Executive Director (Country Portfolios)

Job summary

We are the UK’s largest single funder of community activity, investing hundreds of millions of pounds every year across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As One Fund, we are deeply connected to the communities we serve, united by a shared belief in the power of people to shape their own futures and create lasting change where it matters most.

At a time when communities are facing increasingly complex challenges, expectations of our impact, leadership and accountability have never been greater, and our strategy, It Starts with Community, is driving bold investment in stronger connections, healthier lives and a more inclusive, environmentally sustainable society. As we move into the next phase of our strategy, our scale and ambition are growing. We are investing more than ever before.

Job description

This is a pivotal leadership role at the centre of the organisation. As Executive Director (Country Portfolios), you will lead our four country portfolios through our Country Directors and alongside our Country Committees, overseeing around £700 million of annual grant-making and supporting more than 500 colleagues across the UK.

You will play a critical role in delivering strong, consistent impact nationwide while advancing our One Fund ambition connecting insight, learning and best practice to maximise outcomes for communities. This is a role for a thoughtful systems leader who thrives in complexity, leads through others and combines accountability with trust, innovation and learning. As a member of the Executive Committee, you will help shape the organisation’s future direction, build influential external relationships and contribute to wider national thinking on community-led change and the future of funding.

Person specification

Executive Leadership - Demonstrated experience of leading with accountability for large-scale delivery at senior executive level, creating a collaborative and inclusive culture while operating with clarity, integrity and transparency. Able to adapt leadership style to engage and influence a wide range of audiences.

Strategy and Impact - Proven track record of developing and delivering complex funding or investment strategies that improve effectiveness, coherence and impact at scale, translating strategic intent into measurable outcomes.

Political and Contextual Awareness - Strong understanding of the UK political and policy environment as it relates to funding, with clear insight into devolution and the distinct contexts of countries, regions and communities of the UK, and the judgement to operate sensitively and effectively within them.

Funding, Grant-making and Delivery - Experience of delivering largescale funding, grant-making or comparable investment programmes, with a focus on outcomes, assurance and value for money.

Financial Acumen - Strong financial and commercial capability, with experience of managing substantial budgets and resources, making evidence based decisions, and operating within robust governance and control frameworks.

Change and Transformation - Proven experience of leading complex change and transformation in a funding or publicfacing environment, maintaining delivery while reshaping structures, processes or ways of working.

Analysis and Decision making - Highly developed critical thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to use data, insight and professional judgement to make sound decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.

Stakeholder and System Leadership - Strong ability to build, maintain and lead senior relationships across executive teams, Boards, Committees and external stakeholders, acting as a trusted executive contributor who can challenge, influence and align diverse interests.

Desirable - Experience of, or strong understanding of, operating within a non departmental public body or similarly regulated environment, including the implications for governance, assurance and public accountability.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £110,000, The National Lottery Community Fund contributes £31,867 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Fund operates two pension schemes, Alpha, our Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) and a Partnership Pension Scheme with Legal & General.

For Alpha, the employer’s contribution is between 26.6% and 30.3% and the employee contributions rates are between 4.6% and 8.05% depending on salary.

For Partnership, the employer’s contribution rate is between 8% to 14.75% of your earnings. You do not have to contribute to this scheme, but if you do, the Fund will match your contributions up to 3% of your pensionable pay.

Annual leave is 30 days per year on joining The National Lottery Community Fund plus bank holidays. An additional three days of leave is given every year – normally at Christmas. Your entitlement will vary according to your date of appointment, and is prorate for part-time employees.

We recognise that keeping our people happy and healthy enables us to be a more effective organisation and makes The National Lottery Community Fund a better place to work.

Generous Civil Service Pension scheme

Flexible working

Enhanced paid

maternity/paternity/adoption leave

Paid volunteering leave

Season ticket loan

Healthcare cash plan

Cycle2work

Employee discount scheme

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We hope you will consider making an application. To make an application, please go to https://starfishsearch.com/jobs/tnlcf-edcp/ and click on the apply now button, with the following prepared:

• Your CV (no more than three sides)

• A supporting statement (no more than two sides) that sets out why you think this role is the right move for you and how you meet the knowledge and experience criteria.

We would also be grateful if you would complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form on the online application process. This form is for monitoring purposes only and is not treated as part of your application.

Closing date: Friday 5 June 2026
Preliminary interviews: End of w/c 15th June and w/c 22nd June 2026
Final Panel interviews: w/c 6th July 2026

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 10 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : n/a
• Email : info@starfishsearch.com
• Telephone : n/a

Recruitment team

• Email : info@starfishsearch.com

Attachments

TNLCF-Executive-Director-Country-Portfolios-Candidate-Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 2515kB)