Senior youth employment officer jobs in manchester

As our Operations & Executive Support Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in keeping the organisation running smoothly. You’ll work at the heart of our Corporate Function, ensuring our systems, people, and processes are efficient and aligned with our mission. There is no line management initially but if the team grows, we will discuss this with you.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you’ll provide both operational leadership and executive support - helping the CEO and wider team stay focused on impact. You’ll also work with our Head of Programmes to ensure coordination across the charity.

This role would suit you if you’re highly organised, proactive, and thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same. You might currently be an Operations Officer, Senior Administrator, or Project Manager, ready to step up into a broader, more strategic role.

JOB DETAILS

• Job Title - Operations & Executive Support Manager
• Responsible to - Chief Executive Officer
• Salary - Between £29,500 & £31,000 depending on experience
• Contract - Full-Time (38 hours per week) - From time to time, you may be required to work some evenings and weekends. These are usually communicated well in advance. We expect team members to work from the office at least three days per week, but we offer flexibility to balance this with remote working. This is a one-year fixed-term contract, with the likelihood of renewal subject to funding availability.
• Closing date - 14 December 2025 

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

1. Operational Coordination (40%)

• Oversee day-to-day organisational operations, systems, and processes.

• Maintain and improve internal systems & processes (task & project management).

• Manage supplier relationships (insurance, IT, HR, utilities, etc.).

• Support programme quality assurance by collating data and reviewing reports.

• Lead internal projects to improve efficiency and staff experience.

2. Executive Support (25%)

• Provide comprehensive diary management for the CEO and organisation-wide initiatives.

• Prepare briefings, reports, and presentation materials when required.

• Support the CEO with governance papers, communications, and meeting follow-up.

• Represent the CEO in communications with stakeholders as required.

3. People & Culture (20%)

• Coordinate HR administration, recruitment logistics, and onboarding.

• Support the delivery of wellbeing and culture initiatives.

• Plan internal events, training sessions, and away days.

• Maintain accurate staff records and support internal communications.

4. Governance & Strategy Support (15%)

• Prepare and circulate Board and sub-committee papers.

• Maintain organisational policies and compliance registers.

• Monitor progress against operational plans and key performance measures.

• Support internal and external reporting requirements (funders, trustees, etc.).

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

Essential

• Experience in operations, project management, or executive support.

• Excellent organisation and time management skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication.

• Understanding of governance and charity operations.

• Proficiency in digital tools (e.g. Asana, Google Workspace, HR/CRM systems).

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience engaging confidently with senior stakeholders, funders, and partners.

• Proven ability to oversee multiple projects, and ensure timely delivery of outcomes.

Desirable

• Experience in the charity, youth, or public policy sectors.

• Knowledge of safeguarding or quality assurance processes.

• Experience of monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on programme impact.

• Ability to analyse and present data clearly.

We value potential over perfection. If you’re missing one or two of the above skills, don’t worry, as most can be learnt.

ORGANISATIONAL INFORMATION

Youth Leads UK has a small yet mighty team, so you may be required to take on other duties and responsibilities from time to time.

All staff are expected to:

• Adhere to the policies and procedures in the Youth Leads UK staff policy handbook.

• Maintain confidentiality at all times in line with organisational policies.

• Successfully complete an enhanced DBS check and provide two independent references before appointment.

• Actively promote an inclusive and diverse culture within the organisation.

The post holder must have confirmation of eligibility to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required to provide documentary evidence before a job offer is confirmed).

HOW TO APPLY

There are several routes and stages to apply for this role.

Stage 1 - Application (by 14 December 2025)

• Apply via ‘Charity Jobs’, submitting a CV (no more than two sides of A4) and a covering letter explaining why you’re the ideal candidate.

Stage 2 - Video Screening (by 20 December 2025)

• If we think there’s a match based on your application, we’ll invite you to a short video interview consisting of up to three questions, with a two-minute limit for each answer.

• Please note that we’ll be screening applications as they come in, which means the earlier you apply, the more time you’ll have to prepare for each stage.

Stage 3 - Final Interview (early January 2026)

• If we think there’s a match following your application and video screening, we’ll invite you to an in-person interview at our offices in MediaCity, Salford.

• Interviews are currently scheduled for 5 & 6 January 2026. If these dates are difficult for you, please let us know by contacting us.

The closing date for Stage 1 applications is 23:00 on 14 December 2025

Regional Manager – Greater Manchester

Fixed term contract for 6 months, continuing subject to funding.

Organisation: One Million Mentors (1MM)
Location: Greater Manchester (hybrid working)
Reports to: Head of Delivery

Help us shape a million brighter futures.

At One Million Mentors (1MM), our mission is simple but powerful — to connect one million young people with one million life-changing mentors. We’re growing fast, and we’re looking for an ambitious, relationship-driven Regional Manager to lead our impact across Greater Manchester.

�� What You’ll Do

You’ll lead the delivery of our mentoring programmes across the region — building partnerships, recruiting mentors and mentees, and ensuring every match has a lasting impact.

• Establish 150+ new, high-quality mentoring matches each quarter.
• Lead 1MM’s expansion across Greater Manchester by building partnerships with local employers, councils, schools, colleges, youth charities, and community organisations.
• Use the 1MM digital platform to manage matching, reporting, and user support.
• Ensure all mentoring activity meets quality assurance KPIs.

�� Who You Are

You’re an energetic connector and organiser who thrives in a fast-paced, target-driven environment — someone who believes deeply in the power of mentoring and social action to change lives.

You’ll bring:

• Programme development experience at management level, including regional planning and event delivery.
• A track record of working to ambitious targets in a performance-focused environment.
• Proven outreach and engagement skills to secure new partnerships.
• Ability to deliver or facilitate programmes, including recruitment against challenging targets.
• Excellent relationship management, including working confidently with senior stakeholders.
• Very strong spreadsheet and IT skills (especially Google Sheets and MS Excel).
• A confident, self-motivated approach, maintaining high standards and focus even in changing circumstances.
• A genuine passion for mentoring and social impact.

�� Why Join Us?

• Be part of a national movement empowering young people through mentoring.
• Work within a passionate, purpose-driven team that values collaboration and innovation.
• Enjoy hybrid working, flexibility, and opportunities to grow.
• See the tangible difference your work makes every single day.

�� Ready to lead mentoring across Greater Manchester?
Join One Million Mentors and help us create one million mentoring moments that matter.

For details on how to apply please see the Job Pack attached.

Applications that do not have a cover letter will not be considered.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 9th December over MS Teams.

Job Title: Birmingham Project Officer

Salary: £28,000

Position Type: Full time / Fixed term (12 months)

Reports to: Scaling Manager

Based at: Remote, with travel to schools in Birmingham

Working Hours: 5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be taken during the school holidays

This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast club). It also requires travel to schools across Birmingham, so access to a car would be desirable. Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected to travel outside of Birmingham for some of these training sessions.

Background to School Food Matters

At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.

Background to Nourish

Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to create lasting positive change.

Job purpose

· To deliver Nourish in 6-8 schools in Birmingham (primary, secondary and SEND settings)

Key tasks include

· Support with recruitment of schools to take part in Nourish

· Complete in person food audits in schools looking across the whole school day

· Support schools to create and deliver a food improvement plan (action plan)

· Develop and deliver workshops in schools to staff, parents and students based on their action plan (e.g. assemblies, cooking sessions, school food standards training, packed lunch advice, food ed/sensory tasting sessions)

· Support schools to write a school food policy

· Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, chefs, kitchen teams and senior leaders in schools to improve the food on offer to students

· Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project

· Work closely with our Evaluation team to complete all monitoring and evaluation

· Work in collaboration with other Birmingham school food partners

· Share learnings with other SFM regional Project Officers

· Gather content for our Comms team (website and social media platforms)

· Keep Scaling Manager fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times

· You will also be expected to undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential.

Person specification

Essential

· Registered nutritionist or advanced understanding of nutritional guidelines and health promotion

· Good interpersonal skills, with experience of building relationships

· Confident engaging with a variety of audiences (students, headteachers, school staff and parents), including communications via email, virtual and face to face meetings with the ability to deliver workshops & presentations

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Able to work independently and remote

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

· Ability to work in a team and seek help when needed

Desirable

· Experience of engaging and working with schools and/or communities

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Knowledge in food education and children’s health

· Access to car

Job Title: Hertfordshire Project Officer

Salary: £29,500 (London Fringe weighting)

Position Type: Full time/Fixed term (until December 2028)

Reports to: Scaling Manager

Based at: Remote, with travel to schools in Hertfordshire

Working Hours: 5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters matches pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be taken during the school holidays

This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast club). It also requires travel to schools across Hertfordshire, so access to a car would be desirable. Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected to travel outside of Hertfordshire for some of these sessions.

Background to School Food Matters

At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.

Background to Nourish

Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to create lasting positive change.

Job purpose

· To deliver Nourish in 40 schools in Hertfordshire (primary, secondary and SEND settings) over 3 years in a delivery team of two Project Officers and a Project Assistant.

Key tasks include

· Support with recruitment of schools to take part in Nourish

· Complete in person food audits in schools looking across the whole school day

· Support schools to create and deliver a food improvement plan (action plan)

· Develop and deliver workshops in schools to staff, parents and students based on their action plan (e.g. assemblies, cooking sessions, school food standards training, packed lunch advice, food ed/sensory tasting sessions)

· Support schools to write a school food policy

· Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, cooks, kitchen teams and senior leaders in schools to improve the food they offer their students

· Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project

· Work closely with University of Hertfordshire and our Evaluation team to complete all monitoring and evaluation

· Work in collaboration with Hertfordshire project delivery team

· Gather content for our comms team (website and social media platforms)

· Keep Scaling Manager fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times

· You will also be expected to undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential.

Person specification

Essential

· Registered nutritionist or advanced understanding of nutritional guidelines and health promotion

· Good interpersonal skills, with experience of building relationships

· Confident engaging with a variety of audiences (students, headteachers, school staff and parents), including communications via email, virtual and face to face meetings with the ability to deliver workshops & presentations

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Able to work independently and remote

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

· Ability to work in a team and seek help when needed

Desirable

· Experience of engaging and working with schools and/or communities

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Knowledge in food education and children’s health

· Access to a car

Job Title:  Gardener Project Officer for Young Marketeers Knowsley

Position Type: Freelance

Reports to: Project Coordinator

Based at:  Home-working and at schools in Knowsley

Working Hours: 17.5 days @ £165 per day from February – July (£2,887.50) plus 10 x school gardening sessions at £110 per session plus 1 day planning @ £220 (£1,320)

Contract: Temporary

Job Purpose

· To manage the delivery of Young Marketeers in Knowsley in five primary schools

Background to School Food Matters

At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.

Young Marketeers

This much-loved programme was started in London in 2012. It is now running in 16 cities across England.  We have been commissioned to deliver the programme in Knowsley by Knowsley Public Health. The programme provides hands-on opportunities for children from primary schools to grow fruit and veg from seed to sell at their local market. Young Marketeers is also a platform for School Food Matters to promote food education to schools and communities as a way to support children to live happy and healthy lives. Children learn the art of growing veg from seed, and market traders will share their secrets on how to create a winning market stall. Primary schools will be visited by our gardener in March/April and then again in May/June and receive further tips on how to ensure a bumper crop. Then in July, they head to the market to sell their produce, and to meet the Mayor!

Key Tasks include:

· Assist with recruitment of five schools to take part in Young Marketeers

· Build and maintain relationships with teachers, teaching assistants and senior leaders to ensure the smooth running of the project

· Build and support relationships with contacts in partner organisations

· Schedule, organise and deliver

o One assembly in each school

o Two food growing sessions in each school

o One market trader training session in each school

o Market Day in the city centre in July for all schools

· Maintain accurate records relating to the programme

• Complete monitoring and evaluation forms in accordance with instructions from our Evaluation team
• Take photos of workshops and events where possible
• Keep Project Coordinator fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

• Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

Person specification

 Essential

· Experience of delivering food growing sessions to children

· Knowledge of fruit and vegetable growing

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Experience of building relationships with partner organisations and individuals

· Ability to work in a team, and seek help when needed

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

Desirable

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Experience of working in primary schools and engaging children

We’re looking for a dynamic Head of Governance & Business Administration to play a pivotal role in ensuring our organisation runs with integrity, transparency, and impact. This is an exciting opportunity to influence how one of the UK’s most ambitious cultural organisations operates as we grow and evolve.

In this role, you’ll lead on governance, risk management, and compliance, acting as Company Secretary and Data Protection Officer. You’ll oversee business planning and reporting, legal and insurance matters, procurement, and organisational policies – ensuring everything we do meets the highest standards.

You’ll work closely with our Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership team, building strong relationships and driving change that supports our vision for equality, inclusion, and sustainability.

JOB SUMMARY

To ensure that efficient governance, operational systems and controls are in place to manage Factory International’s Governance and Business Administration function.

This includes governance and acting as Company secretariat, data protection and acting as Data Protection Officer, accountable for Business Plan Reporting, internal communication, oversight of Legal & Compliance, Risk Management, Insurance, Policies & Procedures and Procurement

The key responsibilities for the Head of Governance & Business Administration include;

Governance & Risk

• Ensure robust governance frameworks and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements
• Coordinate Board and Committee meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, and distribution of papers
• Maintain statutory registers and ensure timely filing of returns and documents with regulatory bodies
• Support FI Executive and Board in proactively managing risk, and accurately reflecting via the Company Risk register, working closely with Directors to ensure quarterly updates are shared with the Executive Leadership and Board of Trustees (including relevant sub-committees)
• Maintain consistency and compliance for all internal communication channels

Business Planning & Reporting

• Act as the organisational lead for Business Plan Reporting, ensuring alignment across all key grant funding agreements and business plan KPIs
• Oversee the annual cycle of statutory reporting to both public sector funders and trustees including all ad-hoc reporting requests across the business
• Attend key external stakeholder meetings with the Executive Director (e.g. MCC, ACE, GMCA) relating to reporting against grant agreements etc
• Work closely with key Directors, Commercial Leads (including the Trusts & Foundations Manager) on funding bids ensuring that commitments are consistent with our agreed internal Business Plan targets and objectives

Legal, Insurance, Data Protection & Compliance

• Ensure legislative and regulatory compliance in all systems and procedures around business administration
• Acting as lead organisational contact and budget holder for external legal support ensuring consistent processes are followed and value for money is achieved to meet the strategic needs of the business
• Ensure adequate data protection in place, devise and implement any additional process and/or training, and act as DPO, accessing external advice as appropriate
• Where required, support the achievement of essential consents such as Planning, Licence variations, Building Control, etc
• Manage the relationship with FI’s insurance broker, working with the Executive Director and Finance Director to ensure appropriate cover and regularly review policies. Overseeing the appropriate claiming of all losses

Procurement

• Acting as lead organisational contact for all Procurement Activity – working closely with the Executive Director to ensure consistent processes are followed and value for money is achieved to meet the strategic needs of the business
• Maintain oversight of the register of planned Procurement as well as responding to un-planned procurement requirements – working closely with relevant Directors and Executives

Policies & Procedures

• Overall responsibility for control and oversight of the organisation’s suite of policies and procedures, including requests for new procedures
• Ensure that key policies are updated by business owners and renewed as per the agreed schedule – ensuring a consistency of tone, content and that relevant checks/approvals have been managed at the appropriate level (Exec, Trustees etc)

Job Title: Hertfordshire Project Assistant

Salary: £27,150 (London Fringe weighting)

Position Type: Full time/Fixed term (until December 2028)

Reports to: Scaling Manager

Based at: Remote, with travel to schools in Hertfordshire

Working Hours: 5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters matches pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be taken during the school holidays

This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast club). It also requires travel to schools across Hertfordshire, so access to a car would be desirable. Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected to travel outside of Hertfordshire for some of these sessions.

Background to School Food Matters

At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.

Background to Nourish

Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to create lasting positive change.

Job purpose

· To support two Project Officers with the delivery of Nourish in 40 schools in Hertfordshire (primary, secondary and SEND settings) over 3 years

Key tasks include

· Recruit schools to take part in Nourish

· Shadow and support project team to deliver in person food audits in schools

· Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, cooks, kitchen teams and senior leaders in schools in Hertfordshire to improve the food they offer their students

· Provide practical support to the project team with setting up workshops including paperwork and food shopping

· Provide admin support to the project team

· Tailor Nourish resources for Hertfordshire schools where required

· Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project

· Gather content for our comms team, website and social media platforms

· Keep project team fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures.

· Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times

· You will also be expected to undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time. Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential.

Person Specification

Essential

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Ability to work in a team, and seek help when needed

· Comfortable engaging with variety of audiences (students, school staff and parents), incl. writing and responding to email, conducting telephone, virtual and face to face meetings, and running workshops

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

Desirable

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Experience of working in schools

· An interest in food education and children’s health

· Access to a car