Permanent, Part Time (21 hours per week)
About the role
Social investment is any investment activity which has an expectation of both a social outcome and a financial return. In 2015, JRF set aside 5% of its endowment for social investments and since then has committed £16m across a portfolio of circa 38 individual investments. More recently, JRF has begun to explore how we can extend principles and learnings from our social investment work into new blended finance approaches, as well as in managing our wider endowment. In 2025, we aim to actively take forward this expanded range of activities and increase the pace of growth in our Social Investment portfolio.
That’s where you come in!
We are now seeking a Portfolio Operations Manager – someone reporting to the Head of Social Investment and working alongside the three Investment Portfolio Managers to cover a range of activities that support effective management of the portfolio. These include monitoring reporting by and cash flows from our social investments, coordinating the execution of all contracts and the maintenance and reporting of portfolio data.
About you
It is essential that you have experience in a financial operations or related mid or back-office role which may come from a background in investment, other financial services, business or philanthropy with a strong interest in social investment and social enterprise.
With analytical skills and the ability to present numeric information in a simple way, you’ll have strong working knowledge of Excel, for example XLOOKUP and pivot tables, be a strong communicator with good written and verbal skills and good interpersonal skills; the ability to work well with colleagues from different teams and with different priorities in pursuit of a shared goal.
You’ll be able to prioritise and respond flexibly to work demands, able to work on own initiative and to work closely as part of a small team and have understanding of, commitment to and empathy with the work of JRF (including our ambitions on diversity, equity and inclusion and our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organisation) and ability to apply to this JRF’s social investment approach.
About us
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is an independent social change organisation working to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, where people and planet can flourish.
Founded in 1904, a substantial endowment from the family confectionery firm means that JRF does not need to fundraise. We make grants and invest extensively in projects and partner organisations which are working to achieve the same goals. Through research, policy, collaboration and practical solutions, JRF aims to inspire action and change that will create a prosperous UK without poverty.
For us, ending poverty in the UK is a moral cause: to ensure dignity and respect for everyone, and to address exclusion and powerlessness.
How to apply
If you share our passion and this role sounds like you, then we’re looking forward to hearing from you.
Please submit your CV and supporting information via our online application platform.
Closing date for applications is 2nd March 2025.
Interviews will be held in person, with dates available in either London or York on 2-3rd April.
We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward should enough quality applications be received prior to the current closing date.
Additional Information
In support of our approach to flexible working, we are open to considering various options for the hours to be allocated across the working week. At JRF we have a flexible working policy. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and strive to be an employer that values equity, diversity and inclusion.
At JRF we’re at our best when we’re continually building on trust, showing we care and making a difference – and hope others will do the same. So, for those roles which allow it, we’re developing a more blended approach to how and where you work. This means you can expect to work flexibly between the office and home (with an expectation of two days a week in your home office).
Applications are welcome from all, regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socioeconomic background. We positively encourage applications from people from marginalised backgrounds, including but not limited to those with experience of living in poverty.
We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and operate an anonymised recruitment process so that bias is eliminated from the shortlisting process.
We are a Disability Confident Employer. This means that we are committed to the recruitment, progression and retention of disabled individuals. We shall also offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the job. If you have a disability, please tell us if you would like to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you have any additional needs and need reasonable adjustments to be made to the interview process, please let us know.