Corporate Social Responsibility Manager

Senior Manager – Corporate Responsibility and Global Philanthropy Location: East Midlands Salary: £(phone number removed) + great benefits Our Client is a high profile global retailer with a strong CSR agenda. They have a company and independently self-funded non-profit organisation supporting activities that help meet the needs of today's communities, society and programmes that will support future generations. The Foundation has been a proud supporter of programs with a focus on socioeconomic initiatives Your role within the organisation and your work makes a positive impact on people in both the UK & US. You’ll feel a deep sense of purpose throughout the organisation with employees committed to volunteering within the Foundation and making a positive community impact. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that includes community and high profile industry leaders. The Foundation was the vision of the chief executive and board. His vision is to establish an annually budgeted corporate giving program and a stable, long-term source of support for both local and and international communities. The foundation's growth is based on investment and fund raising activities. Purpose of the Position The Foundation supports activities in the UK and US. The Foundation focuses on programs that emphasise the understanding and application of socioeconomic initiatives. You will lead the development of the current and future strategy of the Foundation for the Foundation Board of Directors alongside Corporate Board within the retailer. You will confer with leaders and partners to develop recommendations on Foundation policies, procedures, areas of focus, types of grants and programs for approval by the Foundation Board. You will proactively work with the Board to research and develop a strategic plan for Foundation activities and identify projects and areas of need for potential grant support that are consistent with the mission of the Foundation. With the approval of the Board, you will will design and implement a grant management system for the Foundation including strategic priorities, policies, procedures and guidelines, budget allocation, program development, and program evaluation in compliance within the relevant UK and US framework The role: Lead and evolve the development of the Company’s annual Corporate Responsibility gathering data and feedback from all key partners. Help build and drive the enterprise-wide partnership vision to implement a dynamic and meaningful global philanthropic strategy which includes a coordinated employee giving, volunteering and engagement experience. Build and maintain active relationships with external nonprofit partners to strengthen the impact of the global philanthropic strategy, partnership impact and engagement and mobilisation of employee volunteers. Develop enterprise-wide partnerships to drive the overall vision, strategy, and execution of dynamic and meaningful employee engagement and volunteering programs. These should connect both corporate based and retail employees globally to the mission, company goals and corporate responsibility vision. Leverage company culture initiatives to create meaningful engagement strategies to enhance employee engagement and volunteering events to support community impact and the employee experience life cycle. Track relevant trends and leading practices in global philanthropy and employee engagement/volunteering to continually enhance program strategies and impacts, analytics and employee experience. Collaborate with Marketing, Retail, Finance, IT, legal and other departments as necessary on the management of sustainability data; develop industry leading data management and tracking systems Evaluate, prioritise and assess different partner groups, interests and public information requirements related to the companies philanthropic offering. Collaborate on the communications strategy to launch partnerships externally and educate employees internally about the company’s leading position in the corporate foundation sector. Support the maintenance of internal/external websites for CR/ESG-related information and disclosures and serve as resource for internal partners for formal ESG reporting. Ensure the Board in the administration of Foundation programs and grant-making activities adheres to legal compliance Ensure adequate staffing of Board standing committees and internal fundraisers including audit, investment, governance, and nominating/selection as well as ad hoc committees established by the Board. Work with the Retail Board of Directors, employees and charity partners retained by the Board to oversee the investment of assets and the disbursement of those assets as well as implement recommendations on program policies, procedures, areas of focus, and types of support. Direct the management of the freestanding, grant-making organisation Responsible for receiving, evaluating, and administering other funds contributed to the Foundation by the corporation for special programs and projects within the scope of the Foundation and of interest to the corporation. Design, oversee and direct the implementation of programs Represent the Foundation to foster potential collaborative programs and projects with significant stakeholders including senior management, employees, officials of other foundations, organisations and charitable partners. Lead and oversee and direct the design and implementation of the Foundation’s communication programme including preparation of the Foundation’s annual report, application, brochures and special programmes, presentations, and events. Supervise Foundation employee volunteers and ensure there is a strong pipeline of volunteers being hired throughout the Retail organisation The person: Ideally degree educated Progressive experience working with corporate foundations or CSR boards. Must have operational and programme leadership experience in this space. A demonstrated local and international awareness and understanding. Strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrated expertise in research and analysis and project management. Excellent operational management skills, communication skills and organisational skills. Ability to interact effectively with senior management and high-level external contacts. Integrity, judgement, and diplomacy in response to sensitive requests for funding. Experience in corporate foundations required. Experience in the retail industry is a plus but not required. Well versed in project management tools and processes. Project management certification a plus. Philanthropy and project management certification a plus. Direct experience/results in a) employee engagement programs (including work place giving and community employee volunteer programs), b) proposal evaluation/review skills and c) solid understanding of generally accepted grant-making policies and regulations. Familiarity with grant making platforms to support employee engagement and optimise grant-making administration. Excellent written, verbal, event management and presentation skills. Familiarity with grant and budget management, including ability to read financial statements, develop budgets and review audited financial reports a plus. Excellent people skills – ability to connect with employees, partners, and leaders, build partnerships, communicate effectively with people all over the world at every level of the organisation. Passion for working in a value led company, creating connections, and engaging ALL employees in developing a positive work environment. Demonstrated track record of thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment, effectively managing multiple programs and projects simultaneously while paying close attention to detail and deadlines. Highly organised, analytical, proactive teammate with a high degree of initiative that can implement independently, set and meet deadlines and targets. Sound problem-solving skills, ability to objectively analyse current practices, identify root cause problems and improvement opportunities, formulate a range of achievable options, and build consensus for a preferred solution. To apply please email your CV