Deputy Head of Learning and Programmes

About us and the context for this role

DiNN is an open innovation organisation committed to bringing social empowerment to Black communities across the globe. We bring charities, social entrepreneurs, startup teams, social innovators, investors, and philanthropists together to address social challenges, solve problems and support the development of under-represented groups and Black communities specifically.

As the postholder, you would need to work collaboratively as part of our dedicated team. You will be a self-starter and will be aligned with our core values, sharing our passion for delivering change in an enterprising and empowering way. The role is an excellent opportunity for someone with existing experience running funding programmes, with an interest in social change, charities, and social enterprises. We are particularly looking for people who are passionate about racial justice and systems change.

The role is full-time and will suit those looking to work remotely and flexibly. The post-holder will be required to lead London-focused programmes. As such, the post-holder is required to attend key events and build effective partnerships with key stakeholders. We are open to applications from those with experience working in small organisations or those with experience in a larger organisation looking for a change.

Purpose Statement

The Deputy Head of Learning and Programmes Manager will be working closely with the Head of Learning and Programmes to develop and deliver Do it Now Now’s strategy in line with the CEO, leadership team, staff and our core partners. The person in this role will also support the training and development of a core team and act as a line manager, overseeing their work and assuring quality is delivered in all respects.

We are looking for an avid learner who is interested in developing mechanisms within our funding programmes, infrastructure support work capacity building and individual support programmes to meet the needs of our clients, funders, partners and service users. You will use your position to advocate for greater racial equity in the sector and work with us to deliver change over time.

Key Responsibilities

Senior role

• Work with the Head of Learning and Programmes to realise our vision, deliver our ambitious strategy and provide professional and people leadership for the team, establishing a vibrant culture within your team and building confidence in the future direction of DiNN.

• Develop and implement learning and development strategies to create impactful capacity-building and entrepreneurship education according to the requirements of our funded programmes (for external participants).

• Research new and innovative organisational learning content to develop bespoke training materials for virtual and in-person facilitation for our programmes (external participants).

• Develop and implement learning and development strategies to create high-performing teams across the organisation and a culture of continuous learning and development.

• Evaluate training effectiveness through participant feedback, performance metrics, and client satisfaction surveys and implement improvements as needed.

• Work on strategic and tactical issues facing the team alongside the Head of Learning and Programmes and the other members of the team.

• Act as a subject matter expert, providing key direction and expertise on the work of the Learning and Programmes team to the rest of the organisation as required.

• Lead as an autonomous, decisive organisation leader. Not merely raising problems but also proactively working with others to solve them.

• Drive performance management processes and take an active role in identifying areas for improvement in the team members and providing them with the targeted support they need to achieve their development goals.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify skills gaps and training needs.

• Design and deliver training programmes that meet these needs.

• Manage external training providers and resources.

Other Key Responsibilities

• Be responsible for the design of the overall programmatic and events content strategy, considering the different organisational goals, audiences served, and stages of the participant journey. 

• Be responsible for the design and implementation of our annual programmes calendar, which brings our strategy to life - the overall look, feel and experience of our events and other programming opportunities, including facilitating cohorts; and delivering large and small events and programmes, including high-level conferences and forums.

• Ensure that we consistently adopt best practices relating to grantmaking, capacity building, social investment and other areas of our expertise, such as participatory grantmaking, co-design and other key practices to ensure that our service users are always at the centre of our design and delivery.

• Produce reports, analysis, and evaluation, reporting progress and areas for improvement for presentation directly to the Director Board. 

• Support the development of a systematic approach to understanding our impact, including gathering learning and insight from our work through process evaluations. 

• Ensure the delivery of our capacity building and support offer is well suited to the needs of our participants. 

• Oversee the budget and reporting process to external funders, including liaising with Finance, Senior Leadership and other teams to coordinate information and responses while ensuring the proper management of freelancers and committees within the systems of our grantmaking, lending and other work.

• Support with collating evidence and creating new programmes and funding models that can be used to fundraise for further programmes in the future. 

• Responsible for producing evaluation and impact reports for internal and external audiences in the context of our Theory of Change (TOC) and programmatic impact goals.

• Grow networks of key stakeholders to ensure our management work is always well-connected to the wider community of funders, VCSEs and other stakeholders.

• Build new partnerships and relationships on behalf of the organisation, and represent DiNN at stakeholder events.

• To carry out any other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, as requested by your line manager.

Experience Required

• Essential - In-depth experience in Learning & Development management or proven experience in a similar role, and has designed L&D strategies before, preferably within a corporate organisational development environment. Candidates with experience from an academic/educational background teaching adults will also be considered.

• As this is a standalone role, it is essential for the candidate to have led an end-to-end strategy through to delivery for all levels, from onboarding through to senior leadership.

• Proven track record in designing and delivering effective training programs that drive performance improvement and organisational growth

• Familiarity with e-learning platforms/learning management systems and practices

• Essential - Capacity building and infrastructure support.

• Essential - Experience in managing a high-performing team with a management style that empowers others.

• Essential - Strong understanding of financial management, including budgets, cashflows, and management accounts.

• Essential - Demonstrable project management expertise, including the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, meeting internal and client deadlines

• Essential PMP / PRINCE II/ Agile certification or equivalent

• Desirable - Experience in participatory grant-making, 

• Desirable - coaching or action learning trainer qualifications.

About you

• You’re highly organised and self-motivated. 

• You are an ambitious leader. You recognise the importance of what we are trying to achieve and see your role in that. 

• You’re resourceful. You know how to find things, solve things, answer questions, reach people.

• You are passionate about the cause. You have a demonstrated interest and motivation to support racial equity in the charity sector.

• You have sound judgement. You work independently and, when faced with issues, react calmly and logically.

• You're a positive, solutions-oriented, and entrepreneurial individual with a drive for excellence.

• You can engage remotely and with autonomy.

• You’re a team player and manager with strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.

To apply 

You can download the job pack here.

To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role according to the job description and person specification via this form.

Closing date: 26 April 2024, 5pm.

First-stage interviews will be scheduled for 2 and 3 May, and second-stage interviews for 9 May. 

Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close the position before the closing date. We look forward to receiving your application.

Thank you for your consideration.

Do it Now is dedicated to believing that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.