Are you highly numerate, have an eye for detail and are mission-driven? Would you like the opportunity to be part of a curious, accountable, equitable and collaborative team?

We’re a small but ambitious Trust that has recently undergone a strategic review. We’ve clarified our programme focus and way of working. We’re now proactively expanding our portfolio of partners that tackle systemic education challenges within the government primary school sector in India and South Africa, to improve outcomes for all children.

Reporting to: Administration & Finance Manager

Scope of the role:

We’re looking for an experienced Administration & Finance Officer to support the Administration & Finance Manager in the running of the Trust’s administrative and finance functions, enabling the smooth running of our grant making and meeting of our regulatory requirements. You’ll take on a discrete task list, take full ownership of your deliverables and provide support to the rest of the team as needed.

As an Administration & Finance Officer you’ll:

• Facilitate payment of grants to partner organisations
• Facilitate payment of supplier invoices & staff expenses
• Input financial transactions into Xero and Salesforce
• Reconcile bank accounts
• Reconcile corporate credit cards
• Draft Trustee meeting minutes
• Provide team support by managing diaries and booking meeting rooms
• Support Trustee travel to in-person meetings
• Support health and safety tasks such as conducting risk assessments
• Support the updating of the risk and conflicts of interests registers and associated reporting
• Support the production of the annual budget
• Support the production of management accounts and annual accounts
• Undertake any appropriate duties as requested by the Administration & Finance Manager to further the aims and objectives of the Trust
• Work collaboratively with the rest of the Maitri team, particularly the Administration & Finance Manager

Your skills, experience and profile:

• Experience within a finance function
• Excellent numeracy skills
• Understanding of financial reports and accounts
• Strong administrative and organisational skills
• Highly effective communications skills – both verbal and written
• Ability to build and foster open and trusting relationships with colleagues and the Trust’s wider network
• Strong service delivery, a team-focused mentality and work ethic
• Ability to plan, manage and prioritise
• Able to work in the UK, e.g. hold the necessary work permits or have the right of abode
• A good working knowledge of Xero accounting software, Microsoft Office (including Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams) and Salesforce CRM system.

Your attributes:

• Highly numerate with an eye for detail.
• Passion for and belief in Maitri’s work and approach; drive and ambition for the Trust.
• Supportive team player who enjoys working closely with a small collaborative team, yet who is also self-motivated and able to work independently, using own initiative.
• Able to put common goals first, following through with commitments, contributing to the success of others and communicating openly and honestly.
• An appreciation for the value of effective administrative support to a small staff team.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a multi-cultural environment. A strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to learn new skills and keep up to date with changes in electronic systems.

About the Trust:

We believe quality education is key to unlocking a child’s potential, and a strong start sets children up for success. We provide support to partners tackling systemic education challenges within the government primary school sector in India and South Africa, to improve outcomes for all children. We understand that changing systems takes time and therefore provide partners with long-term, flexible funding. We like to work collaboratively and wherever possible look to co-fund or take a multi-stakeholder approach.

We’re an independent Trust funded by an annual donation from Stewart Investors.

Do you have an eye for detail, yet you are also able to see the bigger picture?

Can you ask searching questions, actively listen to responses, and build trusting relationships?

Within Maitri’s funding model, there is scope for each Grants Manager to apply their own unique style to the relationship management of our grantee partners. Would you like the opportunity to demonstrate yours and be part of a curious, accountable, equitable and collaborative team?

We’re a small but ambitious Trust that has recently undergone a strategic review. We’ve clarified our programme focus and way of working. We’re now proactively expanding our portfolio of partners that tackle systemic education challenges within the government primary school sector in India and South Africa, to improve outcomes for all children.

Are you on the lookout for a role with real impact? Are you motivated by using communications as a tool for positive change in the world? Would you relish the opportunity to develop and deliver against an innovative Communications Strategy? Can you intuitively convert programme results into varied accessible stories for diverse audiences?

We’re a small but ambitious Trust, seeking to change the life chances of children in India, Mexico, and South Africa, by improving the quality of state-run education. Over the last 5 years we have donated nearly £10 million to over 20 organisations in pursuit of this goal. We value openness and transparency with those we fund and collaborate proactively to reach our goals.

As The Maitri Trust matures the need to better communicate our impact and learning is increasingly apparent. The Communications Manager will help us develop and deliver against a Communications Strategy for the Trust.

You’ll have a significant degree of creative freedom in developing this strategy. Success in the role will see our funder (individuals at Stewart Investors) better informed about our work, and our learning better shared within the global international education community.

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Scope of the role:

We are looking for an experienced communications professional with varied communications experience but a particular gift for written communications:

• You will take responsibility for devising and delivering against an innovative Communications Strategy for the Trust.
• You will develop this in a consultative, collaborative manner - working closely with colleagues, our funder, and our partners.
• We have an open mind as to the form this strategy will take. Your advice and expertise will be key in shaping it. However, it will likely draw heavily on written communication approaches.
• You’ll get to know individuals in the organisations we support and meet their beneficiaries so you can capture their work, impact and stories. This could be via case studies, film, or other creative means.
• Your work will likely involve one overseas trip per year (once international travel is allowed).
• You’ll take responsibility for updating and maintaining our website.
• Maitri has a limited presence on social media. You’ll guide us on if / how we might develop an approach and lead on this aspect of our Communications Strategy.
• Above all, the role is about increasing our profile with our funder, ensuring they understand our work and impact, and gradually raising our profile within our international education community – in a way that fits with our core values of respect, learning, collaboration and partnership.

Your experience / profile:

• Significant experience in devising and delivering innovative Communication Strategies.
• Exceptional writing skills and significant experience of producing varied written communication outputs.
• Experience of using and advising on use of social media as a communications platform.
• Demonstrable collaborative approach with the ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders and to engage across a complex landscape.
• Strong track record of creative thinking and problem solving.
• Must be able to work in the UK, e.g. hold the necessary work permits or have the right of abode, evidence of which must be supplied.

Your Attributes:

• Passion and belief in our work and approach; drive and ambition for the Trust.
• Supportive team player who enjoys working closely with a small team and thrives in a collaborative work environment but who is also self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Able to put common goals first, following through with commitments, contributing to the success of others and communicating openly and honestly.
• Positive approach to tasks and responsibilities, willingness to get things done no matter whether they fall within your area of expertise or not.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a multi-cultural environment with diverse populations from around the world. A strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and professionalism.
• Empathy with others.

About the Trust:

The Maitri Trust is an independent, privately-funded grant-making foundation. Our mantra is ‘a good quality education for all’. Access to education in low and middle income countries is not the problem it once was, but quality remains a huge issue, with large numbers of children leaving school without even the most basic of skills; a situation exacerbated by the current Covid-19 global pandemic. Maitri works to improve the quality of state education in India, Mexico, and South Africa by funding locally-run organisations who train and develop teachers, headteachers and education department staff. The aim is to enable children to achieve their potential, becoming skilled and thoughtful members of society, ready to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

We support our partners with both financial and non-financial assistance. We award multi-year grants and build long-term relationships based on mutual trust. We strive to listen and understand our partners, their beneficiaries and their work. Our aim is to help partners identify where they can improve and then to fund those improvements.