Grants Officer

The Society

The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is the learned society and professional body for geography and geographers. It is also a charity and a membership organisation. The Society was founded in 1830 and has been one of the most active of the learned societies ever since. It was pivotal in establishing geography as a teaching and research discipline in British universities and continues to play a key role in geographical and environmental education.

The Society is a leading world centre for geographical learning – supporting education, teaching, research, professional practice and scientific expeditions, as well as promoting public understanding and enjoyment of geography and providing advice to policymakers.

The Society has an international membership of approximately 16,000, 32 specialist research groups, and a programme of activities that extends far beyond its membership to broad engagement with more than three million people per year. Over 200 lectures, conferences and other events are organised each year including a major four-day Annual Conference, a programme of popular lectures, professional development for geographers, and policy-related discussions.

The Society also publishes, under contract, scholarly journals and the popular Geographical magazine. It empowers others through a programme of grant-giving in support of research, fieldwork and expeditions, and teaching. The Society’s information resources include its historic geographical Collections of maps, images, books, manuscript archives and artefacts.

The Society offers professional accreditation to members through Chartered Geographer status.

The Society is based in a listed building in its own grounds in Kensington opposite Hyde Park, and operates nine regional branches in the UK and two overseas. There are 57 permanent staff, together with temporary, and volunteer staff.

Applicants are strongly recommended to familiarise themselves with the current work of the Society set out on our website: www.rgs.org

The position

• To coordinate and promote the Society’s grants programme

The Grants Officer reports directly to the Director of Research, Education, Professional but works across all key divisions of the Society, encompassing research, education and outdoor learning. Full details of the Society’s grants can be found on the website www.rgs.org/grants 

Salary and application details 

This is a permanent, full-time post subject to successful completion of a probationary period of three months. The salary range for this post is £34,600 to £37,765 per annum depending on experience and qualifications. The post is based in South Kensington, London. 

There are a range of benefits at the Society which include the following:

• 35-hour working week with core working hours between 10.00am-4.00pm.
• Flexible working arrangements are available with a mix of office based and home working.
• 25 days annual leave per annum plus public bank holidays.
• Society closure between Christmas and New Year, in addition to the basic annual leave allowance.
• Pension scheme - 3% employee, 7.5% employer.
• Group Life Assurance at four-times basic annual salary.
• Corporate eye care vouchers.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Free 24-hour Employee Assistance helpline with available counselling support 

The Society aims to be an equal opportunities employer. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. The Society is unable to offer work visa sponsorships. 

Please click on the apply button above where you will be directed to the Society’s vacancies page. From there, to apply, please email HR@rgs.org with a copy of your CV and a covering letter explaining your suitability for the post and how you fulfil the selection criteria, along with the monitoring form. 

Applications must be received by midday on 27 May 2025. Interviews are planned to take place on 4 or 5 June. 

We thank, in advance, all candidates for applying and regret we are unable to write separately to those who are not selected for interview. 

Job description for the post of Grants Officer 

Post: Grants Officer

Department: Research and Higher Education

Responsible to: Director Research, Education, Professional

Persons reporting: None

Location: South Kensington, London

Salary: £34,600 to £37,765 per annum dependent on experience and qualifications 

Duties and responsibilities include 

• Serving as the point of contact for all enquiries relating to grants; receiving and processing all grant applications; inviting expert reviewers, organising screening panels, collating and presenting recommendations.
• Maintaining the grants section of the Society’s website (www.rgs.org/grants) and internal databases of projects, recipients and grant screeners, developing tools and approaches to more effectively manage and report on the grants programme.
• Promoting the Society’s grants nationally and internationally through appropriate online, print and event outlets to extend awareness, interest and applications.
• Preparing and revising the application forms and guidelines for each grant, developing resources to support applicants and reviewers drawing on best practice in the sector related to ethics, health and safety, inclusion and sustainability.
• Administering the payment of the grants through liaison with the Finance team.
• Communicating with sponsors and donors of each grant and supporting their stewardship.
• Maintaining contact with the grant winners, including requesting reports as and when necessary and improving records of outputs and outcomes from the grants.
• Preparing grant reports for the appropriate Society committees.
• Raising the profile of the grants programme and the grant funded projects with multiple audiences across and beyond the Society working closely with the Communications team.
• Keeping the Director of Research, Education, Professional fully informed of all matters relating to the Society’s grants programme and fulfilling other duties as required relevant to the position. 

Selection criteria

The following are the requirements for this post. These are the criteria against which candidates will be shortlisted and judged, and it is in your interest to ensure that you cover each of these areas in the covering letter of your application.

Essential 

• Educated to degree level, with a strong preference for a degree in geography, with at least two years of relevant work or equivalent experience post-undergraduate degree completion.
• A keen interest and broad knowledge of geography (human and physical), environmental matters and the world in which we live.
• A sound knowledge of the grant giving process, the key stakeholders involved, and an active interest in the approaches of other organisations.
• A well-organised and efficient approach to work, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a wide range of people within and beyond the Society.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills. This will include proven desktop computing, database and web skills.
• The ability to manage the day-to-day aspects of the finances of the grants.
• The ability to communicate effectively, tactfully and discreetly, online and in person, with those applying for grants, those evaluating grants, and sponsors and donors of the grants.
• The ability to undertake data gathering and research tasks related to the development of the grants programme, to benchmark against other organisations, and the ability to report on and communicate the results in a concise written manner to committees and other Society staff.
• The ability to meet strict and multiple deadlines, with a careful attention to detail.
• Drive, enthusiasm, and initiative.