Supporter retention lead jobs in Manchester

Key information

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full time)

Start date: ASAP (we are happy to work with notice periods)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £41,905 - £45,090 per annum if based in London. £39,255 - £42,440 per annum if based in Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle or Nottingham, plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance.

Application deadline: Monday 11th May 2026

This application process will consist of 3 stages: Written application, Telephone interview and Assessment Centre (interview & presentation).

Role Summary

As a Senior Partnerships Manager at upReach, you will play a strategic leadership role in shaping the growth, quality, and impact of our partnerships at upReach.

Reporting to the Head of Partnerships within the Income Generation and External Engagement team, you will take strategic ownership of a portfolio of high-value partnerships (5, 6, and 7-figure) within the Tech and STEM sectors, alongside building crucial new partnerships in the sector. Moreover, you will have responsibility for delegated projects that strengthen our partnership strategy and visibility, you will line-manage members of the partnerships team, providing coaching, direction, and support to ensure the team consistently delivers high standards of stewardship, innovation, and income generation.

You’ll act as a senior representative of upReach, cultivating relationships with high-level external stakeholders, championing collaboration across internal teams and identifying new opportunities to raise the visibility and influence of upReach to help drive our mission.

Core Responsibilities

You will play a critical leadership role in advancing upReach’s mission by shaping and scaling high-impact, income-generating partnerships with top employers committed to social mobility. You will lead on delegated strategy projects, mentor and manage members of the partnerships team, and play a key role in upReach’s organisational growth and influence.

Your work will directly support the charity’s strategic partnership priorities: driving sustainable income growth, enhancing partnership impact, and increasing our brand visibility. This role offers scope to lead complex partnerships, influence internal strategy, and champion innovation in partnership delivery. While not exhaustive, your key areas of responsibility include:

Leadership of Employer Partnerships

• Lead the strategic management and growth of a portfolio of high-value, multi-year partnerships in Tech and STEM, ensuring strong alignment with upReach’s mission and priorities.

• Oversee the quality and consistency of partnership engagement across the team, including partnership health reviews, ensuring best-in-class stewardship and measurable partner outcomes aligned with the Partnerships team's OKRs.

• Identify opportunities to deepen relationships, co-create new initiatives, and embed partners in long-term collaboration with upReach.

• Working closely with upReach’s Programme teams to ensure partnerships and programmes are delivered to a high standard.

Develop and Secure New Partnerships

• Proactively identify, cultivate, and convert a pipeline of four-seven figure prospective partnerships aligned with upReach’s mission and strategic goals.

• Lead high-quality prospecting and relationship-building activity, targeting income-generating partnerships that also deliver high-impact opportunities for Associates.

• Build strong relationships with key contacts at potential partners, including senior stakeholders within your sectors, through regular in-person and virtual meetings.

• Deliver compelling, insight-driven proposals and presentations tailored to organisational priorities and demonstrating mutual value.

Strategic Development

• Support the Head of Partnerships in setting partnership strategy and income targets, and contribute to organisational planning and forecasting.

• Analyse market trends to identify emerging opportunities and inform the evolution of upReach’s partnership offer.

• Contribute to the design and implementation of new strategic initiatives that enhance income diversification and partnership sustainability.

• Work cross-functionally to ensure partnership activity is evidence-led, data-informed, and aligned to organisational objectives.

Management within the Partnerships Team

• Line manage a Junior Partnerships Manager, supporting their professional development and building team capabilities.

• Provide leadership and guidance in managing complex partnerships, offer escalation support, and ensure strategic consistency.

• Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that values innovation, accountability, and shared success.

• Champion continuous improvement across the team, ensuring processes, tools, and resources support efficiency and growth.

Stakeholder Representation and Engagement

• Deputise, where required, for the Head of Partnerships as a senior representative of upReach at external meetings, conferences, and industry events, building influence and credibility across the social mobility landscape.

• Develop relationships with senior external stakeholders, including executive sponsors, industry leaders, and cross-sector collaborators.

• Serve as an ambassador for upReach’s mission, promoting our partnership approach and outcomes to new and existing audiences.

• Use insight from partner feedback to inform organisational strategy and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Innovation

• Collaborate with Programme, Finance, Marketing, and Impact teams to ensure partnership activities are well-integrated, efficient, and mission-aligned.

• Support the continuous improvement of internal systems (CRM, contracting, invoicing, and reporting) to enable effective delivery and forecasting.

• Partner with Marketing & Communications to design and deliver strategic campaigns, thought leadership, and storytelling that elevate upReach’s employer partnerships nationally.

• Lead or contribute to cross-organisational projects that enhance income generation, innovation, or partnership experience.

• Uphold upReach’s legal, ethical, and data protection responsibilities in all partnership activity.

Skills and Experience

• The ideal candidate for the Senior Partnerships Manager should display these behavioural skills:

• Exceptional organisational and project management skills, with the ability to lead complex projects and manage multiple strategic priorities autonomously.

• Confident and pragmatic decision-maker who exercises sound judgment and provides strategic direction in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience leading employer engagement, account management, new business development, or fundraising activity within a purpose-driven, education, or social mobility context.

• Proven ability to design and deliver partnership growth strategies that deepen engagement, generate mutual value, and contribute to organisational goals.

• Skilled communicator and influencer, capable of articulating complex ideas clearly and persuasively through written reports, presentations, and external representation.

• Collaborative leader with experience guiding and supporting colleagues across teams and functions to deliver shared objectives and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

• Proficient in using CRM or data management systems to oversee pipelines, generate insights, and inform strategic decision-making.

Desirable

• Strong understanding of ED&I, CSR, or early careers recruitment priorities and how they inform partnership strategy.
• Experience collaborating with marketing and communications teams to create strategic campaigns or content that enhances employer visibility and engagement.
• Experience in management or mentoring others to develop partnership capability and performance.

Team Culture & Benefits: 

We offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working.

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days and bank holidays. This increases to 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then to 3 additional 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 increased to 5% after 5 years of working with us. 

• Cycle-to-work scheme.

• Monthly socials and annual wellbeing days

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aid Training. 

• 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

  • (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 Monday 11th May at 12pm.

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  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+.

We are recruiting for 1 x Schools Coordinator post in the following regions and areas.

South West and Channel Islands – Dorset. 1xfull time 35 hpw, fixed term contract until 31/8/2027

• Home based.
• Must live within the advertised areas, as frequent travel is a requirement of the role.
• Access to a car for work travel and broadband are essential for the role.

About the role and the Schools Service:

Would you like to drive forward NSPCC's schools offer?

In 2021, the NSPCC announced a new 10+ year strategy to make the biggest impact we can to stop child abuse and neglect. Our Local Services teams are an essential part of how NSPCC's three main strategic goals will be delivered:

1. Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse.
2. Every child is safe online.
3. Children feel safe, listened to and supported.

Local Services brings together our work in schools, local campaigning and our direct services across 9 regions and nations. The Schools Service team plays an integral part of our mission as it's responsible for delivering the wider schools offer.

Do you; 

• have experience of delivering or arranging programmes in either an educational or safeguarding setting; 

• work well towards set targets/KPIs and objectives; 

• have experience of management, retention and recruitment of volunteers; 

• have well-developed communication and influencing skills; 

• have experience of following safeguarding procedures; 

• work with diverse groups of people; 

• have effective time management, planning and organisation skills; 

• work well as a team and work well remotely? 

If so, we would love you to apply for the Schools Coordinator position. 

As a member of our team, our organisational values and behaviours would be important to you. We want someone who will take a child-centred approach, has a strong belief in the rights of children, and has a clear understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life and practice. 

Reporting to the Schools Service Manager, the Schools Coordinator role will mainly be responsible for delivering the Schools Service and local offer to primary and secondary school settings. This includes (not an exhaustive list): 

• Being the single point of contact for primary and secondary schools within the designated local educational authority areas, including non-mainstream settings; 

• Working to set targets, KPIs and reach plans as agreed by your line manager; 

• Responsibility for booking a minimum number of schools to deliver our Speak out. Stay safe programme; 

• Overseeing the booking and delivery of NSPCC volunteer led workshops (to 6-7- and 9–11-year-olds); 

• Actively engaging with and approaching secondary schools with our new Talk Relationships service and wider offer; 

• Leading, supervising and supporting a team of high calibre schools service volunteers; 

• Carrying out quality assurance visits through direct observations of volunteer deliveries, giving constructive feedback; 

• Ensuring training and sign off plans are in place for new volunteers, which may include some co-delivery with a Schools Coordinator in schools for some areas; 

• Providing effective individual and group volunteer supervisions; 

• Planning and implementing volunteer recruitment/attraction strategies; 

• Building and maintaining internal and external relationships, attending events or actively stewarding our offer with stakeholders; 

• Following NSPCC Schools Service safeguarding procedures to the required standards; 

• Collaboration with internal colleagues across the organisation in region; 

• Being an active contributor to priority projects; 

• Commitment to continued professional development and practice sharing.

How to apply

We will only consider a fully completed standard NSPCC application form, including a supporting statement.

The supporting statement is where you can provide your experience and clear examples that demonstrate each point of the person specification (1 to 10). The person specification can be found at the end of the job description (downloadable from this vacancy page).

It is a good idea to follow the order of the person specification in your supporting statement.

Please remember to state the area and post you are applying for at the top of your supporting statement. 

Closing date: midnight on the last date advertised. 

We encourage early applications, as we reserve the right to close the advert before the closing date if we receive a high volume of applications that meet the minimum criteria.

First stage Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams within two weeks of the closing date. Successful candidates from stage one will be invited to a second interview (dates tbc).