Strategy manager jobs

We are the national body for careers education in England, delivering support to schools and colleges to deliver modern, 21st century careers education. 

The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is a great place to work. We operate within a fast-paced and collaborative environment. We are brought together by one thing: our passion to ensure young people get the best possible start in life and are supported to find their best next step. 

Do you want to be part of a mission-driven team focused on transforming young people’s lives? If so, we’d love to hear from you! 

Role summary

Essential criteria: 

• Background in corporate relationship management/account management - able to build relationships at all levels and sell propositions to organisations.   

• Experience in developing resources to support employers to deliver quality outreach with young people.   

• Demonstrable experience of operationalising national strategy into projects and programmes, ideally across multiple locations.   

• Significant experience of managing multiple clients/stakeholders and projects to time and budget, managing risk, and maintaining a high-quality service level.   

• A demonstrable understanding of the current careers’ education and early careers landscapes.   

Desirable criteria: 

• Expertise in supporting employers to engage with specialists education settings, especially Alternative Provision.  

For further information about the role, and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: Monday 13th April 2026 (Midnight).

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable applications.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion        

At the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) we are committed to fostering a culture of belonging. We know that engagement at work relies on feeling included and valued. Inclusion is both a choice and a practice, for us as an organisation and for individuals within our team. We aim to drive inclusion through every aspect of our work and we understand that diverse teams are essential for innovative careers education and are central to our mission and impact. CEC values the visible and invisible qualities that makes each member of our team who they are. We are a disability confident employer and if you need any help or support through the application process, please contact the HR team and details can be found on our website.

Introduction

The National House Project (NHP) supports Local Authorities to work with young people to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to live connected and fulfilling lives. By developing a community of support, completing the House Project Programme and being able to make their house a home young people can look forward to a positive future.

This is an exciting time to join NHP and we are seeking a skilled and experienced professional who can support our vision to ensure that young people leaving care live connected and fulfilling lives.

Purpose of the Role 

Reporting to the Director of Partnerships, this exciting new role offers the opportunity to support NHP's internal expertise on Housing; ensure we have strong partnerships with Housing Providers and grow the offers of housing from Housing Providers across the UK, to support our growth as a charity. Essentially with more housing we can establish more Local House Projects (LHPs) and expand those that already exist, and in turn support more young people.

Working closely with senior leadership team (CEO, Director of Practice and Director of Partnerships), this role will lead on developing our first Housing Strategy and ensure we have the internal knowledge, expertise and capacity to grow our housing partnerships.

Key Responsibilities 

General 

• Lead the development and implementation of NHP’s Housing Partnership Strategy in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team ensuring aligned with organisational priorities and growth of NHP. 

• Build, develop and sustain a strong pipeline of housing partners across all NHP locations- at both a local and national level. Maintain effective relationships with existing providers whilst identifying new business and strategic housing opportunities to grow supply. 

• Work closely with local authorities (and LHPs) to understand regional housing supply, demand and challenges- with a view to informing the Housing Partnership Strategy. 

• Develop and maintain a database of partnerships with Housing Providers, and opportunities for growth  

• Represent NHP at regional and national Housing Forums, conferences and events 

• Support Local House Projects to negotiate property offers and advocate for care-experienced young people and the NHP approach 

• Coordinate the Housing Community of Practice with one of the Practice Leads 

• Work with the Director of Partnerships to secure tangible opportunities to deliver Social Value opportunities- including collaborations and strategic opportunities.

• Support LAs to maximise the accommodation offer to care leavers through Section 106 agreements and their responsibility to Public Value in all commissioned services 

• Deliver ‘horizon scanning’ briefings to the NHP team so they are up to date with housing policy, progress and challenges to inform their work and practice 

Communications and Collaboration 

• Develop case studies and share best practice/our approach across the Housing Sector 

• Work closely with the Business Support Administrator and Admin Team to create and share communications about housing 

• Support the preparation of housing partnership updates, impact stories, and social media content. 

• Contribute to internal communications about partnership successes and learning. 

• Support the rest of the NHP team from time to time, as required.

You will be based at the NHP office in Crewe for a minimum of 2 days per week, but you will be expected to travel and attend meetings across the country on a regular basis.

For detailed information see full Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Benefits 

• 31 days annual leave plus bank holidays 

• 10% employer pension contribution 

• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave 

• Hybrid working option with at least two days a week in the office (Monday and Thursdays) 

• Quarterly team development days 

• Access to professional development and training 

• Access to psychological support via our external psychologists

Find out more

If you’re excited by the opportunity to build something transformative, we’d love to hear from you. 

We recently held a briefing session to provide more information about this role. You can watch the recording below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/_az6Qsqxp0jc200iP7227b1fZ2tsPFLIYicvMkxeVT5iOEswGX92VY8i9LxmF-M.fgx73P6eNwBPgXHr
Passcode: Tkk%9$b^

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter via Charity Job detailing what skills, knowledge and experiences make you the best candidate for the role by 12pm Wednesday 8th April.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you require adjustments during the application or recruitment process, let us know. If you are care-experienced and meet all the essential requirements you will be guaranteed an interview.

We do not accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies. 

Interviews

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person interview at the NHP Office in Crewe date to be confirmed. 

Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates. 

Safeguarding Statement 
NHP is committed to protecting the well-being of young people. All staff must adhere to our safeguarding policies. 

General Requirements: Right to work in the UK, two professional references, and a DBS check.