100 days at the RSA - now you can join our team

Three months ago this week I started in post at the RSA as a Fellowship Network Manager (now renamed as Regional Programme Managers).   I applied for the job as a bit of a gamble, my knowledge about the RSA was primarily through the lecture series and RSA Animate and didn’t extend much further.  However I thought it sounded like an interesting challenge, and I was right.

It has been a whirlwind three months.  In no particular order some highlights so far include: Driving Ambitionat an academy in Banbury by bringing businesses, Fellows and students together; meeting new Fellows from locations ranging from Orkney to Norwich to Finland at the RSA’s New Fellows’ Evenings; working cross team in West Kent with Rebecca Daddow to engage Fellows with one of the RSA’s flagship projects, Whole Person Recovery; spending time with the Regional Chairs to plan Fellow-led activity over the coming year; and learning from some of best in the business about what it takes to be a successful social entrepreneur at our monthly Social Entrepreneurs’ breakfasts.

The Fellowship Team is now recruiting for more Regional Programme Managers.  In an attempt to shed some light for anyone applying, here are some things I’ve learned in my time here so far:

• The role of RPM is unique.  There is no such thing as a standard week, the diverse cultures of Fellowship mean that you could be working with a small group developing a project about enterprise one day and speaking at an event about local community the next.  As a result you need to be organised – disorganisation in this job is a recipe for madness. 

   You get to form close working relationships with people from all walks of life, and help to support them to do things that genuinely help make an impact on society.

• The autonomy and freedom in the role here is a breath of fresh air.  If you have a particular passion then there is plenty of opportunity to run with it, so bring your ideas with you.  My background includes running youth engagement projects and within weeks of being at the RSA I started asking questions about youth – three months later I am co-writing and leading on a Fellowship youth strategy.

• The RSA work culture is supportive, and we’re constantly developing.  Wherever you’re based, once a month the whole Fellowship Programme Team gets together for two days in London for an intensive 48 hours of training, meetings, workshops and the occasional extra-curricular activity.

• The RSA itself is an ambitious, diverse and multidisciplinary organisation, as the briefest look at the website will tell you.  Whether it is through attending the lectures, working collaboratively cross teams or reading the latest blog, providing you have a curiosity for new ideas you’ll never be bored.

• Last and by no means least, you meet some brilliant people.  For many Fellows in your regions you will be the main face and contact for the RSA; this means you get to form close working relationships with people from all walks of life, and help to support them to do things that genuinely help make an impact on society.  What’s more, these people can remain your contacts long after you leave.

It is a great place to work.  So come and join us.

To apply for this or any other roles check out the  jobs section on the website, or stay tuned to all the opportunities here by following our LinkedIn page.

Alice Dyke is Regional Programme Manager at the RSA.  Follow on Twitter at @ImAliceD