Senior Programme Manager

Keeping Young People Safe:

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment and be expected to uphold excellent safeguarding practice at all times.

Are you passionate about helping young people build brighter futures?

Do you love bringing programmes to life, bringing people together, building relationships, and making things happen? If so, we’ve got an exciting opportunity to join the Young Enterprise team as a Senior Programme Manager.

Who We Are:

We’re Young Enterprise – a national charity with a bold mission: to give every young person the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in the changing world of work.

For over 60 years, we’ve empowered more than 7 million young people through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes. Whether it’s launching a student business or learning how to manage money, we help young people develop key life skills—teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience.

We’re a passionate, down-to-earth team of 90+ staff and 2,000+ volunteers who believe that every young person, regardless of background, deserves a fair start in life.

Why Join Us?

We think Young Enterprise is a great place to work-and we’re proud of our people-first culture. Here’s what you can expect:

• A friendly and supportive team where your voice is heard
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion-we want everyone to feel they belong
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working
• Cycle-to-work scheme, life assurance, and NHS top-up plan
• Ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities
• A chance to directly impact the lives of young people every single day.

About the Role:

As Senior Programme Manager, you will lead a team responsible for delivering a portfolio of national education programmes that support thousands of educators and young people across the UK. Combining leadership, operational oversight and practical support, you'll help ensure programmes deliver high-quality experiences and meaningful impact.

This role is focused on providing leadership, oversight and guidance to an established team of Programme Managers, rather than personally leading the day-to-day delivery of every programme. However, you'll also be comfortable stepping in with practical operational support when required, helping the team navigate challenges, manage risk, maintain momentum and ensure successful delivery.

Working closely with colleagues across Young Enterprise, you'll use insight and evidence to drive improvement, support the ongoing development of our programmes, and help ensure they continue to deliver strong outcomes for young people. This is an opportunity to develop talented people, lead at scale, solve complex challenges and make a tangible difference to the lives of young people across the country.

You’d love this role if you:

• Enjoy leading and developing people, helping others perform at their best.
• Are equally comfortable leading strategically and stepping into operational detail when needed to support successful delivery.
• Like turning data, insight and feedback into practical improvements.
• Have experience overseeing complex programmes and know how to balance support, challenge and accountability.
• Can prioritise effectively and focus on the activities that will have the greatest impact.
• Build strong relationships quickly and enjoy working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Are energised by improving services and finding better ways of doing things.
• Want to use your skills and experience to make a tangible difference to young people's lives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of Programme Managers, helping them deliver their best work and grow their impact.
• Provide oversight and support across a portfolio of national education programmes, ensuring high-quality experiences for educators and young people across the UK.
• Use performance data, insight and evidence to drive decisions, improve outcomes and maximise impact.
• Provide expert support and leadership when it matters most, helping teams navigate challenges, manage risk and maintain momentum.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships across education, funding and delivery networks to support programme success.
• Help shape the future of Young Enterprise's programmes and services, influencing how we support educators and equip young people with the skills they need to succeed.

A few practical things:

• This is a hybrid role based in London, with a minimum of 8 office days per month
• You’ll have the opportunity to visit some of the participating schools and colleges across the UK
• Full details can be found in the Job Description

How to Apply:

If you’re ready to help shape the futures of young people, we want to hear from you!

Please send your CV and a separate document answering these three questions (max 250 words each). When applying, please let us know whether you are applying for the role on a full-time or part-time basis.  Applications must be submitted by 23:30 on 28 September 2026.

1. Leadership

Tell us about a time when you led a team to deliver a complex programme, project or portfolio. How did you support and challenge the team while ensuring successful delivery?

2. Performance, Improvement and Impact

Tell us about a time when you identified an opportunity to improve the performance, effectiveness or impact of a programme, service or initiative. What evidence or insight informed your thinking, what actions did you take, how did you engage others in the process, and what was the outcome?

3. Navigating Challenge

Tell us about a challenge you faced within a team you were leading. What was the situation, how did you approach it, and what was the outcome? What did you learn from the experience?

Please note that applications without answers to the questions will not be considered.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While these can be a helpful resource, we want to hear about your personal skills, experiences and insights that highlight your unique strengths and perspective.

First Interviews will take place at our Central London Office on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October 2026.

We’re committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to everyone.

If you have a disability, a long-term health condition, or any other need that requires adjustments, please let us know. We’re happy to make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process - whether that’s providing application materials in a different format, arranging wheelchair access, offering extra time for assessments, or any other support you may need.

You can contact us directly to request a reasonable adjustment.  Contact details are available when you apply for role. All requests will be treated with sensitivity and confidentiality.

At Young Enterprise we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice

Join us – and help us give every young person the chance to thrive.