Programme Manager

Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects? upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. We help young people from less-advantaged backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment. 

Our work is important because right now a student from a disadvantaged background who gains a first-class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2.

upReach is an award-winning social mobility charity supporting students from less-advantaged backgrounds to secure graduate jobs in sectors including Banking & Finance, Investments, Law, Consulting, Professional Services, Government & Public Sector and Technology. We deliver a comprehensive programme of professional development to over 2,700 students, working in close partnership with leading employers such as Allen & Overy, Civil Service, Goldman Sachs, PwC, and Slaughter and May and Universities such as Exeter, King’s College London, Liverpool, Warwick and Manchester.

We are seeking to hire a Programme Manager to deliver our programme of support for students from less advantaged backgrounds. This is an exciting opportunity to directly contribute to the growth of the charity by managing multiple employer and/or university partnership relationships and leading a delivery team of Programme Coordinators to attract, onboard and provide high-quality support to Associates (the undergraduates we support). 

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Key Information

Programme Manager: This individual will play a pivotal role in delivering our programme of support for students exploring their career options. This includes managing a team to deliver key upReach programmes. They will be responsible for overseeing key elements of these programmes, including attracting new students, planning high quality support and events, managing relationships with key external stakeholders at all levels of seniority, and evaluating impact.

They will support and coach their team to manage day-to-day partner responsibilities and relationship management, working closely with the Head of Employer Partnerships and/or University Partnership Manager to ensure that all relationships and events with upReach’s partners are managed effectively. They will also contribute to strategic decisions about new opportunities to grow upReach's existing partnerships and identify new relationships we could build to support our Associates.  

In addition, they will work with the broader Delivery leadership team to form plans and strategies for upReach’s general Associate attraction, programme delivery and team management.

Role: Programme Manager 

Location: Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham or London

Hours: Full-time 40 hours per week, 9am - 6pm 

Salary: £27,000 - £36,000 per annum (including London weighting if based in London), plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance

Application deadline:  9am on Thursday 7th April

Early applications are encouraged, and we may appoint before the deadline.

Core Responsibilities

Programme Design and Delivery

• Contribute to strategic decisions concerning the design and delivery of our programme of support for students, creating a 12 month plan in advance of the start of each recruitment cycle. 
• Work with the Delivery Team to design learning journeys (including events & opportunities) for Associates.
• Oversee the development and creation of resources and planning and delivery of events and opportunities relevant to the unique needs of the participants on our programmes. 
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes with overarching responsibility for meeting internal engagement and application success KPIs.

Partnership/Relationship Management

• Maintain strong relationships with partners at all levels of seniority, including managing quarterly/annual reporting requirements on stakeholder KPIs.
• Help Programme Coordinators to manage day-to-day partnership responsibilities, and coaching them in relationship management.
• Support Programme Coordinators in monthly meetings with external partners, to plan upcoming events and opportunities for students and confirm progress.
• Support Programme Coordinators to create effective end of year reviews with partners, advising on data collection, analysis and presentation.
• Contribute to strategic decisions about new opportunities to grow upReach's existing partnerships and identify new relationships we could build to support our Associates on these programmes.

Team Management

• Manage a team of Programme Coordinators in a variety of locations, providing weekly 1-to-1 support, reviews and personal development support. 
• Ensure Programme Coordinators document all interactions with Associates and application progress.
• Support Programme Coordinators in their professional development, including objective setting, performance reviewing and appraisals.
• Use relevant dashboards and data to set Programme Coordinator priorities.
• Manage Programme Coordinator progress to ensure that all stakeholder KPIs are achieved.   
• Contribute to strategic decisions concerning the resourcing of programmes.
•  Be part of the upReach LeadershipTeam and contribute to forming the strategy and direction of the charity.

Person Specification 

This position would be suited to individuals who are committed to upReach’s mission and have an understanding of, and empathy with, the challenges facing those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

To be successful, you should have experience working in programme delivery and stakeholder management and leading small teams. You should be able to demonstrate a proven track record in building, developing and owning effective long-term relationships with new and existing partners, and in managing stakeholder relationships at all levels of seniority. The ideal candidate will be proactive, resilient and used to managing competing priorities within a varied workload. They should be flexible and willing to perform varying duties depending on the shifting needs of the charity.  

Essential Skills/Experience:

1. Experience working in a fast-paced environment and working independently to find solutions to problems. 
2. Ability to engage and flex communication style confidently with a variety of stakeholders, such as beneficiaries, upReach partners and all levels of employees across the organisation. 
3. Experience working directly with key stakeholders to manage and grow a relationship and/or partnership.
4. Excellent influencing, facilitation and communication skills (both oral and written) and be comfortable preparing and presenting reports and proposals to senior management and external stakeholders.  
5. Line management or team leadership experience.
6. Strong programme management and problem solving skills, in addition to superb organisational skills to manage a varied workload.  
7. Self-motivation and an ability to work in a small team as well as independently, with a creative and a proactive attitude.
8. At least a Grade ‘B’ in Maths and English GCSE (if you have extenuating circumstances, let us know)*
9. University degree (2:1 or higher)* in any discipline, or equivalent experience.

* The nature of the role requires a high standard of Maths and English, and the ability to quickly review a large amount of information and identify and communicate key themes clearly. Applicants may demonstrate this through the academic qualifications shown above and/or other relevant experience. As our beneficiaries are all undergraduates, a good understanding of the university experience is essential, although it is not necessary that this was acquired through personally gaining a degree.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

1. Experience working with the sectors that upReach operate in: Financial Services, Government and Charity, Technology, Law, and Professional Services OR have experience working with universities and widening participation.
2. Project management qualifications or comparable experience. 
3. Experience delivering all aspects of a programme end to end, from design to reporting and evaluation.
4. Experience in marketing a programme or campaign.
5. Familiarity with G Suite and Zoom video conferencing software.

Read the full job description and person specification here