Job description: Executive Director, Impact and Influence
Reports to: CEO
Responsible for: Developing and overseeing the implementation of the Institute’s impact strategy and leading the Institute as a core member of the Executive team.
Salary: £120k per annum
Role Description:
The new role of Executive Director, Impact and Influence will work closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership team and the Board to develop and implement the Institute’s thought leadership and organisational strategy – with personal responsibility for impact strategy.
A highly credible external figurehead for the Institute, you will represent the IfG in the media and with senior stakeholders. You will be responsible for encouraging innovation and creativity in approaches, evaluating our impact and building our capacity to achieve it. You will have oversight of building the external relationships we need to achieve our organisational goals, including our resource generation, and be responsible for coordinating the content and delivery of the Institute’s response to key external impact opportunities (such as general elections, party conferences and major external events).
The ideal candidate will be a senior leader bringing demonstrable expertise around driving impact, and experience of contributing at board level to organisational strategy and development. With a creative and entrepreneurial approach, and excellent interpersonal skills, you will be adept at leading and working across highly committed and talented teams. Holding and developing important external relationships on behalf of the Institute, line managing the Directors of Partnerships and Communications and Marketing, and reporting to the Board on the Institute’s impact, you will have experience of understanding and developing audiences and engaging with very senior political and official stakeholders. Bringing a deep understanding of the UK government and policy processes, you will have a strong instinct to help shape our policy agenda for impact. Above all, you will share our belief in the potential of good government and how it can be better – as well as how it can improve lives.
Key tasks:
- Responsibility for impact strategy: Engage externally and internally – including with senior stakeholders, the CEO and Board – to identify priorities for impact. Work with the ED Research and Innovation, Director of Communications and Marketing and Director of Partnerships to develop a strategic approach to maximising the Institute’s impact, including overseeing the Institute’s strategy for building and strengthening the networks needed for us to have impact (relationships with senior political figures, officials and experts).
- Oversee delivery of impact strategy: Work with the senior team and relevant teams across the organisation to drive delivery of impact through research, events, communications and partnerships.
- Evaluate and report on impact: Regularly review progress towards achieving impact, building on best practice, and report to the Institute’s Board on what we are achieving.
- Drive impact innovation: Proactively identify lessons about what works best elsewhere, inspire innovation and steer our approach to impact – ensuring we utilise our most effective ‘channels’ (e.g. relationships, partnerships, events, media) and identifying and supporting innovations that can help land our core priorities.
- Work with the Director of Communications and Marketing to coordinate the content and delivery of the Institute’s response to major external impact opportunities (such as general elections, party conferences and unforeseen external events).
- Work with the Director of Partnerships to ensure the Institute meets the resource generation targets set by the Board (£1m in 2025/26) and to develop the Institute’s long-term strategy to generate a diverse, resilient stream of revenue by building partnerships which support our impact objectives.
- As a member of the Institute’s Executive team, act as a senior spokesperson for the Institute in media, on panels and at public and private events, building your own networks with core stakeholders and holding senior relationships on behalf of the Institute.
- As a member of the Executive team, work with the CEO to develop and implement the Institute’s thought leadership and organisational strategy, with responsibility for all-staff engagement.
You may be required to take on additional or other projects or other duties as reasonably required by the Institute.