Project Manager – Data & Impact Lead

Are you an experienced project manager with a passion for improving outcomes for young people? Do you have the leadership, partnership and analytical skills to manage a complex education and mentoring programme while using data and evidence to demonstrate its impact?

If so, St Giles Trust is looking for an experienced Project Manager (Data and Impact Lead) to lead our Building Futures programme, supporting young people to stay engaged in education, build confidence and develop positive aspirations for their future.

About St Giles Trust and Building Futures

An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes, and the right support they need. Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions, and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others. 

Building Futures is a fully funded, one-to-one school-based mentoring programme supporting young people in Years 8–10 who are at greater risk of disengagement from education and poorer long-term employment outcomes. Through weekly mentoring over six months, young people develop a consistent relationship with a trusted adult who can help them build confidence, strengthen engagement and relationships, overcome barriers and make positive changes to their attendance, behaviour and aspirations for the future.

About this role

As Project Manager (Data and Impact Lead), you will lead the mobilisation, implementation, delivery and closure of Building Futures across participating secondary schools.

You will manage three Team Managers, with indirect oversight of 25 Building Futures Mentors, ensuring the programme is delivered safely, effectively and consistently and meets all contractual, performance, safeguarding and evaluation requirements.

You'll also play a key role in demonstrating the impact of the programme. Working closely with YFF and NFER, you'll oversee programme and evaluation data, monitor outcomes and use evidence and learning to identify improvements and strengthen the wider St Giles education, mentoring, transition and employability offer.

What we are looking for

• Significant experience of managing complex education, youth, mentoring or early-intervention programmes, including mobilisation and delivery.
• Experience of line managing managers and/or multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people.
• Experience of working with schools and education professionals and building effective partnerships.
• Experience of contract management, performance monitoring and delivery against targets and KPIs.
• Experience of managing programme data, quality assurance and evaluation requirements.
• Experience of managing project budgets, resources and risks.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret performance and outcome data and use findings to drive improvement.
• Excellent project management, organisational, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Knowledge of evaluation methodologies and evidence-informed programme delivery, together with an understanding of early-intervention approaches for young people.

You'll be committed to high-quality, evidence-informed practice and continuous improvement, and share our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. St Giles Trust particularly values the contribution of lived experience and is committed to supporting and developing people with lived experience in line with our values.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications, and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. 

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.

Funded by Youth Futures Foundation (YFF) a national what works center; St Giles' Building Futures project contributes to the evidence base on early intervention, with National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) as the programme’s evaluation partner

Fixed term contract until April 2028