Grants and Services Officer (22.5 hours per week) inRugby inRugby PUBLISHED FRI 10 JAN 2025

The Chemical Engineers Benevolent Fund is a separate charity based out of IChemE that provides grants, advice, and a listening ear to chemical engineers and their families experiencing hardship.

Position:

Role Purpose

The Grants & Services Officer will be the main point of contact for all individuals approaching the charity for support. They will ensure applications are processed efficiently within the grant making guidelines of the Chemical Engineers Benevolent Fund, and make sure all requests for support are handled in a professional and empathetic way.

Occasional UK travel might be required, including very occasional evening work. International travel may also be required but is unlikely. The Manager will formally be employed by and work closely with colleagues within the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), though the Ben Fund and IChemE are separate charitable bodies. Initially, the Grants and Services Officer will report to the Benevolent Fund Manager.

Requirements:

Key Responsibilities And Accountabilities

• Serve as a friendly and helpful first point of contact via webform, email, or phone to welcome individuals seeking support to ensure they feel comfortable and informed about the charity's services.
• Engage with potential applicants through telephone or video calls and by asking relevant questions to understand their circumstances to assess their eligibility for support.
• Provide clear guidance on the charity's grant criteria, services, and application process to help applicants navigate the system and to ensure their requests align with the charity’s grant-making guidelines.
• Respond promptly and accurately to applicant queries to address their concerns to maintain confidence and clarity throughout the application process.
• Prioritise urgent cases and identify safeguarding concerns early to ensure timely intervention in order to protect vulnerable individuals while adhering to the charity’s safeguarding policy and procedure.
• Review applications for completeness to identify missing information or documentation to facilitate efficient processing of grants.
• Assess beneficiaries' entitlement to state benefits or equivalent local support schemes and provide advice or signposting to relevant resources to maximise their income.
• Provide tailored advice on financial wellbeing, budgeting, and income maximisation to empower beneficiaries with actionable steps to help them achieve financial independence and sustainability.
• Prepare impartial and well-documented reports on each case, including recommendations, in order to align decisions with the charity's grant-making guidelines.
• Present cases verbally to the Benevolent Fund Manager and Board of Trustees to offer insights, providing context and answer questions to support informed decision-making.
• Maintain accurate records of beneficiary interactions and case outcomes in the Beacon CRM system to ensure colleagues can clearly understand the case history and actions taken.
• Notify beneficiaries of decisions and any grant conditions promptly and professionally to keep them informed about their support, and to manage expectations.
• Manage an ongoing caseload by diarising and maintaining regular contact with beneficiaries to ensure the charity’s support remains appropriate to their evolving needs.
• Refer beneficiaries to service partners such as counselling, career coaching, or other support services to provide holistic and tailored support.
• Collaborate with colleagues on reviewing, improving, and promoting the Benevolent Fund's services to better meet the needs of our community.
• Ensure compliance with data protection regulations and the charity’s GDPR policy to maintain the security of sensitive information.
• Maintain up-to-date professional knowledge of state benefits, financial wellbeing, and related topics to ensure accurate and relevant support.
  
  

Other information:

In addition to duties and responsibilities listed above, the employee may be required to perform other duties assigned by their line manager from time to time.

IChemE is an international membership organisation and activities often take place outside of normal working hours. The job holder must be willing to attend and participate in such activities and associated travel. Additionally, the job holder will be required to liaise with colleagues located in different time zones on an ad hoc basis to meet the needs of the business.

This position is based in Rugby (CV21 3HQ).

Only candidates eligible to work in the UK will be considered.

This is a part time role 22.5 hours per week working Monday through to Friday (core hours from 10:00-12:00 and 14:30-16:00).

The closing date for all applications is close of business Friday 19th January 2025. IChemE reserves the right to interview exceptional candidates and make an offer of employment before this date should we wish.

Starting salary is £30,000-£33,000 FTE per annum (depending on experience).

IChemE benefits of employment include:

• Annual performance reviews
• Training and development opportunities
• Company contributory pension scheme that matches employee contributions by 1.5 times up to a maximum capped 12% employer contribution
• Life assurance linked to being an active member of the pension scheme
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) for full time members of staff
• Company paid sickness leave after 6 months employment and increased at intervals based on length of service
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support
• Health cash plan (cash back on optical, dental, physio and more)
• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions if relevant to your role
• Free parking and refreshments at our Rugby Office