Head of EDI

Job Description

Location - London or Milton Keynes (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable)

Reporting to - Chief of Staff

Band - 4.3

Salary - £80,000 to £85,000 (depending on location and proven ability)

Working hours - Full time (9 day fortnight) but we welcome discussions on alternative working patterns, such as part-time arrangements, to better accommodate individual needs and promote a healthy work-life balance. Please feel free to discuss these options with your recruiter.

Contract type/duration - Permanent

Closing date - 19th January 2025

If you have been selected for consideration for the position, our Recruitment team will contact you to arrange a preliminary phone interview ahead of a face to face interview in our London office on 6th February

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

As Head of EDI at Connected Places Catapult, the post holder will be the change agent for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across the organisation. By embedding EDI throughout day to day working, activities and projects, the post holder will raise the Catapult's level of ambition for the impact in this area it can create through its partners, stakeholders and wider ecosystems in transport, the built environment, local growth and digital platforms.

The post holder will be responsible for developing, leading and implementing the Catapult's EDI activities at both a corporate and project level. To achieve this, the Head of EDI will work collaboratively with colleagues across the business to foster a culture where EDI is an embedded practice across the entire organisation.

The Head of EDI will be an expert in their field and will be responsible for shaping positive EDI change for colleagues, the Catapult's business outcomes and its project partners.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for the overall development, execution and delivery of the Catapult's EDI strategy and associated programme of activities including:

• Inspiring, influencing, educating and engaging with colleagues, suppliers and project partners.
• Advocating for inclusive design in the activities (internal and customer focused) that we deliver to ensure accessibility and representation including the delivery of equality impact assessments.
• Working with the respective leads for sustainability and evaluation to align plans, approaches and the monitoring of the Catapult's EDI activities. Shaping relevant assessments of the Catapult's EDI performance, utilising data to drive continuous improvement.
• Ongoing assessment of company policies and processes to maintain compliance and best practice in accordance with the organisation’s commitment to EDI.
• Drawing on technical expertise and experience to proactively identify and guide the Catapult in managing EDI risks, issues and dependencies.
• Providing expertise and guidance on the accessibility of documents and inclusive language, serving as the 'go to' person for EDI and accessibility.
• Drafting and preparing reports, presentations and recommendations to the Senior Leadership Team, Board and other key stakeholders on EDI.

Proactive contributor to Connected Places Catapult, working with peers and colleagues to:

• Foster a collaborative culture of cross team working, providing support and guidance to the organisation.
• Drive a culture of equity, inclusivity and diversity with open, transparent communication and practices.
• Develop and encourage good knowledge management and learning across the organisation.

You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations.

Requirements

• Applied knowledge and experience of leading, championing, developing and embedding diversity, equality and inclusion across business practices that are both internally and externally focused.
• Applied experience of deploying equalities impact assessments across business activities and projects to influence corporate decision making and prioritisation of work/ resources.
• Empathic style with communication skills that motivates and inspires.
• Confident to interact with senior stakeholders with the ability to engage and work constructively with a range of stakeholders and partners.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to tailor outputs to differing audiences whilst ensuring inclusivity and accessibility in all that is produced.
• Ability to multi-task, balancing day-to-day priorities alongside longer term strategic activities.

Benefits

• 9 day fortnight for everyone, we have a full company shutdown every other Friday.
• 23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
• Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
• Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
• Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
• Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
• Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
• Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.
• Mortgage Advice benefit, delivered in partnership with Charles Cameron & Associates – provides employees with free, expert mortgage advice and end-to-end mortgage support from the application process through to completion.

Employment here is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make all reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.