Senior Lead, ED&I

Permanent - This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them.

Blackfriars, London - we offer flexibility to work remotely

Closing date: 1st March 2021, 8 a.m.

About Nesta

We are Nesta. The UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale new solutions to society’s biggest problems, changing millions of lives for the better.

We confront challenges that affect millions of people, from chronic childhood inequality to ill-health and the climate crisis.

We believe that innovation is more possible now than ever before. We see opportunities to mobilise citizens and influence behaviour. A wealth of private and public capital that can be used more creatively. Pools of data to mine.

And so we draw on these rich resources by bringing together multidisciplinary teams: data scientists, designers and behavioural scientists, practitioners at the frontline, academics; and people with lived experience.

Together, we design, test and scale new solutions to society’s biggest problems. We partner with frontline organisations, build new businesses and work to change whole systems. Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to put ideas to the test.

How will a Senior Lead, ED&I contribute to Nesta’s success?

The Chief Executive’s Office is looking for a Senior Lead to advance and deliver Nesta's 5-year Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) strategy.

In this role, you will provide strategic planning and problem-solving leadership - working closely with others to break down challenges, iterate towards effective solutions, and support change management. For example, this may involve working with the People Team to equalise opportunities for professional growth within Nesta; or collaborating with our Practice teams to address implicit bias in innovation methods. You will also play a role shaping how we celebrate diversity at Nesta, and helping foster a sense of inclusion and belonging.

You will work closely with Nesta’s ED&I staff group, and across every department at Nesta. You will need to juggle numerous priorities and varied relationships with compassion and discretion. This position requires excellent judgement, strategic thinking, interpersonal skills, personal initiative, and the ability to excel in a multicultural, dynamic environment.

The Role

• Develop multi-year action plans to deliver on Nesta’s ED&I strategy
• Lead large ED&I initiatives, taking ownership over high-quality timely delivery, and surfacing and quickly resolving roadblocks as they arise
• Develop actionable solutions to complex issues - informed by analysis of evidence and data, and staff/expert interviews
• Develop and track metrics to measure the impact of ED&I initiatives and adapt as needed
• Support change management and internal/external communications
• Give and receive regular feedback, and actively contribute a positive and effective team environment

The Person

Essential:

• Obsessed with delivering impact, and passionate about advancing ED&I
• Knowledge of ED&I best practices, and/or experience advancing ED&I in a workplace or community
• Strong analytical problem-solving; able to break down issues, weigh pros and cons of all options, design creative solutions, and exercise strong judgement
• Excellent project management (organisation, time management, project budgeting skills); capable of managing multiple demands at once
• Demonstrated ability to inspire coalitions, earn trust, and build consensus amongst a range of stakeholders
• Able to steer major change management initiatives, generate buy-in and incentivise behaviour change
• Highly collaborative and able to work independently in dynamic, cross-functional project teams
• Excellent verbal and written communications
• Resilient to shifting priorities and setbacks; comfortable with ambiguity and imperfect solutions
• Highly proficient in google suite

Desirable:

• Experience designing and implementing an ED&I strategy in medium or large organisations

What we offer

Salary: £52,498 plus array of benefits, including health cash plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, Central London, but we offer flexibility for our people to work remotely

Term: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Reports to: Chief of Staff

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 1st of March 2021.

Interviews will take place on w/c 8th of March 2021.