Interim Head of Network Engagement (Maternity Cover - 12 Months)

UK Youth is at a very exciting moment in the organisation’s development, with our bold new strategy now live and our new departments established and gathering momentum. We head into 2022 with big ambitions for the organisation, our movement and the young people we exist for.

We now have a fantastic opportunity for someone brilliant to join our new Collective Action Team as the Interim Head of Network Engagement (maternity cover) to help shape and drive our approach to mobilising, empowering and championing our diverse movement of youth organisations, cross sector partners, young people and volunteers over the next year.

Our Collective Action Team creates spaces for organisations and individuals to connect and come together, to share what works and create and test new solutions collectively and the issues young people face.

We create and share resources, services and opportunities for young people and youth organisations, continually consulting, co-designing and generating insight and learning as we go. We ensure the voice and needs of young people, youth workers and the youth sector is heard and the transformative impact of youth work is increasingly understood, utilised and invested in beyond the sector to enable all young people to thrive.

As the Interim Head of Network Engagement you’ll be at the heart of this work, responsible for developing and leading our ambitious network engagement strategy, building and managing diverse networks and engagement approaches to respond to the priorities of the UK Youth Movement and drive collaboration and change.

If you are an experienced team manager and leader, passionate about young people and the youth sector and all about relationships, communication, collaboration and bringing people together to tackle issues then this could be the role for you.

Come and be part of something very exciting at UK Youth….

Who we are

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes.

UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. To find more about us and how we make an impact, please visit UK Youth Website.

Why work at UK Youth?

We are a values-based, passionate and committed organisation offering a friendly working environment with lots of opportunities for professional development and socialising (even whilst we are all working remotely!) from lunch and learn sessions, staff quizzes to virtual coffee meet ups.

UK Youth prides itself on being an Equal Opportunity employer and we would particularly welcome applications for this role from those who identify under one of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. 

We value the differences that a diverse workforce brings and are committed to inclusivity, and to employing and supporting a diverse workforce. Our selection procedures ensure that people are treated on the basis of their relevant merits, experience, skills and abilities and that no individual receives more or less favourable treatment.

We welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in our organisation including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We are also currently underrepresented by men, and so are seeking applications from different backgrounds, cultures, age, experience and identity to bring a wide range of experience, ideas, views and insights to UK Youth.

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture.

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell our New Forest Outdoor Centre including, camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• Cyclescheme and Techscheme

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please read the job description, and then click here and complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system (provided by Applied).

• Closing date for applications will be Mon 6th Dec at 17:30

• Interviews are due to take place on Weds 15th & Thurs 16th Dec

• We are looking for someone to start Early March 2022

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks which include criminal record check and employment reference.

As part of the recruitment process UK Youth will be gathering and uses certain information about you. For further information regarding this please review our Data Protection Privacy Notice which explains what data of yours we process and how we use it.

Due to expansion, we are looking for an experienced Team Leader with a focus on Emotional Health & Wellbeing. Please note that you will need to complete a full application pack to apply for this role - this can be found on this advertisement and also on the Early Break website. 

You will:

• Have an excellent track record in your own practice in emotional health and wellbeing work
• You will be accountable for your decision making and support offered
• Provide day to day support to Management team in creating and maintaining the highest standards in clinical service delivery to clients
• Manage appointed workers within the Early Break geographical areas
• Ensure that workers fulfil all professional requirements expected of them, including safeguarding, clinical supervision and case work management and recording on Service database

As a Team Leader you will be person centred in your practice, you will be a reflective worker who engages in the opportunities to build on your practice that this role offers. You are someone who is organised in your administration and yet can work at depth with staff members in order to support their development alongside our organisational contract requirements.  You will have a knowledge base of the mental health environment locally and nationally including ITHrive and Living Well models. You will be experienced in safeguarding and ensuring the safe practice of those you line manage.  

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, an international non-profit organisation putting human rights at the heart of business and tackling abuse, is seeking a dynamic Labour Rights Project Manager to join our team.

• Location: Multiple locations considered; one of our main office locations preferred (London, New York, Berlin or Bogota) 
• Terms: Full-time position; salary of £35,000 - £40,000 pa, depending on experience; 35-hour week; 24 days paid holiday p/a
• Contract type: Fixed-term, 2 years with possibility of extension 
• Closing date: 29 November 2021

The successful candidate will be a labour rights advocate with strong experience working with trade union, feminist and other grassroots-led social justice movements in the Global South. They will have strong project management experience with expertise in building strategies and partnerships to deliver decent work and corporate accountability. They will be a member of a thriving, international team, and report to the Head of Labour Rights. We particularly encourage applications from women, people of colour, and people who identify as LGBTQ+.

About the organisation

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre works with partners to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models; to empower communities and workers to secure their rights and gain accountability for abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to facilitate these outcomes. We are a global organisation committed to cooperation with diverse actors in our movement. 

With our global network of allies, our primary global approaches to deliver this vision are:

• Strengthen organisations and communities to achieve greater equality of power in negotiations, with business and government, to advance their human rights. Use the evidence and data we generate to advocate and influence decision-makers including business, investors and governments
• Strengthen corporate accountability, due diligence and effective remedy for abuse;
• Build transparency of the advances, challenges and abuse of human rights in business.

Responsibilities

The Labour Rights Project Manager will:

Lead and manage a funded project to support building workers’ power in global supply chains: With members of the Resource Centre’s Global Team, support labour groups, develop new relationships with networks; deliver on our strategies to deliver decent work by strengthening freedom of association, collective bargaining, and a living wage; amplify and strengthen workers’ voice, through taking up their allegations of abuse internationally and supporting workers and unions under threat; support learning and knowledge-building on worker-driven approaches to corporate accountability.

Lead on project operations management: Ensure effective management of reporting, monitoring and budgeting of the project across teams. This will include preparation of comprehensive and accurate narrative and finance reports, and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning strategies for the project, and strategic reviews. With key members of the Management and Development Team, this role also includes dynamic engagement with existing donors and building sustained relationships with potential donors.

Collaborate with team members to drive effective, strategic and accurate communication: create, develop, and implement communications strategies in support of workers – including supporting research, data collection and overseeing key outputs that deliver outcomes for workers and support corporate accountability narratives. 

Donor relationship and funding: play a key part of the funded project team to ensure good working relationships with funders and assist in developing new funding relationships for the labour programme.

Contribute to organisational labour rights strategies: As a key member of the labour team, the Project Manager shall support the implementation and continuous assessment of the Resource Centre’s labour strategy within and outside of the organisation. They must also be responsive to regional and sectoral context, security concerns, and other relevant factors, that may demand diverse approaches that are responsive to the work of our partners and allies.

Other responsibilities: Take on other responsibilities as necessary for the health and development of the organization.

Skills, qualifications and experience required: 

Commitment to BHRRC values: Commitment to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s vision of putting human rights at the core of companies’ business models and a demonstrable commitment to our model of change as articulated our Strategic Plan 2021-2024. Must have a clear understanding, vision, and strategic insight on human and labour rights in business and global economy, and how to make change happen.

Labour rights and corporate accountability: 5-7 years experience working on labour rights and corporate accountability issues with workers, unions and labour organisations, through partnerships and solidarity initiatives. Global South experience highly desirable. 

Research and analysis: Extensive experience in strategic research and analysis that platforms and amplify the demands of workers and the labour movement. Strong attention to detail and understanding of research methodologies necessary. 

Partnership and coalition building: Commitment to, and at least five years’ experience in working with diverse international partners and building coalitions with shared objectives and targeted outcomes. This will range from strategic alliances with workers’ organisations from the Global South to tactical collaborations with allies in the human rights and labour movement.

Project management: 4-5 years experience in project management (across finance, budgeting, reporting and monitoring & evaluation) and ability to effectively utilise available resources to deliver on strategic goals., 

Strategic thinking: Track record of developing successful program strategies to effect change. Experience tailoring outputs for diverse international audiences and advocacy experience an asset. 

Feminist Outlook: commitment to an intersectional feminist approach and experience of its deployment to enhance impact through powerful programme strategies and organizational practices and culture.

Self-starter and adept decision-maker: Driven to make change happen, and experience in delivering high impact work with remote supervision.

Team player: At least three years’ experience of working in high performing multi-cultural and international teams, playing a leadership role working with colleagues to deliver high impact programs. Ability to train and nurture talent. Experience with remote, inter-disciplinary, and culturally diverse teams.

Communicator: Excellent English language skills. Strong speaking skills and experience representing organizations to external audiences. Powerful writing skills and demonstrable interest in writing for public audiences, from briefing papers to blogs, tweets, and Facebook.

Willingness to travel: Can travel to project implementation sites in Asia and Africa, primarily. When already safe and allowed, may also have to travel to the UK office.