The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is recruiting for a part-time (0.6 FTE) Grant Risk and Compliance Manager
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is a grant making charity which supports the Armed Forces Covenant by funding projects which address specific priorities. The Trust is committed to learning from and sharing the achievements of its grant holders and the impact of its funding programmes. To find out more about our work please visit our website https://www.covenantfund.org.uk/
As the scale and complexity of the Trust’s grantmaking has increased, we’re looking to add additional capacity to our Grants Team, with a Grant Risk and Compliance Manager. The post-holder will report to our Head of Risk and Compliance and lead on undertaking any reviews into grant anomalies, maintain oversight of key risk documents, support members of the Grants Team in managing particularly challenging issues, as well as maintaining an overview of key compliance areas.
This job is well suited to someone with a keen eye for detail, an inquisitive mind and an ability to present a robust challenge when something doesn’t look right. We’re looking for someone who has experience in managing complex governance or financial challenges. In line with our values of working in ‘Fair’ and ‘Collaborative’ ways, you’ll bring a positive mindset to help support the team in bringing any grant back on track for a successful delivery, or draw it to a conclusion that meets both organisation’s needs.
The Trust holds dual status as both a charity and a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence, therefore in addition to relevant Charity Commission guidance, we are also required to comply with the Government good practice standards on grant-making, as well as other legislation such as the Subsidy Control Act. Working knowledge of these or similar standards will be advantageous, as would knowledge in how to manage charitable and/or public funds.
Previous experience of working in a charity or not for profit organisation would be desirable, but experience might have been gained within the public sector, perhaps within a local authority or government department. A personal knowledge or experience of the armed forces would be an advantage, and applications will be welcomed from former serving personnel, or spouses, who meet the key criteria. The successful candidates will have an interest in, and commitment to, the difference that charities can make.
At the Trust we celebrate equity and diversity in all our work and are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and inclusion. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and able to contribute their best.
We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, recognising that diversity of thought, experience and perspective strengthens our ability to deliver meaningful impact for the armed forces community. We’re not just looking for skills – we’re looking for people who share our values and can help enhance our culture. So even if you do not fully meet all of the skills criteria listed in the job description, please don’t hesitate to apply. We’d love to hear from you.
The Trust welcomes applications from across the UK. Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer this opportunity to anyone living outside of the UK mainland. This is a fully remote, home working role and applicants will be expected to be able to confirm that they are able to work in this way (IT and any essential equipment will be provided). Attendance at occasional (fewer than 4 per year) meetings or awaydays, plus infrequent site-visits for our grants will be expected – these could be in London or elsewhere in the UK.
Salary in the range £39,588-£46,385 (Full-time equivalent) depending on experience (plus pension contribution and other benefits).
How to apply:
Applications should take the form of a letter (no more than two pages of A4) providing evidence of how you meet the person specification and a CV. Please also indicate how soon you might be available to start if your application is successful.
Timeline
Applications should be submitted via our recruitment portal at https://system.citrushr.com/Job?uid=golwdefzwehxlpwmijdu by Thursday 11th June 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend interviews online, via Microsoft Teams, which are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 29th June. The Trust reserves the right to interview, appoint and close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of high quality applications. We’d encourage you to apply at your earliest opportunity.
There will be a short assessment (no more than 1 hr) to complete and submit in the week ahead of the interview. You will have time at the start of the interview to talk through this.
We are an equal opportunities employer. If you require any additional support or reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know via info@covenantfund.org.uk and we will do our utmost to accommodate you.
Summary of role:
Responsible for leading on issues of risk and fraud in relation to the Trust’s grantmaking, including undertaking activities required to manage grants where concerns, disputes or potential misuse of funds has been identified.
Responsible for delivering operational effectiveness and efficiency of the Trust’s grant making, ensuring continuous improvement of methodology and processes.
Responsible for aspects of grant management including developing relationships with grant holders and creating the context for learning and knowledge sharing from individual projects and from funding programmes.
Salary in the range £39,588-£46,385 (full-time equivalent) depending on experience
Reporting to: Head of Risk and Compliance
Main duties:
- Take responsibility, reporting to the Head of Risk and Compliance and other members of SMT, on issues relating to risk and fraud in respect of the Trust’s grant making – including undertaking activities to manage grants where concerns, disputes or potential misuse of funds has been identified, and devising and implementing additional controls, training and procedures.
- Continually review procedures and systems, recommending and leading on implementation of improvements to contribute to the Trust’s grant making efficiency and effectiveness, and provide a quality service to stakeholders.
- With colleagues, ensure that all data held in respect to grants and grant holding organisations is well managed.
- Keep up to date with relevant regulatory requirements, such as the Subsidy Control Act, ensuring our grant processes remain current and compliant.
- Develop and maintain a deep understanding of all aspects of grant making for all types of programmes the Trust administers, including developing relationships with key grant holders, exercising judgement about where variances, changes or problems can be agreed or need further consideration or authorisation to ensure deliverables are achieved.
- Develop and undertake regular reporting to Trustees on project and programme progress, identifying risks and best practice
- Contribute to the development of relevant aspects of new funding programmes and to the creation of application, assessment and post-award management materials.
- Initiate ideas and collaborate with colleagues to undertake appropriate work to promote the Trust, build relationships with a range of stakeholders and pursue ways to add value to the Trust’s grant making.
- Contribute to the Trust’s development by being alert to, and developing a good understanding of, relevant issues relating to the Covenant, the voluntary sector and grant making.
- Manage own workloads and collaborate with colleagues on shared tasks and projects, to ensure milestones and targets are met.
- Any other duties as reasonably expected.
Person specification
Essential:
- At least 3 years’ experience of grant making in a not-for-profit or public sector environment, or in managing contracts or commissioning using charitable or public funds.
- An excellent understanding of the voluntary sector and sufficient knowledge about issues such as charity governance to be able to pragmatically assess risk.
- Proven experience and technical knowledge in relation to financial management, risk and fraud in grant making and the charity and public sector.
- Some experience of, and understanding about, working with the statutory sector, such as central and local government, the NHS, education bodies or others on joint programmes, in partnership or shared delivery.
- Extensive experience of preparing and presenting financial and written reports to colleagues and seniors.
- Ability to use judgement in analysing written and financial information.
- Excellent MS Office skills (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and experience of using databases.
- Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
- Ability to multi-task, work in a dynamic environment and remain calm under pressure.
- Ability to deal with sensitive and/or confidential information.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team.
Desirable:
- Working knowledge of grant management systems – ideally BBGM (Blackbaud Grantmaking)
- Finance qualifications or experience of working in an audit-type role
- Experience of working for a charity.
- Evidence of interest in and commitment to the work of the Trust.
- Personal knowledge or experience of the Armed Forces community.