STEM Senior Programme Manager (12m Maternity Cover)

KEY INFORMATION

Location: Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester or London

Hours: 37.5 hours

Start date: October 2026

Duration: 12 month fixed term maternity cover

Salary: £42,000 - £47,000, plus £2,730 London weighting if based in London

Application deadline:Monday 31st August 5pm. Applications will be marked on an ongoing basis with rolling interviews, so we reserve the right to close the role before this date if the right candidate is found. 

ROLE SUMMARY

We’re looking for a Senior Programme Manager (12-month fixed term maternity cover) to lead our programmes of support for Associates pursuing careers in STEM, including Energy & Net Zero, Motorsports, Tech, and Engineering. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a multilayered team and work closely with strategically important employer partners and funders, ensuring that all engagement is delivered to a high standard.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

As STEM Senior Programme Manager, you will lead on upReach’s STEM programmes of support, managing significant partner relationships and supporting a team to effectively manage partner relationships, achieve programme OKRs, and complete their day-to-day tasks. You will also play a key role in the Programme Management group, leading on a cross-functional area of responsibility with a strategic impact across the entire Programmes team.

1) PROGRAMME DESIGN AND DELIVERY

• Make strategic decisions concerning the design and delivery of STEM programmes, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure quality and effectiveness. 

• Monitor and evaluate the impact of STEM programmes, with overarching responsibility for meeting internal engagement and application success OKRs, which you will utilise throughout the year to set priority areas for your team.

• Contribute to weekly Programme Manager meetings, sharing your insight and experience to generate ideas and practical solutions that support the overall improvement of upReach’s programme design and delivery. 

• Lead on parts of the weekly Programmes Meeting with the wider Programmes team, to ensure weekly focus areas and key team messages are communicated clearly to all team members. 

2) TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Manage a team consisting of a Programme Manager and Programme Leaders in a variety of locations, both virtually and in person, providing ongoing personal and professional development support through weekly 1-to-1 calls or meetings, written feedback on documents, and day-to-day guidance via Slack. 

• Support your team to provide high quality personalised support to their Associates, using centralised Programmes guidance and helping them to document all interactions with Associates and application progress.

• Use relevant impact dashboards and data to set priorities, support with managing competing workload demands and time management, to ensure that OKRs and stakeholder KPIs are achieved.

• Manage performance and development, including setting SMART goals and using appropriate tools and resources to support success. Provide regular, constructive feedback through weekly 1:1s, mid-point check ins, and end-of-year appraisals.

3) PARTNERSHIPS & EVENTS

• Maintain strong relationships with significant external partners, including managing the provision of appropriate volunteering opportunities and acting as a representative of upReach at external partner-led events.

• Lead on external reporting to partners, including managing bespoke quarterly/annual data & reporting requirements on aims and objectives, and having oversight of accurate data and survey response collection. Quarterly reporting will include leading regular internal stakeholder meetings, and gathering input from teams across upReach. 

• Oversee budgets for major funder-led programmes, including managing events costs and ensuring forecasts are met. 

• Have oversight of all STEM partners, supporting your team to manage day-to-day partnership responsibilities and ensuring that relationships are managed effectively to achieve programme objectives. 

• Support with running events and application processes smoothly, both in your team and within the wider team where necessary. 

• Collaborate with the partnerships team to make strategic decisions regarding how to grow upReach's existing and new partnerships within STEM, including playing a key role in renewal conversations and helping to shape the strategy and direction of STEM partnerships.

4) ASSOCIATE SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT

• Support a small group of your own Associates, engaging them with the upReach programme in line with OKRs.

• Act as a role model for the broader Programmes team, ensuring Associate facing tasks are completed to a high quality.

• Proactively use data dashboards to monitor Associate engagement across STEM programmes, identifying any areas of concern throughout the year and setting focus areas/action steps for your team to address these.

EXPERIENCE

To be successful, it is anticipated that you would have prior experience in the delivery of programmes and projects.

Essential experience:

• Experience in programme delivery from end to end, from design to reporting and evaluation.

• Experience working directly with key stakeholders to manage and grow a relationship and/or partnership.

• Line management or team leadership experience.

• Strong data skills, including Google Sheets/Excel experience. 

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and working independently to find solutions to problems.

• Ability to engage and flex communication style confidently with a variety of stakeholders, such as beneficiaries, upReach partners and all levels of employees across the organisation.

• Strong collaboration skills when working in both small and large teams of varied team members.

• Self-motivation and an ability to work in a small team as well as independently, with a creative and a proactive attitude.

• Excellent influencing, facilitation and communication skills (both oral and written) and comfortable preparing and presenting reports and proposals to senior management and external stakeholders.

• University degree in any discipline, or equivalent experience.

Desirable experience:

• Knowledge of the types of roles available in the STEM space.

• Familiarity with G Suite and Zoom video conferencing software.

• Project management or programme management qualification.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Motivation 

• Leadership 

• Continuous improvement

• Planning and organising 

• Problem solving and decision making 

• Innovative

• Management 

• Commitment to social mobility

• Communication

TEAM CULTURE & BENEFITS: 

By joining the upReach team, you will be joining a team who are committed to supporting you in your career journey and fostering an inclusive culture. 

We offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days, plus bank holidays. This increases to 27 days 2.5 years and then to 30 days after 5 years of working with us.

• Birthday leave and volunteering leave

• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members. 

• 3% Pension Contribution, which increases to 5% after 5 years of working with us. 

• Cycle-to-work and tech buying schemes.

• Monthly socials

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aid Training and annual wellbeing days

• Summer Hours (early Friday finishes from June to Aug)

• Personal Development Budget, activated after 6 months in the role

• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks: 

  • Disability and Inclusion Network

  • Diverse Roots Network 

  • Green Network 

  • LGBTQ+ Network

  • Mindfulness Network

  • Parents and Carers Network 

  • Socio-economic Background Network

  • (Im)Migrants Network 

READY TO APPLY?

We are committed to making our recruitment process inclusive. All applications will be blind screened, and our job packs are available in Braille, large text or another format upon request. We can provide reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment application process and on the job, and we'll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible.

Applications close on: 31st August 2026, 5pm

Applications will be marked on an ongoing basis with rolling interviews, so we reserve the right to close the role before this date if the right candidate is found. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

At upReach, we are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, social background or any other protected class. We celebrate and value the diverse perspectives that people from all backgrounds bring to our team. We are passionate about creating a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK. Diversity in the workplace creates dynamic and effective organisations and we are actively working to build a more inclusive workforce by continuously improving our recruitment, retention, and development practices. We  particularly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities , those who are care-experienced, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those who are LGBTQIA+.