Cohort research manager jobs

At Basecamp Adventure Trust, we empower vulnerable young people from West Yorkshire to thrive through unique, long-term programmes which harness outdoor adventure as a powerful vehicle for personal transformation. Through a combination of skills workshops, exhilarating adventure trips and a deeply relational approach, we challenge, celebrate and inspire young people to discover a newfound sense of confidence, resilience and self-belief, and to explore new possibilities for themselves. Our programmes are intensive, sustained and individualised to make a lasting positive difference on the young people we work with so they can lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

This role demands a unique combination of skills. You’ll be a capable Programme Manager (or at the very least an aspiring one with a strong desire to step up from your current youth experience), with an understanding of the role outdoor adventure can have in supporting health and wellbeing and underpinning personal development.

In addition to this, we’ve got big ambitions to develop an events strand to our work, which brings together three separate but interlinked fundraising ideas. You will support us to create, shape and implement this new initiative alongside our team, helping us to turn our initial idea into a reality. We are proud to be very much a people-led organisation, so it’s possible that your own strengths and experience may sway the specifics of the role.

Reports to: Senior Management Team

Hours: Full time, 5 days (37.5 hours) a week, flexible working evenings and weekends as required

Salary: £28,000 - £35,000 dependant on experience

Location: The Old Fire Station, Leeds (Basecamp HQ), but the role also incorporates travel across Yorkshire and the Lake District

Transport: The role will require access to a car

Start Date: We will accommodate the start date depending on the individual’s situation, but we are looking to get someone in for Spring

Annual Leave: 22 days + bank holidays + 1x day off per Adventure Residential) to account for extra hours worked)

The Role

Programme Manager (~35% of the role) – We are looking for an enthusiastic and capable Programme Manager who can lead the delivery of our Core Programme, having the ability to directly work with young people, lead a team, have an acute eye for detail and organisation and a creative, dynamic approach to problem-solving. The Programme Manager role takes up around 80 days a year, with the days being weighted unevenly across the months of the year.

Events Coordinator (~65% of the role) – We are looking for a driven and creative Events Coordinator who will help us create a Basecamp calendar of external events, which will support our fundraising goals and bring a large and diverse audience to our work. The right candidate will be excited at the prospect of turning ideas into a reality, supporting us with the creative development of this idea as well as the practical implementation.

Programme Manager Roles and Responsibilities

Acting as the key point of contact to organise, deliver and oversee the Basecamp Core Programme to 1 cohort of young people, including managing residential trips, school workshops and other supporting sessions throughout the year’s programme (e.g. Taster Days, Graduation etc) (September - June).

This includes:

• Onboarding young people onto the programme, working in collaboration with schools to ensure our referral criteria are met and we have the information we need.

• Facilitating creative, arts and games-based workshops in school.

• Supporting day-to-day administration and management of the programme including maintaining a database and producing written communications and reports.

• Coordinating Adventure Youth Coaches, Volunteers, Instructors and School Supporting Staff on residential, as the main point of contact.

• Managing disciplinary action as required if a situation is escalated higher than Adventure Youth Coaches or Volunteers.

• Ensuring the highest standards of support, safety and safeguarding across the programme, in line with Basecamp’s ethos, policies and procedures.

• Providing ongoing feedback to young people, parents, carers and schools, through email, Whatsapp and handwritten cards.

• Working with partner organisation such as schools and instructors/activity providers, to ensure the Basecamp mission is consistent and everybody has the smoothest experience possible and to build the Basecamp ‘brand’ to an extent that the schools want to keep working with us and value the work that we do.

• Contributing to organisational planning and development, including supporting the development of further opportunities for young people.

Events Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities

Supporting our team to create, develop, test and implement a calendar of Basecamp events including third-party challenge events, Basecamp events and bespoke corporate adventure challenges. This calendar will support the building of both our new corporate partnerships programme, an innovative new take on traditional corporate fundraising as well as getting our brand-new Basecamp Community off the ground, our own version of an individual giving initiative.

This includes:

• Undertaking prospect research to identify corporate partners who we can build long-lasting, meaningful relationships with.

• Identifying key networking opportunities to help us raise our profile in West Yorkshire.

• Supporting us to develop our pitch to prospective corporate partners, creating bespoke partnerships which demonstrate our ethos, culture and impact.  

• Supporting the development of our new Basecamp Community initiative, creating the necessary comms and finding interactive ways to get members involved and feel a part of the community.

•  Supporting the implementation of systems and protocols that will allow us to effectively manage logistics, budgeting, risk assessments, and delivery on the ground, establishing new supplier partnerships in the process.

• Developing relationships with flagship event providers, maximising engagement with creative and far-reaching communication initiatives and providing supportive inspiring stewarding journeys for all involved.

• Working collaboratively across fundraising and comms ensuring we maximise the effectiveness of each event and that they are supporting our other fundraising initiatives.

Person Specification

The postholder will play a key role in the development and delivery of both programme and charity events. They will be a brilliant ‘all-rounder’ who can go from speaking to a group of 30 children in a muddy field, to being comfortable behind a laptop researching potential corporate partners, to feeling confident in creative meetings where our ideas become a reality.  We are looking for someone with a strong creative drive, excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the natural ability to use initiative. Whilst ticking the experience requirement boxes is important to us, we will always take a holistic view of your application and consider transferable experience.

• Demonstrated experience working with disadvantaged or vulnerable young people with empathy and compassion

• Proven understanding of the issues impacting young people today, including socioeconomic challenges, and mental health considerations

• Sound understanding of safeguarding and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people

• Experience coordinating, supporting or delivering programmes for young people

• Ability to take initiative to turn plans from scratch into successful events

• Willingness to contribute creatively to organisational development and bring fresh ideas

• Strong research skills, identifying partners who align with our ethos and culture

• Willingness to engage in community and corporate outreach

• Understanding of marketing, communication and social media and using various social networks to promote and build brands

• Ability to manage and prioritise multiple events seamlessly, quickly and easily moving between higher level strategic issues to on the ground delivery details

• Strong ‘relationship builder’ who is able to connect with young people, parents, teachers, and various external partners

• Confident hosting and talking to groups, and setting a positive, encouraging tone

• Flexible approach with the ability to adapt to a variety of settings, from office environments to outdoor residentials

• Strong problem-solving skills, especially in high-energy or challenging settings, with a positive mindset

• Resilience and a good sense of humour, suited to working in a dynamic and sometimes unpredictable environment

• High-level organisational skills

• Strong eye for detail and ability to multitask/notice multiple things going on at once and effectively deal with them

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with an emphasis on creating professional yet personable written materials

• Proficiency in standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office or Google Workspace) and database management, ideally some knowledge/experience of basic graphic design software such as Canva

Personal Qualities

Relationally-led: You’ll take a person-centred approach demonstrating empathy and patience that makes people feel seen, valued and respected.

Enthusiasm: You’ll be passionate about the work we do as a charity through both hands-on and office-based work and are excited to be a part of its journey and growth

Dynamic: You’ll be able to adapt to a variety of settings, from office environments to the outdoors, with the ability to notice multiple things going on at once and take initiative when things change.

Detail-oriented: You’ll have a keen eye for detail to ensure safety, quality, and consistency in our delivery, able to solve problems in high-energy or challenging settings with a positive mindset.

Creative: You’ll enjoy contributing creatively to organisational development, bringing fresh ideas whilst adopting a ‘think big’ attitude

Genuine love for the outdoors: You’ll innately understand the power of outdoor adventure, and how it stretches people to believe they are capable of so much more

Other requirements

• Willing to work flexible hours and work in outdoor environments/take part in outdoor activities

• A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle

• A satisfactory enhanced DBS check

• Satisfactory references

Purpose and responsibilities of the post

Reporting to the DARE UK Director, the Deputy Director is a senior strategic leader responsible for shaping and delivering the programme’s next phase of impact.

The post-holder will provide intellectual and operational leadership across the programme, translating strategic ambition into executable plans while ensuring delivery at pace and scale. They will work across research communities, funders, infrastructure providers, technology partners and senior stakeholders across UKRI and government to embed community voice into the design of a UK-wide secure data research ecosystem.

This is a high-profile role requiring visible sector leadership, strong partnership-building capability and confidence operating at Board and executive level. The Deputy Director will deputise for the Director as required and play a central role in positioning DARE UK nationally and internationally.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

· Co-develop and evolve the DARE UK strategy, roadmap and future phases in response to emerging opportunities, policy developments and sector needs.

· Shape the long-term vision for a federated UK sensitive data research ecosystem, including shared standards for governance, ethics, metadata and interoperability.

· Identify strategic partnerships and funding opportunities to secure programme sustainability beyond the current phase.

· Represent DARE UK at senior forums, influencing policy, research and infrastructure agendas.

Programme Delivery and Oversight

· Lead end-to-end delivery of the programme, ensuring alignment between strategic objectives, commissioned work and measurable outcomes.

· Oversee commissioning, governance and performance management of programme activities and working groups.

· Ensure robust financial oversight, risk management and reporting in collaboration with HDR UK and UKRI partners.

· Maintain effective systems, governance structures and delivery frameworks across partner organisations.

Stakeholder and Community Leadership

· Build and sustain trusted relationships across UKRI councils, academia, government departments, devolved administrations, technical suppliers and public contributors.

· Convene and align diverse stakeholders to co-design standards, services and technical-social specifications.

· Lead strategic engagement and communications activity to secure sector-wide buy-in and adoption.

People and Organisational Leadership

· Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team spanning programme management, communications, public involvement and engagement, and community engagement.

· Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture aligned with HDR UK values.

· Provide clarity, direction and stability in a complex and evolving landscape.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential

· Senior leadership experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments spanning research, government, infrastructure and/or technology.

· Proven track record of delivering large-scale, strategically significant programmes in fast-paced and ambiguous contexts.

· Experience working with executive teams, Boards and senior stakeholders, demonstrating sound judgement and political awareness.

· Strong strategic thinking capability, with the ability to translate vision into structured delivery plans.

· Demonstrable experience influencing, negotiating and building consensus across diverse communities.

· Strong programme governance, risk management and financial oversight experience.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent programmes at national level.

· Effective line management experience, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-impact outcomes.

Martingale Postgraduate Foundation (Martingale) exists to fund and support the next generation of talented researchers. We believe that family income should not be a barrier to the pursuit of excellence, and our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive within world-leading postgraduate research.

Martingale’s flagship programme is the Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship, which supports students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue and excel in postgraduate degrees, by providing:

• A fully-funded Living Wage Scholarship to pursue a one-year Masters degree or a four-year PhD.
• All tuition fees and research expenses, including a tax-free stipend for living costs.
• Tailored support to apply for Martingale courses at our partner universities.
• Access to Martingale programmes, including leadership training and connections with top academic and industry professionals.
• Membership of a pioneering community of talented researchers.

In the three years since Martingale launched, we are now supporting over 100 Scholars to undertake postgraduate degrees across our ten partner universities and have committed over £7.7m in Scholarships. We are continuing to expand our offer, bringing on new partners each year.

We are seeking an experienced, strategic and collaborative Head of Programmes to join our Senior Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in shaping our fast-growing Martingale Scholarship Programme.

As Head of Programmes, you will join our senior management team, overseeing the growing programmes team. Working closely with the CEO, you will oversee all aspects of Martingale’s Scholarship Programme from application to alumni, ensuring that the programme maintains a strong reputation for being both supportive and prestigious.

You will set the strategic direction of Martingale’s Scholarship Programme, working closely with the CEO on a day-to-day basis to ensure that as we expand across STEM the programme remains of a high quality and meeting Martingale’s mission. You will ensure that Martingale’s programmes are impactful, data informed and meet the needs of the scholars we are supporting. You will also be responsible for managing relationships with various external stakeholders including universities, funders and evaluation partners.

We are looking for a strong strategic leader with extensive programme experience including line management, partnership management and external relations. You will bring excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail, a proactive mindset, and a strong alignment with Martingale’s mission. We welcome applicants from a range of career paths who are excited to be part of a growing, fast-paced charity delivering meaningful impact.

Martingale Foundation is incubated by Purposeful Ventures who provide operational and strategic support. The Head of Programmes will be employed by Purposeful Ventures.

About Purposeful Ventures

Our vision is for a fairer society where all young people thrive. We work with social entrepreneurs, organisations and philanthropists that share our vision. Through our work with these partners, young people are given opportunities in education and beyond, helping them reach their true potential.

Purposeful Ventures offers philanthropists and funders bespoke advice, using an evidence-based approach to help them to identify high-impact opportunities to fund. We then partner with visionary individuals and mission-driven organisations with strong theories of change. We help them turn great ideas into sustainable and successful ventures by offering fully individualised and very hands-on support, access to funding and a ‘high-challenge, high-support’ home. We do the minimum necessary and whatever it takes to succeed.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership of the Scholarship Programme

• Provide strategic oversight of the end-to-end Martingale Scholarship lifecycle, from selection and admissions through to scholar progression and alumni outcomes.
• Develop and deliver a multi-year operational strategy for Martingale’s Development Programme (MDP), ensuring scalability, academic excellence, and alignment with organisational growth plans.
• Continuously refine the scholar journey to ensure it is sector-leading, prestigious, and tailored to the needs of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Build deep expertise in postgraduate education, research culture, and enabling access to inform programme evolution and innovation.

Admissions & Selection Strategy

• Lead the design, governance, and continuous improvement of a rigorous, fair, and high-quality admissions and assessment process across subject areas.
• Oversee shortlisting, interview frameworks, assessment centres, and final scholarship recommendations to the Selection Committee.
• Ensure alignment between Martingale’s selection processes and university partner requirements.
• Maintain oversight of scholar allocation, including place management, deferrals, intermissions, withdrawals, and reallocations.

Scholar Experience & Case Management

• Ensure effective advocacy for Scholars including maximising progression and retention across cohorts.
• Oversee complex scholar casework, including deferrals, intermissions, safeguarding concerns, funding queries, disciplinary action and university liaison.
• Ensure consistent, professional, and high-touch support across the scholar lifecycle.
• Strengthen cohort cohesion and long-term alumni engagement.

Safeguarding & Compliance

• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Martingale, ensuring safeguarding policy implementation and record keeping in line with best practice in relation to vulnerable adults.
• Oversee data protection compliance relating to scholar and applicant data, in partnership with the organisation’s Data Protection Officer.
• Ensure programme delivery complies with charity, funding, and regulatory requirements.

Budget, Contracting & Financial Oversight

• Hold responsibility for programme budgets, ensuring effective resource allocation, cost control, and value for money.
• Oversee scholarship programme financial management, and work with Head of Strategy and Operations on onwards grants including deferrals, funding adjustments, and invoicing.
• Work with the Head of Strategy and Operations on university contracting, scholarship agreements, and financial reconciliation with partners.
• Ensure timely and accurate invoicing and reporting processes across programme operations.

University & Sector Partnerships (Programme-Focused)

• Lead programme-level relationships with university partners, including Heads of Departments, Graduate Tutors, CDT leads, and admissions teams.
• Ensure universities meet partnership commitments and that Scholars are appropriately supported institutionally.
• Contribute to partnership negotiations where programme design or operational delivery is concerned.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen university research culture and scholar support mechanisms.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact

• Lead development and oversight of Martingale’s Theory of Change and evaluation framework, working with our external independent evaluators.
• Develop robust systems to track scholar progression, outcomes, and programme effectiveness.
• Provide high-quality reporting to the CEO, Board, funders, and partners, evidencing impact and continuous improvement.

New Programme Development & Innovation

• Work with the CEO to design new subject expansions, pilots, or initiatives aligned to Martingale’s mission.
• Assess operational, financial, and reputational implications of programme growth.
• Develop business cases, delivery models, and implementation plans for expansion.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Provide senior leadership to the Programmes team, including line management of programme staff.
• Build a high-performing, mission-driven team with clear accountability and ownership.
• Develop succession planning and team capability as Martingale scales.
• Model Martingale’s values of excellence, professionalism, and thoughtful support.

Organisational Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, contributing to organisational strategy and governance.
• Represent Martingale externally in academic, sector, and policy contexts where appropriate.
• Support Board and Committee reporting related to programme performance and scholar outcomes.

Key Requirements:

Essential Criteria

• Right to work in the UK

Experience and skills

Essential

• Significant experience leading and delivering high-quality programmes, ideally in higher education, research, scholarships, or a mission-driven organisation.
• Strong stakeholder management experience, with evidence of working effectively with universities, academics, funders, or equivalent partners.
• Proven line management experience, with the ability to develop and lead a high-performing team.
• Experience managing complex operational delivery, including planning, timelines, and coordinating multiple moving parts.
• Strong experience handling sensitive casework and providing professional support to individuals.
• Budget management experience, including planning and overseeing programme delivery costs.
• Excellent written communication skills, including producing clear reports and briefings for senior audiences.
• Commitment to safeguarding, wellbeing and compliance, with willingness to act as safeguarding lead.

Desirable

• Experience working directly with postgraduate research, PhD programmes, or doctoral training environments.
• Experience designing or overseeing selection and assessment processes (e.g. interviews, admissions, recruitment pipelines).
• Experience managing programme evaluation frameworks, including Theory of Change and external evaluators.
• Familiarity with contracting, invoicing, and operational finance processes.
• Knowledge of UK higher education systems and research culture.
• Experience working in a start-up, scale-up, or fast-growing charity.

Personal Characteristics

• Highly organised, proactive, and able to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: able to build rapport and trusting relationships, able to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
• Strong judgement, discretion and professionalism, including ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• A commitment to Martingale’s mission to support postgraduate students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Comfortable working in a rapidly growing and changing organisation with a degree of ambiguity – confident to create processes and ways forward where they might not yet exist.
• Creative and innovative: willing to think outside the box to maximise reach.
• Resourceful, able to act on initiative, hardworking, detail-oriented, and systematic.