Conference and events coordinator jobs in Manchester

Organisational Vision & Context:

As we journey towards our vision to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face, we’re looking for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as a Church Relationship Lead for our Make Lunch programme. 

While our programmes vary, they share one common thread: an unwavering resolve to see lives transformed for good. Mobilising over 200 churches and 1,500 volunteers, TLG’s volunteer programmes – Early Intervention and Make Lunch – currently support around 5,000 children and their families each year. However, our vision goes further: we aim to see many more churches partner with us to transform lives in their communities.

This Role’s Impact:

We are seeking an experienced, relational, and highly organised leader with a strong passion for the issues of mental health, poverty, and social justice that underpin Make Lunch. Working alongside other Church Relationship Leads, this role will train, support, and develop church-based volunteer Make Lunch teams, ensuring they provide effective support and meaningful connection to children, young people, and families in their communities.

With excellent people, communication and training skills, the postholder will nurture positive, growing relationships with volunteer Make Lunch Coordinators, enabling excellent programme leadership at a local level. Operationally astute and confident in bringing constructive challenge, they will ensure all Make Lunch activities are safe and fully compliant. Driven by a commitment to continuous improvement, they will foster a growth mindset among those they support, maximising the impact of Make Lunch both locally and nationally.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time (22.5 hours per week, 0.6 FTE), including Tuesdays

Closing Date: Sunday 29th March

Initial Interviews: Monday 13th April – Online

Final Interviews: Tuesday 21st April – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

Key information

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

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full time)

Start date: ASAP (we are happy to work with notice periods)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £36,340 - £41,065 per annum if based in London. £33,690 - £38,410 per annum if based in Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle or Nottingham, plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance.

Application deadline: Wednesday 18th March, 12pm

This application process will consist of 3 stages: Application, 1st interview and Assessment Centre (presentation task & interview).

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 right now a student from 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 Summary

As a University Partnership Manager at upReach, you will play a vital role in securing and growing high-impact partnerships with universities committed to social mobility.

Reporting to the Head of Partnerships within the Income Generation and External Engagement team, you will be responsible for developing new strategic relationships, championing our partners' voices across upReach, and working closely with our Programmes Team to oversee a portfolio of university partners. You’ll lead stakeholder engagement, take ownership of partnership outcomes and work collaboratively across upReach with our marketing, impact and programme teams.

Core Responsibilities

You will play a critical role in advancing upReach’s mission by generating income and leading upReach’s University Partnerships strategy. Creating life-changing opportunities for our Associates through high-impact university partnerships. You will be directly supporting the organisation's strategic priorities: driving sustainable income growth, enhancing programme impact and expanding our reach as a national charity.

Given the expansive and dynamic nature of this role, the list of responsibilities is not exhaustive, but provides a clear overview of your primary areas of responsibility, ownership and impact.

The core responsibilities include:

Develop and Secure New Strategic University Partnerships

• Proactively identify, cultivate, and convert a pipeline of four and five-figure prospective university partners aligned with upReach’s mission and strategic goals.

• Lead high-quality prospecting and relationship-building activity, targeting income-generating partnerships that also deliver high-impact opportunities for Associates.

• Build strong relationships with key contacts at potential partners, including senior stakeholders within widening participation, employability, and careers teams, through regular in-person and virtual meetings.

• Deliver compelling, insight-driven proposals and presentations tailored to organisational priorities and demonstrating mutual value.

Stakeholder Representation and Engagement

• Act as a visible representative of upReach at key partner events, conferences, and roundtables, building relationships, showcasing our impact, and raising our external profile.

• Leverage social media strategically to spotlight partnership activity, amplify success stories and demonstrate the value of our partnerships in real time.

• Respond swiftly and professionally to partner and prospective partner requests, ensuring timely, accurate information and follow-up.

• Capture, report and disseminate key themes and insights from partner feedback, helping to inform decision-making and continuously improve the partnership experience.

Monitor and Grow Existing University Partnerships

• Responsibility for a portfolio of upReach’s existing university partners, ensuring effective stewardship of the day-to-day relationship with high satisfaction, sustainable renewal and growth.

• Set and monitor partnership goals and OKRs, leading regular reviews and performance reporting.

• Identify opportunities to deepen and broaden engagement with existing partners, including expanding partnership activities.

• Collaborate with the Student Attraction and Programme teams to engage the university in identifying & promoting the programme.

• Working closely with upReach’s Programme teams to ensure partnerships and programmes are delivered to a high standard.

• Lead on university partnership health reviews and mid-year partner reviews to ensure any issues are dealt with effectively, promptly and collaboratively.

Partnership Visibility and Impact

• Collaborate closely with Marketing & Communications to co-create high-quality content and campaigns that showcase our strategic partnerships through university guides, case studies, thought leadership, social media, and joint events.

• Lead on impact reporting for your partnership portfolio, using both data and compelling stories to evidence the outcomes of the partnership and drive continued engagement.

• Proactively identify and deliver opportunities for partners to amplify the voice of upReach; through our external events, fundraising opportunities and sharing social-media collateral that promotes our work.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Innovation

• Collaborate with the Finance team to ensure timely and accurate invoicing and contracting for all University partnerships, supporting effective financial management.

• Maintain up-to-date and accurate records of partnership activity using upReach’s internal CRM and systems, enabling effective reporting, forecasting and stewardship.

• Uphold the organisation’s legal and ethical obligations, including data protection, charity law, and compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements.

• Manage and support a rotation of the Future Charity Leaders Programme, providing guidance, feedback, and development opportunities.

• Meet monthly with University Leads (the Programme Coordinator responsible for day-to-day university activities) to set partnership priorities, monitor stakeholder KPIs (onboarding, engagement), and deliver updates to universities.

• Contribute to the achievement of income targets aligned with upReach’s strategic goals, identifying and progressing opportunities to drive revenue growth.

• Engage fully in the annual appraisal process, setting ambitious, SMART objectives that align with organisational priorities and your personal development.

Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate for the University Partnerships Manager should display these behavioural skills:

• Strong track record of relationship-building, influencing, and delivering high-quality engagement with a range of stakeholders, ideally including senior university professionals.

• Excellent organisational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines autonomously.

• Confident and pragmatic decision maker in a fast-paced environment, with an understanding of when to escalate situations and seek input appropriately.

• Proven ability to develop and implement partnership or engagement strategies that strengthen collaboration and deliver shared goals.

• Collaborative team player with experience supporting and working across diverse teams to deliver shared objectives.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including confidence in preparing and delivering presentations and reports.

• Proficient in using CRM or data management systems to track engagement, manage pipelines, and generate actionable insights.

• Experience measuring and reporting on partnership impact, engagement, or value creation.

Desirable:

• Experience in university partnerships, fundraising, account management, or stakeholder engagement.

• Understanding of widening participation, employability, or student success strategies within a higher education setting.

• Experience collaborating with marketing or communications teams to create joint campaigns, content, or case studies that drive engagement.

Team Culture & Benefits: 

We offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working.

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days and bank holidays. This increases to 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then to 3 additional 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 increased to 5% after 5 years of working with us. 

• Cycle-to-work scheme.

• Monthly socials and annual wellbeing days

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aid Training. 

• 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

  • (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 Wednesday 18th March at 12pm.. 

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  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+.

Are you a highly organised project leader with a track record of developing rigorous and impactful processes? Do you want to lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation transforming mental health in higher education? This could be the role for you.

We’re looking for a methodical and strategic Programme Manager (Award) to manage the end-to-end delivery of University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award and act as key spokesperson for the programme. 

You’ll play a vital role in ensuring that the Award upholds its standards and values, and continues to develop and scale, supporting positive change for staff and students at universities across the UK.

About the role

• Lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation for mental health in higher education: the University Mental Health Charter Award.
• The UMHC Award recognises universities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of their university communities and supports them to continually improve. 
• You will own the end-to-end management of a complex, high-profile and impactful programme, balancing administrative excellence and strategic development.

Key responsibilities

• Drive the Award lifecycle, from onboarding universities, coordinating our network of assessors and managing the Award panel.
• Scale and continually improve the Award process, ensuring it remains rigorous, impactful and values-led.
• Act as key spokesperson and point of contact for universities and other stakeholders.
• Responsible for budget, risk and line management. 

What we’re looking for

• Proven track record of managing complex projects.
• Experience developing, maintaining and improving robust systems and processes.
• A rigorous approach to accuracy and quality control.
• Comfortable holding difficult conversations with stakeholders at all levels.
• A commitment to co-production, equality, anti-racism and an interest in mental health.

Find out more about the essential criteria for this role by downloading our Recruitment Pack from the documents section.

What you will gain

• The chance to contribute to a high-impact national programme supporting better mental health for university communities across the UK.
• Experience in a varied role with opportunities to learn and develop.
• A supportive and collaborative workplace culture that values wellbeing.
• Flexibility in how and where you work. 

How to apply
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you!

1. Click “Redirect to recruiter”, then scroll to the 'Vacancies and volunteering' section of our 'Join our team' page to access the job listing.
2. Download the recruitment pack in the document section at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find more information about the role including responsibilities and person specifications. 
3. Download and complete our application form - instead of collecting CVs, we use an application form to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all. 
   1. Please refrain from including any identifying details in your application answers.
4. Upload your completed application form as a word document. 
   1. Please note that once you start your application on our portal, you will have 24 hours to upload your completed form. Before clicking 'Apply' and beginning the application process, make sure your form is fully completed and ready to upload.
5. Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.

Student Minds is committed to building an inclusive team and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.