About Renaissance Philanthropy
The mission of Renaissance Philanthropy, a new nonprofit organisation, is to fuel a 21st century
renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists, and innovators.
Our aim is to activate a virtuous loop of increasing ambition and impact between philanthropists and
innovators: by identifying frontier experts both in science and in new ways of solving problems; by
tapping into the growing number of emerging philanthropists; and by building multi-sector initiatives
that can harness the power of philanthropy, markets, and governments.
We advance our mission by advising philanthropists, surfacing breakthrough ideas, and incubating
ambitious initiatives. Read more about our work, track record, and team here.
UK Horizons Program Context
The potential for the UK to lead in science and technology is strong. A 2023 landscape review hailed
the UK’s world-class universities and strength in fundamental research, while drawing attention to
the need to aggressively bolster translational capabilities through institutional innovation and novel
translational research models. A lack of translational capabilities constrains the ambition of UK
scientific talent (limited funding options, career choices, and impact), contributes to talent drain, and
hampers innovation and economic growth. Philanthropy can play a critical role in translating
high-impact science in the UK but institutional barriers and knowledge gaps limit capacity.
Renaissance Philanthropy’s UK Horizons Program is incubating a number of ambitious initiatives to
supercharge the UK R&D ecosystem. An overview of the initiatives under development can be found
here.
Philanthropy can (a) de-risk novel R&D models, (b) support translation of promising pre-commercial
R&D to demonstration stages, and (c) fund progress coalitions (forward-looking cross-sector
coalitions of civil society, industry, academia, philanthropy, and government) to amplify the impact of
translational R&D efforts.
A key flagship initiative of the program will be building a Science and Technology Funders Coalition
to increase the amount of philanthropic capital deployed towards translational R&D.
Job Description
As the UK Partnerships Manager, you will help to build out the philanthropic ecosystem within the UK
and build a community of funders including philanthropists and government agencies interested in
supporting Science and Technology within the UK.
This position is based in London, with in-office work required 2-3 days per week.
Role and Responsibilities
Community Development and Launch
- Engage with existing networks and organisations to refine and promote the network’s value proposition, and ultimately recruit funders into the community
- Recruit funders and partners across government and philanthropy into the community
- Organise targeted recruitment activities, such as a UK-wide roadshow, and regular in-person events to launch the community
Community Engagement and Support
- Plan and execute a regular calendar of events, including in-person and virtual networking sessions, workshops, professional development opportunities, and conferences
- Support community members by enabling collaboration and brokering relevant introductions to peers and potential funding opportunities
- Collaborate with partners and peer networks to deliver impactful engagement activities that drive collaboration, learning, and innovation among community members
- Broker connections between community members and the wider Renaissance Network Partnership Development and Research
- Source, vet, and research potential partners aligned to the mission and goals of RenPhil and the UK Horizons program
- Develop relationships and partnerships with new funders and partners aligned to the goals of RenPhil and the UK Horizons program
- Identify and implement new strategies and mechanisms to scale philanthropic giving within the UK
Community Management and Evaluation
- Oversee all administrative functions related to community management, including communications, scheduling, data tracking, and reporting on engagement metrics.
- Regularly assess community engagement, participation, and feedback, providing insights to program leads to inform future programming and initiatives.
- Continuously improve community processes to enhance member experience and drive higher levels of engagement and impact.
Outcomes
If you are successful in this role, in three years time, you will have strengthened the UK’s
philanthropic ecosystem and infrastructure. You will have helped philanthropists to increase their
confidence to give and ultimately helped to increase the amount of philanthropic giving in the UK,
especially towards research and development. The network you will have developed will grow from
natural referrals from members and any funder who is interested in funding innovation in the UK is
actively seeking to join this community. It helps philanthropists and their staff to reduce the costs
associated with sourcing ideas, forming partnerships, and getting educated on new topics.
Qualifications
- Proven experience (3+ years) working on developing partnerships, ideally with philanthropic funders and organisations
- Exceptional relationship development, interpersonal skills, and ability to develop trust with new funders and individuals
- Strong experience designing and running events from in-person workshops to conferences
- Exceptionally fast learner. You enjoy (and have experience) quickly ramping up on new technical and organisational topics.
- Excellent communication and public speaking skills
- Creative and attached to outcomes, not process – you’re constantly looking for new paths to the destination and excited to switch gears if there’s a faster, better way to get something done.
- Team player with a proven track record of working well across teams and with external partners.
- Overall, this position requires a high level of relationship management expertise, partnerships development experience, and event coordination
Preferred Qualifications
- First-hand experience working with philanthropists or philanthropic organisations
- A strong existing network of funders and philanthropic relationships
- Familiarity with the UK research and innovation landscape, including within advanced R&D sectors.
Values
You will thrive within our team, if you:
- Have strong mission and vision alignment: You believe in the power of science, innovation, and technology to create a brighter future for all.
- Exhibit high agency: You can move mountains and break perceived constraints.
- Inspire others and are highly collaborative: You can motivate others to join your mission and goals. You understand the value of going further by working with others.
- Value exceptional talent and the power of networks: You can spot or nurture exceptional talent and believe in the value of building networks and the power law of talent.
- Are comfortable working in fast-moving and ambitious teams: You are not afraid of ambiguity and enjoy working at pace.
Diversity
We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you
meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives,
experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries along with many but not necessarily all
the skills listed above.
Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are
committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
