Programme manager jobs in Manchester, greater manchester

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+.

Join our Operations Team!

Project and Programmes Manager (Self-Employed Contractor)

£23 per hour for up to 8 days/60 hours per calendar month (Virtual/Home Based)

We're looking for an experienced, organised and proactive Project and Programmes Manager (PPM) to join our small and collaborative Operations team on a self-employed contractor basis.

Are you someone who enjoys managing multiple priorities, building positive relationships, and turning ideas into well planned and effectively delivered projects? Then read on…!

From project planning and coordination to designing evaluation approaches, monitoring outputs and outcomes and reporting impact, you'll play an important role in helping the Trust maximise its impact while providing operational support across a range of strategic activities.

To apply you must:

• have experience of coordinating and delivering projects or programmes
• have strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including developing evaluation criteria and collecting, analysing and presenting evidence of project outputs, outcomes and impact
• be highly organised, with excellent planning and project management skills
• be able to communicate clearly and professionally with a wide range of stakeholders
• be confident using digital systems and quick to learn new ones
• be able to work independently while collaborating effectively with a range of key stakeholders
• share our values and be committed to supporting the Trust's mission of furthering the profession of occupational therapy
• be self-employed and registered with HMRC (or equivalent) for tax purposes

Why join us?

You'll have a key role in a small operations team, with the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Trust's mission of furthering the profession of occupational therapy. As a completely virtual organisation, you'll have the flexibility to work from home and organise your time in accordance with agreed priorities and deliverables.

This role offers a competitive contract rate of £23 per hour for up to 60 hours per calendar month. The contract is for an initial period of 12 months, with the potential to renew.

If you're looking for a varied and rewarding project and programme management role, and you meet the essential criteria and self-employment requirements, we'd love to hear from you!

Closing date: Wednesday 26th August 2026, 5.00 pm (BST)

Virtual interviews: Monday 7 September 2026

Thames Rivers Trust (TRT) is part of The Rivers Trust movement. We focus on the promotion and delivery of an ecosystem-based approach to improving the River Thames, working with partners including Thames Water, The Rivers Trust, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and a network of Catchment Partnerships across the Thames Basin, to deliver an integrated approach to managing the river basin for people, biodiversity and the environment.

We are recruiting a Programme Manager to lead day-to-day delivery of the Water Company Partnership: a developing arrangement between TRT, The Rivers Trust, Thames Water and ZSL that works alongside and helps coordinate support for the 27 Catchment Partnerships of the Thames Basin. You will oversee delivery across all five of the Partnership's workstreams and be accountable to the Partnership Board for progress, combining day-to-day programme management with support to the Board's strategic oversight.

In practical terms, this role exists to help integrate Catchment Partnership hosts and partnership members with Thames Water's delivery programme, and to upskill those partnerships so they are equipped to plan, fund and deliver more on the ground themselves, building the same kind of productive relationships with other funders and partners too, not just Thames Water. It is a genuine opportunity to shape how a major water company and its environmental partners work together, and to help turn that partnership into real, measurable improvements for rivers and the wider environment across the Thames Basin.

Your responsibilities will span five workstreams:

● Governance: catchment partnership maturity and tiering, network structure and governance models

● Monitoring and Evaluation: river health scorecards, monitoring standards and evidence for investment decisions and Thames Water's PR29 submission

● Capability and Capacity, including CaPS: TRT's own Catchment Partnerships Support Programme, learning and development, and running the Thames Catchment Forum

● Catchment and Nature-based Solutions: supporting delivery of wetland, river restoration and storm overflow projects

● Blended Finance: developing environmental market mechanisms and diversified funding for Catchment Partnerships

You will also service the Partnership Board, coordinate quarterly reviews with individual catchment hosts, and act as TRT's key liaison with Thames Water, The Rivers Trust, ZSL and Catchment Partnerships across the region.

We're looking for someone with experience delivering environmental, catchment or nature-recovery programmes, strong partnership working and facilitation skills, and the ability to coordinate complex, multi-organisation programmes through influence rather than line management. Knowledge of the water sector, WINEP or AMP planning, nature-based solutions or blended finance would be an advantage, as would a project or programme management qualification.

Please note that we are interested in receiving and considering applications from candidates who may not tick every box. You may be just who we are looking for.

The details

Salary: £40,000–£42,000 per annum, dependent on experience

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Initially funded for one year, with planned funding for a further two years

Location: Thames Basin, home-based, with regular travel across catchments and to partner offices in London

Reports to: Chief Executive, Thames Rivers Trust

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter, explaining why you're interested in the role and how you meet the person specification. More details in the full job description is available.

Closing date: 10pm, Sunday 30th August 2026

Interviews: Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th September 2026

Programme Finance Manager

Manchester, UK

Starting salary for this position is £41,628 per annum (plus contributory pension)

About MAG:

MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is an international humanitarian organisation based in Manchester, UK, and working in 32 countries. We remove landmines and unexploded ordnance to release safe and productive land for communities, and work to reduce the threat of armed violence by supporting governments to safely manage weapons and ammunition. In 1997, MAG was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for our work campaigning for the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Programme Finance, you will provide effective financial business partnering to MAG’s Regional and Country Programmes, Strategic Partnerships team and other key internal and external stakeholders. You will ensure the delivery of high quality financial information and support across multi-regional and multi-country activities, enabling informed decision making, strengthening ways of working and supporting the effective financial management of MAG’s multi-country contracts. You will work with your key stakeholders to ensure that contracts deliver value for money and remain compliant with donor and statutory requirements. This role is a key enabler to MAG’s global operations, ensuring that we can deliver on our mission to save lives, ease suffering and enable sustainable development.

Please note that as part of MAG's commitment to safeguarding, this post is subject to background checks before an offer of employment is confirmed. For more information on MAG’s approach to safeguarding and background checks on our website.

MAG is committed to the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. If you think you would be suited to one of our roles we would welcome your application regardless of your background. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all employees feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential.

About you:

You will be a finance professional with significant experience in either commercial or NGO environments, including preparation of business planning in complex scenarios and multiple currencies. You should be curious and risk aware, with strong analytical and evaluation skills, the ability to gather information from diverse sources tactfully and convert findings into detailed, actionable solutions. You will be a strong communicator over a range of mediums, able to engage stakeholders from varied backgrounds in a clear and constructive way. You should have strong experience of using mid-range accounting systems and reporting tools (e.g. PS Financials, Sage, SUN etc.), and advanced knowledge of of Microsoft Excel and database reporting tools to add value to business processes and reporting. You will be skilled in proactive problem-solving and have an innovative and solution-oriented approach, along with the flexibility to travel to remote and insecure locations at short notice.

We’re looking for someone with:

· Strong experience of financial management, analysis and reporting

· Advanced analytical and problem solving skills

· Effective financial business partnering and stakeholder management skills

· Experience managing multi-country, donor-funded contracts or complex grants

Benefits and Further Information:

• Salary: £41,628 per annum and this increases with service.

• Pension: MAG has a salary sacrifice group personal pension plan in place, and matches employee’s contributions up to 5%.

• Leave: We recognise our staff work hard and need the appropriate time out to stay motivated. Annual Leave starts at five weeks each year and increases with service to six weeks.  We also offer paid sick leave, and the amount of the entitlement increases with service. Once you’ve been with MAG for two years, you’re entitled to 13 weeks. MAG also has policies on compassionate leave, flexible working and family leave, including maternity, paternity, adoption and surrogacy leave.

• Insurance: MAG provides personal accident insurance and life assurance to all staff, as well as medical and repatriation insurance for any period spent overseas whilst working for MAG.

• Professional Subscriptions: MAG will pay for the cost of your annual subscription/membership fee for one professional body in certain circumstances.

• Employee Assistance Programme: MAG offers free access to Health Assured, a service providing 24/7 confidential support and expert advice on a wide range of issues.

This role is based in the UK, therefore, a pre-existing right to work in the UK is a requirement and MAG will not be able to sponsor visa applications. Please note that if you have not declared your right to work in the UK on your application, we will not be able to consider you for this role.

We are happy to receive flexible working and job share requests in your application. If you are applying with an existing job share partner email us at recruitment [@] maginternational [.] org for further guidance. 

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply by submitting an application detailing your suitability for the role through the link below before the closing date of 12:00 (midday) on Monday 17th August 2026.