• Nuanced understanding of homelessness policies across the UK.
• Some understanding of research methods

You will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to set clear priorities and work to tight deadlines
• Capacity to build and nurture good relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Commitment to both the aims and values of the Centre.
• Openness to critique from other disciplines and curiosity to learn from a spectrum of perspectives.

Working here

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• Interest-free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
• 30 days’ annual leave which increases with service to 33 days
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme
• Flexible working

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

• Fixed Term to November 2026.
• Salary: £35,000 to £45,000 depending on experience, location and line management responsibilities.
• Location: Flexible, remote or hybrid for London-based staff.
• Staff outside London work remotely from home, and we offer a hybrid working environment for staff based within commuting distance of our central London offices, usually with at least two office-based days in an average week.
• This role will require some travel with overnight stays.

Closing Date: Tuesday 17th June 09:00

Interviews: Thursday 26th June (in person - London)

Find out more and apply here.