The On Purpose Associate Programme
About this Programme
Transform your career and do work with positive impact on society and the environment with the On Purpose Associate Programme
Salaried retraining
Programme type
Applications Open
Applications Close
London
Location
Facilitated By
On Purpose
Since 2010 On Purpose has been helping people change their career, develop as leaders and increase the capacity of the impact-driven economy. We are a broad community that helps you find your place in the world through doing work that matters and work you care about. We believe that only by growing the impact-driven sector through developing new leaders will we have a chance of solving society's most difficult problems.
Our world needs an economy that works for everybody and operates within the means of our planet and without the injustices of today. To achieve this will require innovative thinking, creativity and diversity of thought and experience. On Purpose therefore welcomes applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences and people often under-represented in the impact sector including from all ethnicities, those with disabilities, from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities, sexualities and religions.
Join us on our mission to drive widespread change in how our economy works and bring about a fair and equitable society.
About the Programme
DATE & TIME
12 months | Starting April 2025 | Application deadline: 28th October 9.00am (GMT)
STIPEND
Salary of £25,645
Seeking a meaningful career change? Embark on a transformative journey with the On Purpose Associate Programme, offering a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals to transition into impactful work. This paid, year-long leadership programme is designed for those ready to pivot their professional journey towards creating a sustainable, equitable and just future.
“I have loved the past year! I feel very lucky to have experienced life as an On Purpose Associate and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to change my career in such a massive way and with the support of a wonderful network of people.”
Nicola Elton
October 2021 Fellow
Apply now for the April 2025 cohort of the Associate Programme.
Why join us?
Make a real impact: Through two 6-month work placements with leading organisations, you'll gain hands-on experience tackling pressing social and environmental issues. Our partners, including Big Society Capital, Save the Children, Oddbox, Samaritans, and Systemiq, provide unparalleled opportunities to contribute to meaningful change.
Expert-led learning: Immerse yourself in an intensive Learning & Development programme, with weekly in-person sessions led by experts from across sectors. This blend of professional training and academic rigour equips you with the leadership skills, knowledge and mindset to drive systemic change.
1-2-1 mentoring & coaching: Receive personalised support through fortnightly mentoring sessions and quarterly executive coaching, fostering both personal and professional growth.
Join a supportive community: From day one, you'll be welcomed into a tight-knit cohort of ~20 like-minded and ambitious Associates. Together, you'll share ideas, challenges, and successes, creating a sense of belonging and mutual support that extends far beyond the programme's duration. You’ll also join the expansive On Purpose community, connecting with a global network of impact-driven professionals offering life-long inspiration, collaboration and opportunities.
Programme highlights:
- Earn while you learn: A competitive gross salary of £25,645 per annum, supporting your full-time commitment to creating change.
- Transformative impact: Nearly 1000 alumni are now leading change worldwide in all parts of the system, with 92% working in the impact sector, evidencing the programme's success in facilitating career changes towards impactful work.
Diverse career opportunities: Our Associates have made significant career changes, moving into roles ranging from CEOs of social enterprises to leadership positions within traditional companies driving change from within, like a former music label business owner now the CEO of Hubbub, a former Consultant now Managing Director of Divine Chocolate, and a former Marketer at Google now Head of Europe for Terra.do.
Who we’re looking for:
This programme is ideal for individuals seeking a career change into the impact sector, or for those already in the impact sector who want to develop new skills, have the opportunity to work in more commercial organisations, or to join an engaged network of people who share your values and are working toward the same goal.
Specific sector/industry experience is not important. We’re looking for talented people from diverse industries who have a determination to bring their skills and experience to purpose-driven projects and to driving systemic change. We seek ambitious individuals with:
- A minimum of three years full-time professional experience
- The right to work in the UK
- Fluency in English
- Office environment experience
- Excitement towards building a career that helps transform our economy from profit to purpose
- Skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, adaptability, interpersonal communication, problem-solving, quantitative analysis and strategic thinking.
We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences and people often under-represented in the impact sector. This includes people with disabilities, and people from all ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities, religions and cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Diversity and Inclusion:
We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences and those who are often under-represented in the impact sector, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities and those from diverse ethnic, gender identities, sexualities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Learn more and apply:
Register your interest in the programme and we’ll send you all you need to know on how to apply. To apply, you’ll need to submit your CV and answer four questions about your skills, work experience and why you’d like to join the programme.
Curious about making an impact with your career? Register your interest and download our programme brochure here. Once you’ve registered your interest, you will receive an email with the link to start your application. To apply, you’ll need to submit your CV and answer four questions about your skills, work experience and motivation for joining the On Purpose Associate Programme.
Key Dates:
- Apply by: 28th October 9:00 am (GMT)
- Interview dates: November 2024
- Programme start: April 2025
Join us in creating a healthier economy, society and planet. There has never been a more important time to act. Apply now and take the first step towards a career that matters.
What our alumni say
Our associates come from a diverse range of backgrounds, here's what some of them had to say about the programme...
Jawad
“I had expected to learn a lot about leadership, systems change and social impact. This I am doing in some of the most interesting ways possible. With expert guidance, challenging insights and radical vision, paths and possibilities have opened up, which, before, I couldn't even see.”
Borja
“In terms of training, I couldn’t appreciate more the time from dozens of experts who volunteered their time to share their knowledge with us.”
Dario
“It gave me a ton of exposure to different kinds of projects and an instant network in the industry. Networks are powerful and the On Purpose one is the best one if you want to get into the purpose-led sector.”
Patrick
“My year with On Purpose set me on a completely different pathway. I'm now considering jobs and a career that I wouldn't even have been able to consider… And I’m very much happier for it.”
Kush
“I learned to remain focused on my calling. If you take this attitude, then I believe that financial remuneration will eventually follow suit. If you can enjoy what you do every day, then it’s not work and On Purpose helped me to realise this.”
Reem
“Above all else I would say the year offers an opportunity to start building and consolidating a network of friends, peers and collaborators who can provide support, inspiration and a sense of belonging.”
Gallery
Programme FAQs
All your questions should be answered here.
Associates can help with discrete projects as well as learning about the day-to-day running of the organisation.
For example, at HCT Group one of our Associates developed and implemented the first framework for measuring social impact with the Deputy CEO, and our Associate at O2 created and launched O2Learn together with the Head of Brand Strategy.
Here is a more detailed description of what work you could be doing in your placements.
In both your placements you'll be assigned a line manager who will help ensure that both you and the placement organisation benefit from your experience. You will meet this manager at least once a week.
In addition, On Purpose provides support through your cohort and peers, via our mentoring and coaching offer, through our Learning & Development programme, and through the On Purpose community.
On Purpose works with both our Associates and our placement hosts to determine which Associates will work with each placement over the course of their year on the Associate Programme. We take your background and interests into account, as it might be that you want to make use of your existing skills and experience, or to try something different.
On Purpose allocates placements through a two-stage matching process which takes into account Associates’ and placements’ preferences and finds a combination that works for the entire group, ensuring each Associate works with two placements and vice versa.
Yes. The programme is full-time, and Associates work in their placements 4.5 days a week, joining their cohort and On Purpose for our Learning & Development programme every Friday afternoon.
We will certainly help you find a job after On Purpose. We hope that it might be in one of the placement organisations or other organisations in the On Purpose network. Obviously, we can’t guarantee you a job, but you will be part of a powerful network.