Job Description

The Churchill Fellowship:

The Churchill Fellowship is a unique programme that empowers UK citizens to discover new solutions from around the world to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing communities in the UK. Each year, we fund over 100 Fellows to explore innovative ideas, best practices, and cutting-edge projects anywhere in the world that relate to the issues they care about most.

Purpose of the role:

The Head of Fellowship is responsible for the delivery of the Churchill Fellowship’s annual Fellowship Programme, overseeing all stages from pre-application support, through selection and award, to Fellows’ global learning. The role ensures processes are inclusive, transparent, and of the highest quality, embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding at every stage.

Working closely with the Fellowship Director and senior leadership, the postholder supports applicants and Fellows with guidance and feedback, strengthens the Fellowship model, ensures it runs smoothly and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery of Fellowship Programme:

• Lead on and manage the full Fellowship selection process, from pre-application to final award, ensuring alignment with TCF’s EDI values and strategic priorities.
• Continuously review and improve application and selection process, documentation, and candidate guidance.
• Provide clear, constructive feedback to applicants at all stages of the selection process.

Overseas Learning:

• Oversee the support provided to Fellows during their overseas learning, working closely with the Fellowship Manager to ensure guidance and resources meet individual needs.
• Authorise Fellowship grant payments for overseas learning, ensuring compliance with Fellowship model guidelines and organisational policies.

 

Collaboration and Engagement

• Contribute to the design of new Fellowship programmes, led by the Engagement team, and lead on operationalising these programmes during the application cycle.
• Continue to develop your own knowledge to ensure applicants and Fellows receive high-quality support and guidance throughout the process.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure seamless delivery of the Fellowship programme.
• Represent TCF at Fellow-led and other relevant sector events as appropriate.

 

Safeguarding, EDI, and Fellowship Model

• Act as a member of the Designated Safeguarding Team, ensuring compliance and best practice.
• Lead on embedding EDI principles throughout the Fellowship model, working with the Chief Executive, Head of Activate and People and Culture Manager to ensure that accessibility, fairness and inclusivity are built into every stage of the process.
• Work with the Fellowship Director to continually enhance the candidate and panellist experience.
• Partner with the Salesforce team to ensure systems and processes support the successful programme delivery.
• Stay informed of sector trends, research, and innovative and equitable approaches to supporting individuals to learn and grow, applying learning to TCF’s work.
• Work with the Fellowship Manager and team to ensure risk assessments, insurance and safety plans for Fellows’ travel and events are proportionate, meet best practice and are compliant.
• Maintain awareness of global and societal trends that may impact Fellows’ safety and/or the design of the Fellowship model.

Leadership and Team Management

• Line manage the Fellowship Manager and Fellowship Officer, supporting their development and performance in delivering team and organisational objectives.
• Work closely with the Fellowship Director and Head of Activate to foster an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive team culture, encouraging innovation, reflective practice and shared learning.

General

• Ensure all Fellowship programme activity complies with organisational policies, safeguarding requirements, GDPR, and data protection standards.
• Contribute to organisational initiatives and cross-team projects, supporting the wider strategic goals of The Churchill Fellowship.
• This role may occasionally require working outside standard hours, to support Fellowship interviews, events, or external engagements.
• Undertake other reasonable duties as required to support the effective running of the Fellowship programme and the organisation.

 

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent transferable skills

Skills & Experience

• Proven leadership and line management experience, ideally in a fellowship scholarship, or education programme.
• Track record of developing individuals and teams, recognising diverse needs, and tailoring support accordingly.
• Strong experience in programme delivery and continuous improvement.
• Good knowledge of challenges and opportunities relating to international travel and learning. Desirable
• Excellent understanding of safeguarding practices with experience embedding policies operationally.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess individual applications, progress, and outcomes to inform improvements. Desirable
• Strong IT skills, including high levels of proficiency in all aspects of Microsoft Office (especially Excel).
• Experience using and interacting with Salesforce or similar CRM systems.
• Strong interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with practical experience embedding these principles in programmes.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, able to manage high volumes of work and multiple deadlines effectively.

Personality Characteristics

• Empathetic and supportive, with a focus on nurturing individual potential.
• Genuine alignment with the values and ethos of the Churchill Fellowship.
• A great team player with a pro-active, confident, and positive approach and the ability to contribute to a culture of collaborative working.
• The ability to work with good humour, tact, and diplomacy and to maintain confidentiality.
• Resilient, adaptable and able to work effectively under pressure.
• Attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy.
• Proactive and able to work well independently as well as collaboratively.
• Passionate about learning, development, and supporting others to achieve impact.

 

About our charity: Join us to support people-led change across the UK

We run the Churchill Fellowships, a unique programme that supports UK citizens to find new solutions worldwide for today’s most pressing challenges.

Every year we fund over 100 new Fellows to discover the latest ideas and best practice in any practical issue they care passionately about, anywhere in the world. The topics they explore cover every aspect of society and are often informed by their own lived experience. They meet leading practitioners, encounter cutting-edge projects, and gather their findings in a published report. Then we help them to turn their ideas into action and inspire change in their communities and professions across the UK.

Fellows tell us that their Fellowship is life-changing, for themselves and for those who benefit from their global learning. These are dedicated and practical individuals with a strong vision of the change they want to see, the knowledge to progress it and the drive to make it happen. As a result, their impact is felt throughout the UK, and many go on to be leaders in their fields.

Our unique approach has created a community of thousands of highly effective changemakers working on the frontlines of today’s key issues. At the heart of all this is a simple but enduring concept: we are empowering individuals to learn from the world and transform lives across the UK.

Working for The Churchill Fellowship

Detailed package, benefits, and wellbeing package:

• Salary - £55,000.00 per annum (5 days per week/36.5 hours)
• Hybrid working policy (4-6 days per month in the office)
• 5 weeks holiday a year, with additional paid leave when the office closes over the Christmas Break
• 1-week paid leave for volunteering (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Non-contributory pension scheme with 10% employer contribution
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay.
• Employee Assistance programme

• Life assurance
• Bike purchase salary sacrifice scheme (Cycle2Work)

Standard working hours are 36.5 hours a week, 9.30am until 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and from 9.30am until 4.00pm on Friday, including a paid lunch break of one hour.

We have embraced the benefits of working from home and at the same time, we value the contribution of face-to-face contact in building teamwork, collaborating with your colleagues, exchanging ideas and know-how, and for work efficiency. We therefore operate a hybrid working policy, where staff can work from home if they wish, however everyone is required to work in the office for a minimum of 4 to 6 days a month with Tuesdays as the core day for regular whole team meetings and Thursday as an additional core day for Senior Leaders.

 

Note: unfortunately, we are not currently in a position to offer sponsorship for visas and all applicants will need to have, and be able to prove, the right to work in the UK.

How to apply

Please use your CV and cover letter as an opportunity to tell us a bit more about who you are as a person. We want to understand how you as an individual are going to be a great fit for this role.

We will be scheduling first round interviews as candidates apply, we will then complete a round of second interviews with a shortlist of candidates once the advertising has closed, with the view to appointing the role as soon as possible after that.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are core to the values and ethos of the charity’s work across all activities. The Churchill Fellowship is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Our office accommodation is accessible throughout.