Change manager jobs

Two positions:

• 1 x Greater Manchester
• 1 x Barking & Dagenham

We have recently been awarded a transformative multi-year grant from The National Lottery Community Fund  as part of its Health Inequities: Structural Racism and Discrimination Partnership. We are one of ten national partners working alongside The National Lottery Community Fund and will take a leading role in shaping how the partnership operates, including building evidence, influencing policy and practice, supporting the design of new national funding programmes, and facilitating collective learning across the partnership.​

Alongside this, the centrepiece of our participation will be the delivery of three Anti-Racism Collaboratives (ARCs), each based in a specific locality and rooted in communities experiencing the sharpest health inequities. The initial locations are Greater Manchester, the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.. ARCs will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSE), faith organisations, people with lived experience, primary and secondary care providers, local authorities, public health and social care partners. Each ARC will convene a Co-Production Panel (CPP) of people from minoritised ethnic communities to identify where structural racism produces inequitable health outcomes, and to co-produce evidence-led solutions that improve health and tackle the wider determinants of health.​

We are recruiting two Changemakers, one each for Greater Manchester and for Barking & Dagenham. As a Changemaker, you will establish and support an ARC within one of our pilot localities, bringing together stakeholders, providing strategic advice and knowledge of research methods and policy opportunities. You will support the design and implementation of health intervention programmes decided on by the ARC that have the power to influence policy, practice and systems.

Working as part of a national team of Changemakers, you will also contribute to the Foundation's evidence, influencing and systems change work, connecting learning from your locality to national policy, while bringing national developments back into local action. Together, the team will develop a replicable model for tackling racial health inequities.​

We are looking for an experienced systems change practitioner who is passionate about tackling structural racism and improving health equity. This highly collaborative leadership role requires someone equally comfortable working alongside people with lived experience, senior leaders across health and local government, and colleagues from the voluntary and community sector. Success will depend on your ability to build trusted partnerships, work strategically in complex environments, translate evidence into action, and create the conditions for lasting systems change.

Person Specification​

Essential​

• Demonstrable experience of leading complex, multi-agency change involving communities, VCSE organisations and statutory partners. ​

• Strong understanding of how systemic racism operates within health and wider public systems

• Experience of identifying opportunities to redesign policy, commissioning, organisational practice or partnerships to reduce racial inequities. ​

• Experience of leading or facilitating programmes that sought to tackle systemic racism through systems or organisational change. ​

• Ability to build trusted relationships across organisations with different priorities and levels of influence, exercising sound judgement in complex and politically sensitive environments. ​

• Significant experience of working alongside communities experiencing racial inequities to co-produce evidence-led solutions that influence policy, organisational practice or systems. ​

• A commitment to trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches that recognise community knowledge as equal to professional expertise. ​

• Experience of synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence and translating it into practical recommendations that influence policy, commissioning, organisational practice or wider systems change.​

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience of using evidence and partnership working to shape policy, commissioning or organisational practice.​

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences. ​

• Ability to work strategically while maintaining oversight of programme delivery. ​

• Ability to work confidently in ambiguity, adapting approaches in response to evidence, community insight and changing organisational contexts. ​

• Commitment to equity, anti-racism and the values of the Race Equality Foundation. ​

Desirable​

• Experience of working within health and care systems. ​

• Experience of analysing ethnicity-disaggregated data or wider health inequalities evidence. ​

• Experience of Action Learning, organisational development or other systems change methodologies. ​

• Knowledge of the VCSE, statutory and community landscape within the locality. ​

• Experience of organisational improvement or quality frameworks such as REMI.

For the full job description see attachment.

Applications will only be accepted via application form on our portal. We will not accept any applications via CV.

Please note, we can only accept applications from those already eligible to work in the UK.

KEY INFORMATION

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London

Hours: 37.5 hours

Start date: August/September 2026 (we are happy to work with you and your notice period)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £31,565 - £32,630 per annum if based in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle or Bristol. £34,215 - £35,280 if based in London. All roles also receive a £312 yearly tax-free work-from-home allowance.

Application deadline: 31st July 2026

We are recruiting for up to 2 positions for this role and will interview throughout June and July. We may close applications early if we receive a high number of suitable applications. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

ABOUT UPREACH

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. Our work is important because, currently, 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. 

We are an award-winning charity employer working to address this issue in partnership with employers and universities. We help undergraduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment. 

To find out more about how we support our students, visit our website and read our Annual Report and Impact Report.

ROLE OVERVIEW

This is an exciting time to join upReach as we begin a new phase of our digital transformation. We are investing in the systems, tools and ways of working that will help us support more students, improve the experience of the upReach team, and deliver our mission more effectively.

We are looking for a thoughtful, organised and motivated Junior Digital Transformation Manager to join the Product Team and play an important role in turning this ambition into practical, lasting change.

Technology plays a central role in how we support students, collaborate with partners and operate as an organisation. Working with the Director of Product, colleagues in the Product Team and teams across upReach, you will help deliver our digital transformation strategy. 

You will coordinate projects from initial discovery and planning through to implementation, training and continuous improvement. You will work closely with internal users, technology suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure digital changes are practical, inclusive, well-managed and aligned with organisational needs.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to significant organisation-wide projects at an early stage, helping to shape how upReach uses technology in the years ahead.

You do not need to have previously worked in a digital transformation role. You may have developed relevant experience through project coordination, operations, process improvement, technology implementation, product management or another role involving organisational change.

This is a strong opportunity for someone who enjoys solving problems, improving how things work and helping people use technology confidently.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

You will support the delivery of upReach’s digital transformation strategy by helping teams adopt better tools, systems and ways of working, including the responsible use of AI.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating the rollout and adoption of new digital tools, systems and AI-enabled solutions.

• Supporting digital transformation projects from planning through to implementation and review.

• Working with teams across upReach to understand their workflows, challenges and technology needs.

• Identifying opportunities to use AI and automation to improve efficiency, quality and user experience.

• Gathering and summarising feedback from users during testing, rollout and post-launch.

• Creating clear guidance, process documentation and training materials.

• Supporting colleagues to use new tools and AI responsibly, confidently and consistently.

• Identifying opportunities to improve, simplify or connect systems and processes.

• Monitoring how well new tools are working and recommending improvements.

• Supporting relationships with external suppliers and technology partners.

You will take ownership of agreed areas of work, while receiving support from the Director of Product and other experienced colleagues.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

There is no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those who may not have followed a traditional route into technology, project management or digital transformation.

We’re particularly interested in:

• Curiosity about how organisations, systems and processes work.

• A genuine interest in using technology to improve services and create social impact.

• Thoughtful problem-solving and strong attention to detail.

• The ability to organise work, plan ahead and manage multiple tasks.

• Clear written and verbal communication across different audiences.

• The ability to listen to users, understand their needs and represent their perspectives.

• Confidence building constructive working relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.

• The ability to take ownership of work while seeking support when appropriate.

• A practical and balanced approach to change, recognising that successful transformation depends on people and processes as well as technology.

You do not need previous experience as a Digital Transformation Manager. However, experience or familiarity with any of the following would be helpful:

• Implementing or rolling out a new digital tool or system.

• Supporting organisational change or encouraging people to adopt new ways of working.

• Project management or project coordination.

• Process mapping, service design or business analysis.

• Gathering user feedback or conducting user research.

• Testing digital systems or features.

• Working with software suppliers, developers or technical teams.

• Supporting procurement, supplier evaluation or contract management.

• Developing or delivering training and guidance.

• Agile, iterative or user-centred ways of working.

• Understanding data protection, information security, accessibility or responsible technology considerations.

COMPETENCIES

Within upReach, the Junior Digital Transformation Manager is an equivalent level to a Junior Manager in other teams. This level involves you demonstrating more leadership capabilities. This includes having ownership of your responsibility area, and demonstrating an ability to informally lead and have positive influence on the wider team. We will be looking for you to demonstrate that you can plan ahead, proactively anticipate upcoming projects or challenges, and problem solve more independently.

upReach have created a Behaviours and Competency Framework to ensure the team have full visibility on the key capabilities required for effective performance, how these connect to our organisational values, and the level required for each band within the organisation. 

Within the Product Team, we’ll support you to apply these behaviours and competencies to product management helping you to learn and develop your skills across four key areas:

• Delivery & Execution – coordinating and delivering digital change, and solving problems

• User Insight – understanding and representing the teams and people who use our systems

• Transformation Strategy – thinking ahead, prioritising, and connecting systems and processes

• Influencing People – working effectively with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders to drive adoption

You’ll be encouraged to take ownership of your work, build your confidence, and grow into greater responsibility over time. You’ll also have opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues and contribute to meaningful projects.

While you may not have experience in product management, we would expect you to be demonstrating most competencies at level 3 with some at Level 2.

Below you will find a summary of the key attributes required at this level and how they relate to specific digital transformation competencies:

Essential skills:

• Motivation - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies: 

  • Delivery & Execution

• Continuous improvement - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Delivery & Execution

• Planning and organising - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Delivery & Execution

  • Digital Transformation Strategy

• Commitment to social mobility - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • User Insight

  • Transformation Strategy

• Communication - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • User Insight

  • Influencing People

• Problem solving & decision making - 3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Delivery & Execution

  • User Insight

• Innovative - 2/3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Delivery & Execution

  • Digital Transformation Strategy

• Management - 2

  Relevant digital transformation competencies: 

  • Influencing People

• Leadership - 2

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Influencing People

  • Transformation Strategy

• Responsible use of AI & technology – 2/3

  Relevant digital transformation competencies:

  • Delivery & Execution

  • Transformation Strategy

TEAM CULTURE & BENEFITS: 

By joining the upReach team, you will be joining a team who are committed to supporting you in your career journey and fostering an inclusive culture. 

We offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days, plus bank holidays. This increases to 27 days 2.5 years and then to 30 days after 5 years of working with us.

• Birthday leave and volunteering leave

• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members. 

• 3% Pension Contribution, which increases to 5% after 5 years of working with us. 

• Cycle-to-work and tech buying schemes.

• Monthly socials

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aid Training and annual wellbeing days

• Summer Hours (early Friday finishes from June to Aug)

• Personal Development Budget, activated after 6 months in the role

• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks: 

  • Disability and Inclusion Network

  • Diverse Roots Network 

  • Green Network 

  • LGBTQ+ Network

  • Mindfulness Network

  • Parents and Carers Network 

  • Socio-economic Background Network

  • (Im)Migrants Network 

READY TO APPLY?

We are committed to making our recruitment process inclusive. All applications will be blind screened, and our job packs are available in Braille, large text or another format upon request. We can provide reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment application process and on the job, and we'll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. 

Applications close on: 31st July 2026

As we will interview throughout June and July, we may close applications early if we receive a high number of suitable applications. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

At upReach, we are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, social background or any other protected class. We celebrate and value the diverse perspectives that people from all backgrounds bring to our team. We are passionate about creating a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK. Diversity in the workplace creates dynamic and effective organisations and we are actively working to build a more inclusive workforce by continuously improving our recruitment, retention, and development practices. We  particularly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities , those who are care-experienced, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those who are LGBTQIA+.