Head of Partnerships Development (Part Time), BOOKTRUST

Job Summary

This is a new role within the organisation and the new role holder will have a chance to shape and build the role over time. You will be a strong leader with great people skills—experience of working with and leading teams working in geographically dispersed locations is advantageous. You will have a clear experience of the public sector landscape with a track record of relationships building, and an understanding of the local government policy landscape.

About the role

You will be a collaborative approach to working across interconnecting complex work areas, you will be comfortable working within a matrix style of management for your own direct reports and those of other teams. You may have charity or statutory setting experience, and will have the ability to set out a strategic direction for partnerships team members as well as being hands on in developing new relationships to support our work as well as being able to produce high quality written materials, analyse complex data and respond dynamically to a changing external landscape.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead a partnerships team in geographically dispersed locations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including local authorities, children's centres, health visitors, and libraries.
• Develop and deliver strategies that support impact in BookTrust’s early years programmes.
• Collaborate with the Director of Partnerships and Head of Partnerships Development to ensure increasingly effective pathways to families.
• Influence and respond to central, local, and regional policy initiatives in the sector to support BookTrust’s mission to get all children reading, especially those from low-income and vulnerable family backgrounds.
• Ensure internal stakeholders are briefed on the local government landscape and that risks and opportunities are clearly articulated.

Requirements

You will have the ability to work closely with the Director of Partnerships in building relationships, and developing and delivering on strategies that support impact in our early years programmes by guiding the work of our partnerships team. You will be working closely with key role holders such as but not confined to the Head of Partnerships Delivery, and Head of Programme for Vulnerable Children.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have experience in the public sector landscape, a track record of relationships building, and an understanding of the local government policy landscape. Charity or statutory setting experience is advantageous, along with the ability to set out a strategic direction for partnerships team members and develop new relationships to support BookTrust’s work.

Skills

• Strong leadership and people skills
• Experience working with geographically dispersed teams
• Public sector experience and relationships building
• Understanding of local government policy landscape
• Strategic direction setting
• Developing and delivering strategies for impact
• Collaboration and matrix management
• Relationship building with key stakeholders
• Ability to produce high-quality written materials and analyse complex data
• Dynamic response to a changing external landscape

Benefits

BookTrust is committed to diversity and inclusivity and welcomes applications from diverse talent pools. The role offers the opportunity to work with a large and influential children’s reading charity, with a mission to get all children reading, especially those from low-income and vulnerable family backgrounds. The role also provides the opportunity to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, children's centres, health visitors, and libraries.

Pay

The pay for this role is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Schedule

The role involves regular travel to BookTrust office bases and to visit and engage as needed. The position will require an average of 8 days per month of working at one of our BookTrust offices in London, Leeds, Belfast, or Cardiff, with some collaboration days worked in partner locations, at events, or stakeholder meetings in any part of the country.

BookTrust

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. We know that children who read are happier, healthier, more empathetic, and more creative. They also do better at school. Working with every local authority and across every region in the country, and supported by Arts Council funding, we reach over 3 million families a year via partners in schools, children's centres, health visitors, and libraries. This incredible network helps us to get children reading across the country. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and communities.