Grants Policy – Product Owner

The Church of England

NCI Grants Policy & Product Owner responsible for implementing grant processes and monitoring compliance. Ensuring efficient and compliant grant making aligning with the Church of England's mission.

Posted 7/3/2026contractLondon • 🇬🇧 United KingdomMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Owning, interpreting, implementing and updating the Grants Policy Framework to ensure that it meets the needs of the Church, is compliant with all relevant regulations and good practice, and creates a positive experience for grantees.
Convening, co-ordinating and working with Grant teams to ensure consistent application of the grants policy, including helping them to apply the policy accurately and consistently, including supporting its adoption for new grant initiatives as needed.
Convening, co-ordinating and working with Legal, Risk, GDPR and Finance teams to ensure that grant making processes and policies are in line with relevant regulatory requirements, enforce appropriate control frameworks and ensure transparent evidence trails.
Providing training and guidance to grant teams and others to build confidence and capability in the application of grant policies and processes.
Facilitate learning and networking between NCIs grant teams on grant-making issues, and work collaboratively with grant managers to ensure the grant policy remains fit for purpose.
Supporting due diligence, eligibility assessment, risk management and quality assurance in relation to grant making activities as required.
Escalate matters as required to the relevant senior leaders in Finance, Legal, Data Services, Risk & Assurance, and Grant Making teams, and as needed to the Chief Operating Officer and other Chief Officers.
Own the functional design of the Grant System including the data model and associated processes.
Champion the use of the system and associated processes and policies across NCI Grant Making activity.
Approve any changes to the system design, having appraised and understood user needs and technical considerations, and adhering to best practice out-of-the-box principles (i.e. adopt not adapt) and NCI grant policy.
Keep abreast of the supplier’s product roadmap development to inform future strategy.
Collaborate with the Grant Portal Product Owner and the Technical Systems Owner to evaluate and prioritise bug fixes, enhancement requests and new functionality available in releases (both compulsory and optional);
Develop and manage the long-term strategy and roadmap for the system;
Co-ordinate critical activities such as bug fixes, releases and enhancements and associated user acceptance testing and communications.
Co-ordinate and Chair the Grant System User Group, facilitating a collaborative and consultative approach to developing the system roadmap and encouraging full adoption and compliance with the intended use of the system.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Considerable experience of grant making within a large charity or foundation;
Experience designing or advising on grant-making processes which create a positive grantee experience and facilitate learning and impact.
Good understanding of charity law, financial control and risk management in relation to grant making;
Credible professional, demonstrating strong technical knowledge and an ability to authoritatively guide others, including developing capability and enforcing policy compliance;
Collaborative approach, able to work effectively with multiple teams and colleagues, building effective relationships and carefully negotiating differences in approach and opinions;
Experience of advising senior colleagues and supporting governance bodies through analysis and reporting;
Experience of using and /or implementing Grant Management systems;
Good understanding of using technology and data to drive efficiency and compliance in grant making or other processes;
Experience of developing and implementing new technology-enabled processes, including delivering associated documentation and training;
Excellent communication skills, written and verbal;
Enthusiastic; able to energise others and champion ways of working; able to influence and persuade others effectively; and
Strong organisational skills.

Benefits

Comp & perks

We Include. You Belong.
Competitive salary

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Grant Policy FrameworkProcess DesignDue DiligenceEligibility AssessmentQuality AssuranceData ManagementUser Acceptance TestingTechnical DocumentationTraining DevelopmentImpact Facilitation

Soft Skills

Collaborative ApproachStrong Communication SkillsRelationship BuildingNegotiation SkillsOrganizational Skills