upReach are seeking to hire a Junior Product Manager/ Product Manager. This is an exciting opportunity within the growing product and projects team at upReach. The role will work closely with the Senior Project Manager to manage a number of key products including the newly built Social Mobility Network and upReach’s contextualised recruitment platform, REALrating. The role is ideal for someone interested in beginning a career in Project or Product management with a passion for social mobility and an interest in tech/digital products.

Location Information: London (near London Bridge), Manchester, Bristol or Birmingham - initially on a remote basis. 

Core Responsibilities

• Project Management: T​aking ownership of the project management of a project to scope and manage a project from beginning to completion, drawing upon project management methodologies to deliver.
• Existing Product Development: D​rawing upon external trends and data on upReach’s products to recommend product enhancements, adding this to the product roadmap and creating business cases when necessary to justify the business need for such enhancements.
• Handling user queries: T​his role would be responsible for logging and responding to any queries received from users of an upReach product, logging and prioritising them correctly.
• Product Growth: W​orking closely with the Employer Partnerships Manager and Senior Brand, Marketing and Communications Officer to develop marketing materials and an acquisition pipeline for upReach’s products.
• New Product Development: L​eading on the development of a new upReach product which will provide Graduate Employers with benchmarks for its graduate recruitment.
• Product Portfolio Management: ​Supporting the Senior Project Manager to report on the impact of upReach’s portfolio of products by evaluating costs associated with products and the impact driven by each product.
• Ad Hoc tasks: T​his role would also be able to work closely with other members of the leadership team, including the CEO, to support them with strategic priorities.
• Collaboration:​ Supporting and working with participants of our Future Charity Leaders Programme Graduate Scheme and other members of staff to ensure effective

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, candidates applying for the role should be able to demonstrate clear experience in managing a project and a clear interest in Project Management. 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 and experience

• Proven experience in managing a varied workload with competing priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to maintain a high level of customer service when dealing with user queries.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with an ability to brief others on what needs to be done (e.g. a developer or a designer).
• Exceptional eye for detail, including excellent proofreading and editing skills.
• A commitment to be user-oriented and ensure that human-centred design is central to the product development process.
• Self-motivation and an ability to work in a small team as well as independently.
• Ability to engage and communicate confidently with stakeholders, such as Trustees, beneficiaries, upReach partners and all levels of employees across the organisation.
• At least a Grade ‘B’ in Maths and English GCSE (if you have extenuating circumstances, let us know)*
• 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:

• Experience of website development or product development.
• ​Experience working with external stakeholders.
• Experience with User Experience (UX) and/or User Interface (UI).
• A good understanding of GDPR legislation and regulations.
• Familiarity with Trello and G-Suite.

Values & Competencies

• Perseverance
• Integrity
• Advocacy
• Aspiration
• Proactivity

We are looking for candidates to display the following competencies during the application stages:

• Problem solving and decision-making ​
• Effective prioritisation
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Project Management skills

Please note: upReach has a responsibility under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to ensure that, at the time of starting their employment, successful candidates have permission to work in the UK.

If you have a right to work in the UK, y​ou will be required to bring proof of this to your interview (​ by providing your original passport or other right to work documents). If your permission to work in the UK relies on a job offer, please bring written details including evidence of any existing visas or work permits. A photocopy will be taken of your document(s) and stored securely. If you are unsuccessful at the interview the photocopies will be destroyed. Unfortunately, upReach is unable to financially sponsor visas or work permits.

Equal Opportunities: 
upReach is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, social background or any other protected class. We support workplace diversity and believe it creates dynamic and effective organisations. We are working hard to increase diversity in our team and would particularly welcome applications from BAME candidates.

We are committed to making our roles and culture inclusive. We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. If you have particular needs or requirements, please get in touch via the email address provided.