Head of UK Programmes

Position Title: Head of UK Programmes

Location: London, UK

About us
The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by His Majesty King Charles III when he was The Prince
of Wales and a group of visionary British Asian business leaders, to harness the power of the diaspora
for social change. Since its inception, the Trust has tackled social challenges across South Asia and,
more recently, has been developing a strategy to support British Asian communities in the UK.

Role summary
As Head of UK Programmes, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering our first-ever UK
strategy. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to lead impactful initiatives that bring together British
Asian communities to tackle critical issues and drive lasting change.
You will be responsible for developing programme strategy and design, building strategic partnerships,
increasing awareness, identifying funding possibilities and ensuring that our work makes a meaningful,
systemic change for the British Asian community.
Our initial strategic focus will be on addressing health inequalities in the British Asian community. The
strategy will include convening expert advisors and partners, developing relationships across the health
system, securing funding, initiating pilot projects and shaping our advocacy agenda.
A key focus will be strengthening community organisations and services by supporting grassroots
charities to build capacity, access resources and better meet the needs of British Asians. Alongside this,
the role will work to improve access to mainstream services by partnering with major charities,
institutions and Government bodies to advocate for more inclusive, culturally competent policies and
interventions.
This work is at an early stage of development, offering the post-holder a unique opportunity to shape
the programme and build a lasting legacy.

Key responsibilities

Strategic programme development and
partnership building
Develop a roadmap and delivery plan for the UK
strategy, including resource planning.
Identify opportunities for programme
development including advocacy, partnerships
and pilot programmes.
Build and nurture collaborations with national
and local organisations to identify key priorities
and deliver impactful initiatives.
Foster cross-sector partnerships, including with
government agencies, charities, businesses and
community networks, to maximise reach and
influence.
Represent the Trust at high-level forums, panels
and events to advocate for British Asian
communities.
Co-develop programmes with partners that
reflect the diverse needs of British Asians.
Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
(MEL) strategy for the UK programme in
collaboration with the MEL Senior Manager.
Oversee budgets, ensuring effective use of
resources and financial accountability.
Manage the funding, implementation and
evaluation of pilot programmes.

 

Advocacy, convening and campaigns
Develop and lead an advocacy strategy aligned
with the UK programme goals.
Work with the Communications team to
develop compelling, community-focused
awareness campaigns.
Champion initiatives that empower communities
to influence policy and social change.

Philanthropy, fundraising and business
engagement
Work closely with the Fundraising team to
develop a fundraising strategy and contribute to
its execution to mobilise resources for the UK
programme.
Build relationships with British Asian
philanthropists, business leaders and community
ambassadors/influencers to drive funding and
support.

Team leadership and governance
Lead on budgeting, forecasting and financial
reporting for the UK programmes.
Ensure that programme development, planning
and delivery align with corporate strategies, KPIs
and governance requirements.
Maintain strong internal reporting to relevant
governance committees.
Lead, mentor and support staff appointed to
work on the UK Programme, fostering a
collaborative, high-performance culture and
supporting professional development needs.
Collaborate closely with the Central Programmes
team and wider leadership to align programmes
with the Trust’s Theory of Change and
organisational approach.
Embed safeguarding practices across all UK
programmes and partnerships.

Job-related knowledge, skills and experience

Essential skills and experience
Entrepreneurial self-starter.
Solution-oriented mindset with strong critical
thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.
Proven ability to network and build
relationships.
Track record of leading impactful programmes
within the UK charity, social impact or
philanthropy sector.
Experience in developing strategic partnerships
and engaging stakeholders at a senior level.
Understanding of British Asian communities,
including their needs, strengths and the
challenges they face.
Experience in one or more of the following:
fundraising, advocacy or campaign leadership.
Excellent communication, negotiation and
influencing skills.
Strong leadership capabilities, with experience
managing teams and working across multiple
sectors.

Strong organisational skills, with a proven
ability to manage time effectively and follow
through on commitments.
Excellent written and verbal communication
skills, with a collaborative and empathetic
interpersonal style.
Adaptable and comfortable working in dynamic
environments with evolving priorities.
Collaborative approach with the ability to work
effectively across cross-functional teams.

Desirable skills and experience
Experience in the health sector
(strongly desirable)
Experience of raising funds for
new programmes.
Knowledge of UK public policy, particularly as
it relates to ethnic minority communities
and health.
Familiarity with data-driven approaches to
measuring social impact.