Contract Development Officer Jobs

We are excited to recruit a Community Organiser for our Bradford Parent Power project. This role offers a meaningful, paid professional development opportunity. The Brilliant Club will work in partnership with Queens’ College, Cambridge, Dixons Academies Trust and Go Higher West Yorkshire to engage with parents in Bradford. The parental engagement model used will be based on the successful Parent Power South London and Oldham Parent Power projects. 

• Dixons are committed to making a difference where it matters most, working to improve the future for thousands of children in parts of the north of England where young lives are adversely affected by social and educational disadvantage. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, should be able to fulfil their academic potential and go on to thrive. Founded by Dixons City Academy, the trust has over 30 years’ experience in transforming education through their network of high-performing, non-faith academies, operating in Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester.
• Queens’ College supports world-leading teaching and research in a beautiful and welcoming environment, and has been in the heart of Cambridge for more than five centuries. At Queens’ we know that attracting the best students from a diverse range of backgrounds is essential if we are to continue to thrive as a vibrant and creative academic community in the twenty-first century. We are committed to enabling the widest possible participation and are proud to be partnered with schools across Bradford through the Cambridge University Area Links scheme. We work with communities across the city to break down some of the myths and misconceptions that have grown up around selective Higher Education, giving young people accurate and up-to-date information to enable them to make the decisions that are right for them.
• Go Higher West Yorkshire is a partnership of 13 Higher Education (HE) providers, working collaboratively to reduce long-standing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from HE. GHWY was formed in 2010 and is hosted by the University of Leeds. We are impartial, not promoting any HE provider or course. Working with groups underrepresented in HE, we strive to overcome all barriers, misinformation and uncertainty concerning HE and to ensure people make confident and informed HE choices. We support educators and influencers help people into Higher Education, and by improving young people’s employability skills, help inspire a more high-skilled workforce.

Parent Power supports parents and carers to develop skills in community organising and advice and guidance on accessing higher education, empowering them to make change to support their children’s future and ensure their they have a fair chance in education and their future careers.    

 Working with us, the Community Organiser will:  

• Support local pupils from underrepresented backgrounds by empowering their parent/carers to become higher education experts  
• Receive community organising training from Citizens UK and develop transferable skills  
• Join a nationwide community of community organisers making a significant impact on university access  

Person specification

Time and Resource Management:

Essential

• Able to plan sessions in an organised and efficient manner and adhere to agreed deadlines.
• Excellent timekeeper, ensuring prompt arrival to meetings and 1-1s; well organised within 1-1s and sessions. 
• Capable of adapting quickly to new systems/ processes. 

Desirable:

• Confident in using digital systems for delivery of online sessions in parent meetings 
• Experience of creating resources 

External Stakeholder Knowledge and Management:

Essential

• Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. 
• Professional approach to problem solving with a range of stakeholders involved in the project. 
• Awareness of role as a visitor within a school and parent/carer community; understanding of the other commitments held by professionals within a school and by parent/carers 
• Understanding of The Brilliant Club mission and the Widening Participation agenda nationally.

Desirable 

• Prior experience of community-focused work or hold a qualification at Level 4 or above (as listed here)
• Understanding of the barriers young people face to university access and some of the ways these might be overcome. 
• Understanding of the current climate in the UK school system and some of the challenges young people and parent/carers might be facing.

Communication:

Essential

• Awareness of how to engage parents and adapt university style learning for a school setting. 
• Able to communicate in a timely and professional way with all project stakeholders 
• Able to take a relational approach to communication with parent/carers, especially in 1-1s 
• Able to explain research accessibly to non-expert audiences

Reflectiveness

Essential

• Able to identify strengths and areas of development, open to feedback.