Think ahead graduate programme jobs

KEY INFORMATION

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

Hours: 37.5 hours

Start date: September 2025 (we are happy to work with you and your notice period)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £30,645-£33,735 per annum if based in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle or Bristol. £33,229-£36,310 if based in London. These pay bandings will be reviewed against inflation trends and market averages in August 2025. All roles also receive a £312 yearly tax-free work-from-home allowance.

Application deadline: Monday, 28th July at 10am.

This application process consists of 3 stages: written application, telephone interview, Assessment centre (consisting of a video interview and a presentation task)

ABOUT UPREACH

Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects?

upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. Our work is important because, currently, a student from a disadvantaged background who gains a first-class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2. 

We are an award-winning charity employer working to address this issue in partnership with employers and universities. We help undergraduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment. 

To find out more about how we support our students, visit our website and read our Annual Report and Impact Report. 

ROLE OVERVIEW

We’re looking for a thoughtful, motivated Junior Product Manager to join the Product Team at upReach.

In this role, you’ll help improve the digital tools we use to support thousands of students from underrepresented backgrounds to access top careers. Working closely with developers, colleagues from the Product Team, and our users themselves, you’ll support the development of products that make a real difference - every day.

You don’t need to have worked in product management before. If you’re excited about using technology to make things better, and you enjoy solving problems and collaborating with others, we’d love to hear from you.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

You’ll contribute to the development of one of our key products, supporting its continuous improvement from idea to launch and beyond.

This will include:

• Understanding our users' needs by gathering feedback and doing user research

• Writing clear, simple documentation like feature descriptions and user stories

• Testing new features and checking that they meet the goals we’ve set

• Working with developers to bring ideas to life and resolve bugs or issues

• Helping to design better user experiences with visual mockups or process flows

• Keeping things organised, including maintaining a product backlog and roadmap

• Communicating clearly with internal teams and external partners

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

There’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those who may not have followed a traditional path into product or tech.

We’re particularly interested in:

• Curiosity and a desire to learn new things

• Thoughtful problem-solving and attention to detail

• Good communication skills across different audiences

• The ability to organise work and manage multiple tasks

• A genuine interest in technology and social impact

You don’t need prior experience as a Product Manager - but experience or familiarity with any of the following would be helpful:

• Using data to inform decisions

• Writing or testing features in a tech environment

• Understanding users’ needs and turning them into ideas

• Working with developers or digital tools

• Awareness of agile ways of working or UX principles

• Experience in drafting user stories and development briefs.

COMPETENCIES

Within upReach, the Junior Product Manager is an equivalent level to a Junior Manager in other teams. This level involves you demonstrating more leadership capabilities. This includes having ownership of your responsibility area, and demonstrating an ability to informally lead and have positive influence on the wider team. We will be looking for you to demonstrate that you can plan ahead, proactively anticipate upcoming projects or challenges, and problem solve more independently.

upReach have created a Behaviours and Competency Framework to ensure the team have full visibility on the key capabilities required for effective performance, how these connect to our organisational values, and the level required for each band within the organisation. 

Within the Product Team, we’ll support you to apply these behaviours and competencies to product management helping you to learn and develop your skills across four key areas:

• Product Execution – delivering features and solving problems

• User Insight – understanding and representing our users

• Product Strategy – thinking ahead and setting priorities

• Influencing People – working effectively with others

You’ll be encouraged to take ownership of your work, build your confidence, and grow into greater responsibility over time. You’ll also have opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues and contribute to meaningful projects.

Below you will find a summary of the key attributes required at this level and how they relate to specific product competencies:

Essential skills:

• Motivation - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Product Execution

  • User Insight

• Continuous improvement - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Product Execution

• Planning and organising - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Product Execution

  • Product Strategy

• Commitment to social mobility - Relevant product competencies: 

  • User Insight

  • Product Strategy

• Communication - Relevant product competencies: 

  • User Insight

  • Influencing People

• Problem solving & decision making - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Product Execution

  • User Insight

• Innovative - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Product Execution

  • Product Strategy

• Management - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Influencing People

• Leadership - Relevant product competencies: 

  • Influencing People

  • Product Strategy

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 volunteer 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

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, 28th July 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  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+. During the application process you will be asked to fill out your diversity information, this will not affect your outcome and cannot be seen by application reviewers and interviewers. All diversity data collected is anonymous.

We are looking for an Executive Assistant to work within the Northern Ireland Directorate, Business Support Team. Your primary role will be to provide excellent administrative support to the Northern Ireland Director and to provide a business support service to the Northern Ireland Funding team and wider Directorate.

As part of the small Business Support Team, you will provide a flexible and responsive executive support service to the Northern Ireland Director that will include daily diary management.

Day to day responsibilities:

• You will have exceptional organisational and diary management skills. You will be able to deal with ad hoc requests in a timely manner ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
• You will provide a range of business and administrative support as required by the wider Funding team in relation to the delivery of our programmes that will require excellent IT skills and proficiency.
• You will have excellent communication skills both written and verbal and have the ability to take minutes in a clear and concise manner.
• You will be required to support with venue sourcing, travel and accommodation arrangements, event logistics including catering and hospitality, and ensure we achieve the best environment for effective and efficient meetings.
• You will display a customer centric approach in your handling of internal and external queries and be ready to take the initiative and problem solve, with a calm and professional approach and attention to detail.
• You’ll be flexible in how you work, proactively engaging with and developing effective and collaborative working relationships at all levels across teams and wider organisation.
• You will maintain a high level of quality communication keeping both internal and external stakeholders adequately informed and updated, whilst recognising the need for discretion and confidentiality.
• Your experience will show you are able to quickly familiarise yourself with a complex environment and are able to hit the ground running.

Fundamentally, you will have a passion for making a difference and playing your part in making the Fund a great place to work.

Interview Dates: Tuesday 29 July and Wednesday 30 July 2025

Location: This is a permanent, hybrid role, contracted to the Northern Ireland office in Belfast. You will be expected to be in the office for one to two days a week, as well as attending key meetings in person.

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential Criteria 

• Experience of working as an executive assistant to senior positions, with good knowledge of key administrative processes
• Good understanding of excellent customer service and relationship management skills
• Ability to capture information in a clear and concise manner
• Excellent organisational and planning skills
• Ability to analyse complex documentation
• Experience of working collaboratively, and an understanding of the skills required to work productively within a team
• Excellent IT skills and proficiency in Microsoft 365
• Flexibility to understand and implement change and continuous improvement

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.) 

Job Title: Employment Adviser

Line Reports: Client Services Manager

Location: London

Salary:  £29,000 - £32,000

Hours: Full-time 37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening or weekend work (TOIL provided)

Contract: Permanent

Overall purpose

The Employment Adviser (EA) plays a key role in supporting refugees and people from refugee backgrounds to progress towards and secure sustainable employment. The EA provides tailored employment advice and guidance, helping clients build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to navigate the UK job market. This role will work with clients at various stages of their employment journey, with a particular focus on those in the earlier stages of understanding career options, developing employability skills, and exploring education, training, and volunteering opportunities.

The EA will deliver one-to-one and group-based employability support, collaborate with employers and volunteers to source opportunities for clients, and maintain strong relationships with referral and support partners to ensure a holistic approach to employment support.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.

Other considerations

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out preemployment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.
• Some travel between our different areas of operation (including London, Birmingham and Manchester) will be required. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required. Time off in lieu would be provided in this case.
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

How to apply

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and statement (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role)

Please note that applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Tuesday 22 July. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. 

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Rebecca Hughes for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).

Job Title: Employment Adviser

Line Reports: Client Services Manager

Location: Manchester

Salary:  £26,000 - £29,000

Hours: Full-time 37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening or weekend work (TOIL provided)

Contract: 2 Years Fixed-Term Contract

Overall purpose

The Employment Adviser (EA) plays a key role in supporting refugees and people from refugee backgrounds to progress towards and secure sustainable employment. The EA provides tailored employment advice and guidance, helping clients build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to navigate the UK job market. This role will work with clients at various stages of their employment journey, with a particular focus on those in the earlier stages of understanding career options, developing employability skills, and exploring education, training, and volunteering opportunities.

The EA will deliver one-to-one and group-based employability support, collaborate with employers and volunteers to source opportunities for clients, and maintain strong relationships with referral and support partners to ensure a holistic approach to employment support.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.

Other considerations

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out preemployment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.
• Some travel between our different areas of operation (including London, Birmingham and Manchester) will be required. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required. Time off in lieu would be provided in this case.
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

How to apply

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and statement (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role)

Please note that applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Wednesday 23 July. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. 

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Rebecca Hughes for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).