Job Description
Job Purpose: To work with the team to deliver work across the Education & Learning programme in the West Midlands and London
Salary: £26,000 – £30,000 depending on experience
Contract: 1 year fixed term with potential to extend
Hours: Negotiable
Location: Remote/home based in the West Midlands, with regular travel to London
Deadline for applications: 2 December 2024
Duties and Responsibilities – All activities will be undertaken in collaboration with the Education & Learning Team
The UK’s leading interfaith organisation is looking for a passionate, motivated, and organised individual to join our Education & Learning Team. This role is funded by our generous donors, to help shape our team’s response to the markedly increased need for our work in schools since 7th October. The conflict in the Middle East, alongside many other controversial issues, has led to increased levels of hate incidents and widespread division in schools. Teachers are often shutting down conversations meaning many students aren’t equipped with the social and emotional skills they need to thrive in an increasingly complex and divided modern world.
If you share our vision, of a UK where diversity is celebrated – starting with children’s education in faith, belief, culture and identity – consider applying to join our Education and Learning team.
The F&BF’s Education & Learning team worked with over 6,000 students in 2023 through our Award-Winning skills-based workshops, School Linking and other creative projects. This role is an exciting opportunity to be a trailblazer in innovating and growing our education offer across the West Midlands and London, including: rebuilding our strong pre-Pandemic presence, supporting the development of our volunteer strategy, and contributing to the team’s approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning so we can continue adapting and fine tuning our offer. Establishing and building on local networks, the Programmes Coordinator will engage key local stakeholders, including schools, with F&BFs highly regarded dialogue and skills-based programming.
This role involves…
- Researching trends in the UK’s education sector, and building processes to analyse trends in enquiries and need for our work, shaping the team’s response to trends especially in relation to the conflict in the Middle East
- Working independently to build strong and dynamic relationships with schools, other education bodies and faith communities across the West Midlands and London.
- Building and inspiring our online network of educationalists, sharing stories from our work on the ground, and the impact of our partnership with schools and teachers.
- Delivering programmes which give young people the skills and confidence they need to collaborate with anybody, regardless of their faith, belief, culture, or background.
- Further developing interfaith practice and opportunities in partnership with schools, sixth forms and colleges.
- Recruiting, training and managing volunteers
- Connecting and collaborating with the wider F&BF Team. Creating innovative and efficient processes for measuring the impact of our vital work
To do this you will need to…
- Have excellent communication skills, and be confident interacting with anyone, no matter their background or level of influence
- Be an effective relationship builder who can confidently build and maintain key partnerships
- Have experience of working with and supporting volunteers
- Be passionate about working with and empowering young people.
- Have experience of planning and facilitating workshops with people from different backgrounds
- Be willing to work flexibly across projects when needed
- Be wiling to work as required, with some evening/weekend work and with regular travel across the West Midlands and London expected
You’ll be joining an organisation that embodies the inclusive and welcoming values we want to see in wider society. We pride ourselves on our diverse and collaborative working environment, where your passion and dedication will be rewarded through a flexible benefits package and ongoing support. At our most recent staff survey, 100% of staff said believe in the aims of the Faith & Belief Forum and 100% enjoy the work they do.
If you feel this role is for you, please visit www.faithbeliefforum.org/about/careers to download the job description and person specification, and information on how to apply.
The deadline to apply is Monday 2 December, however we will be reviewing applications and interviewing on a rolling basis.
We believe in order to effectively serve our beneficiaries; our work must be influenced by a broad range of voices. Therefore, we actively encourage applications from people who are currently underrepresented in our staff team. This would include BAME candidates and those who identify as Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. We celebrate difference and are committed to creating a working environment where everyone is included.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from individuals without the right to work in the UK.
Delivery
- To lead on the delivery of Education & Learning programme in the West Midlands and London through:
- Building and maintaining relationships with schools, colleges, other educational institutions, and relevant stakeholders through a range of mediums.
- Advocating for F&BFs work and recruiting schools onto our range of Education & Learning programmes.
- Developing, designing, and delivering workshops, trainings etc. to young people and teachers.
- Sharing progress and outcomes of Education & Learning projects via digital media.
- Train and support volunteers within the Education and Learning programme, developing and implementing a volunteer management strategy with the team, and building our pool of volunteer speakers
- To support the development of processes for marketing F&BF’s resources and services, building our online audience, and engagement with our resources and online trainings.
- To contribute towards strategy development for the Education and Learning programme, specifically in terms of developing our response to the rise of division in schools related to the conflict in the Middle East and summer riots, and other current controversial topics.
- To perform administrative and logistical tasks using agreed processes and conventions including planning, activity/event delivery, finance, and tracking of expenditure.
- To contribute towards reports and data management e.g., by organising systems of data collection and production of case studies.
- To contribute to the development and delivery of new projects with the Education and Learning team across the UK
- To travel for meetings and workshop or training delivery in London and other locations as appropriate
Communications & Stakeholders
- To be an ambassador for F&BF, helping raise awareness of the programme and the whole organisation through speaking about our work in public, social media, writing articles/blogs (primarily related to departmental activities).
- To lead on external marketing and communications for the Education & Learning projects in the West Midlands and London, and contributing towards organisational communications (e.g. event publicity, brochures, exhibition guides, newsletter, social media)
- To be involved with relevant F&BF’s Policy initiatives
- To lead on some key relationships with stakeholders maintaining the database of contacts
General
- To work with others to help achieve the organisational aims (below)
- To be an active participant in the Team, leading on some organisational initiatives to ensure a good working environment for all staff.
- To contribute towards activities to raise funds, such as developing relationships with existing and potential donors, to support funding application writing, and sharing new ideas.
- To recruit, induct and manage staff and volunteers as needed
- Looking for ideas for innovation, growth, sharing our learning, and continuing relationships with stakeholders.
- Undertaking other initiatives necessary to ensure the successful implementation of the work of the organisation.
Organisational strategic goals:
- To equip more learners with the skills and tools they need to handle and influence relations between different faiths and beliefs
- To generate stronger community-based movement, with youth at the forefront
- To project the voices of those we support and the impact of our partnership with them
Person Specification:
It is essential to have sensitivity to the issues surrounding this area of work and a proven commitment to the aims of the Faith & Belief Forum.
We welcome experience and skills from all areas of a person’s life, including volunteering, community work, paid work, and education.
You must have experience of the following…
- Project coordination
- Volunteer management
- Designing, planning, and delivering events, trainings and/or lessons to young people, teachers, or other professionals
- Creative facilitation of workshops and trainings face to face and online
- Building and maintaining relationships with a range of stakeholders, using this influence to advocate for a cause or charitable mission
- Working effectively as a team member, as well as being self-motivated and able to work independently
- Communicating effectively with increased sensitivity, particularly in relation to faith & belief identity
- Thinking creatively and innovatively, managing changing priorities
- Carrying out qualitative and quantitative evaluations to measure impact
It would be advantageous to have knowledge of the following:
- British school curricula, including RE, Citizenship or PSHE
- Educating on identity, protected characteristics and DEI
- Educational/youth context of the West Midlands and/or London
- Knowledge of religious communities/ interfaith/ intercultural work in the West Midlands and/or London
