Chief Programmes and Communities Officer
About the role
The Chief Programmes and Communities Officer will lead the charity’s Programmes and Communities Division. This division oversees our work with pupils, university students and parents, so that we can support young people from less-advantaged backgrounds to access and thrive at competitive universities. It is also home to our Research and Impact team, who ensure that our programmes are making an impact on the lives of young people and that our expertise is utilised externally to enhance best practice in the sector.
The Chief Programmes and Communities Officer will be responsible for ensuring high quality delivery across our programmes, ensuring we maximise our impact on the young people and communities we support. They will also bring our programmes and communities work closer together to strengthen the impact we have in the places of greatest need. They will represent The Brilliant Club externally, leading the Programmes and Communities Division to sustain and build partnerships with schools, universities and other stakeholders to enable the organisation to meet its growth targets.
This role holder will also be a member of the Executive Leadership Team. They will be collectively responsible for driving forward our strategic priorities, building our organisational culture and supporting the charity’s financial and reputational success. The role holder will report into the Chief Executive Officer and work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Engagement Officer, as well as engaging with our Board of Trustees throughout the year.
About you
This role will suit a strategic leader with a demonstrable passion for furthering The Brilliant Club’s mission. You will thrive in a fast paced, values driven environment, balancing big picture thinking with a focus on strong operational delivery to ensure programmes achieve measurable and sustainable impact.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Experience of programme leadership across a large, multi-disciplinary team.
- An in-depth understanding of the education and social mobility policy agenda.
- Experience of designing, delivering and evaluating impactful programmes within the education or charity sector.
- Experience of working closely with communities to drive change.
- A strong track record of managing complex, multi-partner initiatives, using data and evidence to drive decision making.
- Exceptional relationship development skills, and a track record of forging partnerships with stakeholders in the education and/or wider social mobility sector.
- Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to identify partnership opportunities and secure new support for our work.
- Experience of public speaking and representing organisations at a local and national level.
- Experience on an Executive or Senior Leadership Team, reporting to a Board of Trustees.
We support less advantaged students to access the most competitive universities and succeed when they get there.



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