Volunteer employability coach jobs

About the Role

The Refugee and Migrant Centre is seeking to appoint two Employment Coaches, one full-time and one part-time - to support clients in overcoming barriers to employment and moving closer to the labour market.

Key Responsibilities:

· Provide one-to-one employment support to clients, including CV building, job search assistance, interview preparation, and completing job applications.

· Assess clients' skills, experience, and employment goals to develop tailored action plans.

· Support clients in accessing training, work placements, and volunteering opportunities to enhance employability.

· Liaise with employers and training providers to identify suitable opportunities for clients.

· Maintain accurate and up-to-date client records, tracking progress and outcomes in line with organisational requirements.

· Work collaboratively with other teams and services within the organisation to provide holistic support.

· Support the delivery of employment workshops or group sessions where needed.

· Promote and uphold the values and policies of the Refugee and Migrant Centre in all aspects of work.

Essential Requirements:

· Minimum 2 years' experience working directly with clients on employment-related matters.

· IAG level 3 qualification or commitment to complete.

· Good knowledge of the UK job market, including current recruitment practices.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills.

· Ability to build rapport and work effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds.

· Organised, proactive, and able to manage a varied caseload.

· Competent in using IT systems, including Microsoft Office and online job search platforms.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

· Ability to speak additional languages relevant to the client base.

· Experience working with refugees, asylum seekers, or migrants.

· Understanding of welfare-to-work programmes or similar employability schemes.

· Experience in delivering group workshops or training sessions.

· Knowledge of local employment and training opportunities in the Birmingham area.

Flexibility

In order to deliver the stated aims of this post, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties will fall within the scope of the job within the appropriate pay grade. The job description will therefore be subject to periodic review with the post holder to ensure it accurately reflects the duties that are being performed.

How to Apply

We welcome applications from all individuals whose skills and experience align with the criteria outlined above. If you are interested in joining our team, please complete our application form by clicking the link below:

https://app.hbhr.io/job-application/external/74c7a352-69deba3e-b8b954ca-7113dcb2

We look forward to hearing from you.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their commitment to achieving positive outcomes. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace where everyone can thrive.

Closing date: Friday, 10th July 2026, by 5:00 pm.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.

Please note that if you require employer sponsorship to extend your right to work in the UK, the Refugee and Migrant Centre is not able to support visa sponsorship.

Contract Type: 1 X Fixed Term 12 months, 1 X permanent

Location: Glasgow (5 days a week)

Assessment Centre: 13th of July in our Glasgow Centre

Let’s make every day a chance to create a brighter future for the next generation!

Would you like to join a great team- working in Employability across Outreach and Delivery? Join us at The King’s Trust, where together we’ll ensure young people are supported, engaged, and fully prepared to step into sustainable employment with confidence and style.

You’ll play a vital role in guiding young people on their journey into work. By building strong relationships, you’ll uncover and help remove any barriers that might stand in their way - enabling them to thrive and achieve positive job outcomes. You’ll take responsibility for a caseload of young people, offering one-to-one support, coaching, and encouragement, while helping them navigate everything from travel costs to balancing other commitments.

As a key advocate, you’ll work closely with employers to champion each young person’s support and learning needs, ensuring they are set up for success in their roles. You’ll also collaborate with partners such as Jobcentre Plus and other stakeholders to create seamless pathways into employment, making sure nothing stands in the way of sustained job outcomes.

You’ll be a guiding light for our delivery partners and service providers, supporting them to deliver high-quality experiences that lead to real jobs for young people. You'll also deliver engaging employability sessions, both directly and by supporting partners and volunteers, using a mix of face-to-face delivery and virtual sessions via MS Teams. When needed, you’ll be out and about, visiting placements or employers to ensure everything runs smoothly and that everything is delivered to the highest standard.

Alongside this, you’ll maintain accurate and detailed records of young people’s progress, employer engagement, and outcomes, ensuring everything aligns with our funding requirements and clearly demonstrates the impact of the programme.

We’re passionate about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, so you’ll help create an environment where every young person feels seen, valued, and supported, contributing to local action plans that bring our EDI commitments to life.

This is a dynamic role where no two days are the same - you’ll need to be adaptable, ready to step into different responsibilities, and occasionally deputise when needed.

Join The King’s Trust team and help make our mission a reality - supporting young people not just into jobs, but into brighter futures.

What happens next?  

For our Youth Development Lead roles, there's no need to upload a CV or cover letter, as we use a strengths-based approach. Simply complete your profile, including the screening questions. If you pass the initial screening, you'll be invited to complete an online assessment (which must be completed to be considered). We'll then be in touch with next steps shortly after the closing date. 

Why do we need Youth Development Leads? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with every three in four moving into a positive outcome for either work, education or training. Youth Development Leads play a crucial role in supporting young people, no matter the young person's background or current circumstances, to fulfil their full potential. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives and we couldn’t do this without the important work of Youth Development Leads! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Unless the location of the role is remote, the Youth Development Lead role requires a combination of office days and working from home. 
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary) 

ABOUT MUSTARD TREE

At Mustard Tree, we believe everyone deserves dignity, opportunity, and hope.

We work alongside people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and financial hardship, providing practical support, life-changing opportunities, and pathways towards greater stability and independence.

Our work addresses both the causes and consequences of poverty. We support people not only in crisis, but as they rebuild confidence, develop skills, improve wellbeing, and take meaningful steps towards a more secure future.

ROLE PURPOSE

This role provides person-centred employment and progression support to individuals facing barriers to financial wellbeing, including homelessness or risk of homelessness. Working with a managed caseload, this role will support participants to build confidence and employability skills, and progress towards meaningful, sustained employment, further education, or accredited training.

The role includes a blend of structured employability support, responsive frontline 121 work combined with corporate partnership skills.  This role will work directly with Freedom Trainees and Mustard Tree clients, supporting walk-ins, referrals, and longer-term participants. This role will represent our values through high-quality, compassionate, and professional service delivery.

This role combines direct participant support, employability delivery, employer engagement working with the Salford Area Manager. You will work across our Eccles and Little Hulton sites, helping create meaningful opportunities that enable participants’ progression.

Key Competencies

1. World Class Welcome and Customer Service

· Deliver Work Placement and Employment service across Salford appropriate to participants’ needs, through a welcoming, inclusive, and professional service that reflects a world-class customer experience.

· Networking and building relationships in Salford with new and existing corporate partners to deliver work placement opportunities to Freedom Project trainees, attendees to structured courses/clubs, and referrals from partner organisations (JCP and Elevate partners)

· Provide tailored, 1:1 employment and skills support, including caseload management, action planning, CV development, job search, and interview preparation.

· Adapt support to meet the diverse and complex needs of participants, demonstrating empathy and resilience.

· Manage referrals and signposting effectively, ensuring participants access appropriate internal and external services.

2. Proactive in Living and Sharing our Culture, Values and Behaviours

· Consistently model Mustard Tree’s values, culture and expected behaviours in all interactions with participants, colleagues and partners.

· Promote equality, diversity and inclusion by creating safe, welcoming and respectful environments for everyone by building positive relationships, challenge inappropriate behaviour appropriately, and reflect on feedback to continuously improve practice.

· Communicate in an inclusive, accessible and person-centred way, adapting approaches to meet participants needs.

· Demonstrate professionalism, integrity and accountability while maintaining boundaries and delivering on commitments.

3. Courage in Problem Solving and Embracing Change to Meet Needs

· Identify barriers affecting participant progression and respond to reduce/remove the barriers

· Adapt quickly and positively to changing priorities, service demands and participant needs while maintaining high-quality support.

· Demonstrate resilience when managing complex situations, setbacks or competing pressures, whilst taking ownership of actions and outcomes

· Embrace learning, feedback and change to continuously improve ways of working and support positive participant outcomes

4. Confident in Safeguarding and Incident Management

· Manage situations calmly and professionally, maintaining dignity and safety for all.

· Follow safeguarding, health and safety, and incident management procedures, escalating concerns appropriately.

· Work collaboratively with colleagues, contributing to case discussions and team meetings

• Complete and maintain accurate documentation, incident forms, and risk records.
• Attend required training, supervision, and reflective practice sessions and keep up to date with relevant legislation and local statutory and voluntary-sector provision.

5. Skilled in Reporting

· Monitor progress, record outcomes, and adapt support in response to individual needs, using TreeSalt, case notes, and case studies to evidence impact.

• Signpost and refer trainees and participants to appropriate internal services and external agencies, including housing, mental health, benefits, and specialist support.
• Track participant outcomes including engagement, training completion, volunteering, work placements, and employment progression to support internal reporting requirements and funder monitoring.

6. Positive Management of Stakeholders, Partners and Supporters

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local employers, job centres, statutory services, charities, and third-sector organisations.

• Coordinate referrals and progression pathways into and out of the programme. Establish and maintain pathways into employment, education, training, and volunteering.

• Identify, develop, and maintain work placement and progression opportunities with employers and partner organisations.
• Match participants to placements aligned with their interests, goals, and support needs.

• Ensure placements are structured, safe, and provide meaningful learning and development. Escalate any placement-related issues promptly and collaboratively.

General Duties

• Work in line with organisational policies, procedures, and values.
• Support colleagues and provide cover across services and sites when required.
• Take responsibility for professional development and ongoing learning.
• Act as a positive ambassador for the organisation internally and externally.
• Contribute to environmental responsibility through day-to-day working practices.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role as required.

What we are looking for.

Person Specification 

Minimum of two years’ frontline experience supporting adults, including vulnerable individuals. - Essential

Experience supporting people facing multiple barriers such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, or housing instability. - Essential

Experience of managing varied caseloads and achieving measurable outcomes with participants. - Essential

Experience of and/or ability to build and maintain partnerships with external organisations, local businesses or employers. - Essential

Understanding of employability pathways, training provision, and labour market opportunities. - Essential

Resilient, adaptable, with flexible enthusiastic approach. Able to work on their own initiative as well as contributing effectively as part of a team. - Essential

Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, health and safety, and risk management. - Essential

Good interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills. - Essential

Degree-level qualification and/or equivalent experience in responsible roles. - Desirable

Strong time management and administration skills, with the ability to multitask - Essential

Experienced in using IT systems including Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Excel, and Word - Desirable 

Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle and willingness and ability to travel regularly across our Salford hubs - Desirable

Why Work for Mustard Tree

Working at Mustard Tree is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to be part of a community that is changing lives every day.

Our Culture

• A values-led organisation where compassion, dignity, and respect guide everything we do
• A supportive and collaborative team environment where your voice matters
• A place where lived experience is valued and people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work
• A strong sense of purpose, with the opportunity to see the real impact of your work

What We Offer

• A meaningful role where you can make a tangible difference in people’s lives
• Opportunities for learning, development, and progression, including access to training and mentoring
• A flexible and supportive approach to working, with consideration for work-life balance
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with length of service), with additional bank holidays and a day off for your birthday
• Employer pension contribution
• Access to wellbeing support, including Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Perkbox

We are committed to investing in our people and creating an environment where you can grow, feel supported, and do your best work.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a supporting statement - telling us about your experience and why this role matters to you.

This job description is intended as a guide and may evolve as our work continues to grow and respond to the needs of our community.

Transforming Lives Through Learning

Due to exciting growth and expansion of our King's Trust Programme, we are looking for five passionate, energetic, and inspiring individuals to join our King’s Trust Team Programme within the college. The available roles are Team Leader (x3),  Asisstant Team Leader, and Curriculum Manager, details of each role can be found on our website.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of a life-changing programme that supports young people to build confidence, develop employability skills, improve wellbeing, and create positive futures either within the college or in a community setting.

If you believe in second chances, inclusive education, and helping young people realise their potential, we would love to hear from you.

We will be holding an Information Event on 10th June 6:00pm - 7.30pm at our City Campus. This is a drop in event and staff will be on hand to answer any questions and talk to you about the college and the King's Trust. Please email us for more information and to register your interest.

About the King’s Trust Team Programme

The King’s Trust Team Programme is a 12-week personal development programme designed to support young people aged 16–25 who may be:

• disengaged from education or employment
• lacking confidence or direction
• facing barriers to learning
• experiencing social, emotional, or personal challenges
  looking to improve their future opportunities

The programme combines:

• team-building activities
• community projects
• employability and enterprise skills
• work experience opportunities
• residential experiences
• confidence and wellbeing development
• English and maths support
• progression planning
• At the heart of the programme is the belief that every young person has potential.

About the Role

3x positions available

As part of the college team, you will work directly with young people within community and college settings to deliver engaging, supportive, and meaningful learning experiences.

You will motivate learners, build positive relationships, and help young people overcome barriers while supporting them towards education, employment, training, or volunteering opportunities.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape and expand provision within the local community while being part of a supportive and forward-thinking college environment.

Key Responsibilities
 

• Planning for the weeks ahead – setting out what team members want to achieve and finding out how to get qualifications 

• Planning for a week away/Residential 

• Community projects 

• Work placements 

• Planning for the future (CVs, interview skills and job applications) 

• Final presentation of the programme to an invited audience. 

Duties of the role also  include:

• Deliver the required number of “Teams” which comply with the prescribed 12 week programme 

• Recruit a range of young people across targeted groups 

• Progress young people through the programme in line with College budgets, achieving a range of Performance Indicator targets, including the number of young people recruited; their retention on the programme and the qualifications and positive outcomes achieved 

• Contribute to team review  as complied by Princes Trust and College staff and ensure agreed actions to improve the quality of the programme are followed up 

• Maintain accurate and up to date records, both paper and electronic, as required by the College and the Trust. 

•  Negotiate residential and community project activities with local providers under the guidance of the Head of Department 

• Assess, verify and report student achievement through the College Exams department. 

• Implement action plans to address issues identified in Team Review 

• Attend all necessary internal/external training courses/ management and steering group meetings as required 

• Carry out related duties as may be reasonably required by the College and by the Trust. 

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals who are:

• passionate about transforming lives
• committed to inclusion and equality of opportunity
• positive, adaptable, and resilient
• able to inspire and motivate young people
• experienced in working with young people or vulnerable learners
• confident delivering group activities and community projects
• strong communicators with excellent interpersonal skills
• organised and able to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience within education, youth work, employability, SEND,
• community work, coaching, or mentoring would be highly valued.

What we can offer you 

As the successful candidate, you will be offered a salary of between £28,760 - £33,563 per annum based upon a combination of the skills, knowledge and experience that you can bring to the role. 

Our benefits  

• Enhanced Pension contributions scheme with SYPA 
• Annual leave - 30 Days (222 hours) + 8 Bank Holidays (59.2 hours)- this includes a discretionary Christmas closure period 
• Health and wellbeing, we offer
  • Employee assistance programme through Bupa
  • Occupational Health through PAM
  • Free eye tests for VDU users
• Free Parking is available at the majority of our campuses

Further information can be found on our Benefits andCareer Developmentpages.

Disability Confident 

We are a Disability Confidentemployer and are committed to removing barriers for applicants with a disability during our recruitment process, upon appointment and as an employee. Please review our Recruitment Guidelines for Disabled Candidates which provides further information on reasonable adjustments and how the Disability Confident scheme works in practice.If you require any reasonable adjustments or any support at any point throughout the process, please contact us.

Armed Forces Covenant  

As part of our commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant,we’re pledged to support the Armed Forces Community. Recognising the value Personnel, Veterans and military families contribute to our community and country. 

Safeguarding  

We are an employer who is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students. Successful applicants will be required to have an enhanced DBS check and will be subject to safer recruiting procedures.  Further details on our safer recruiting procedures, including the employment of ex-offenders can be found here Safeguarding 

Next Steps: 

To apply:Click apply online and follow the links to complete the online application. For queries regarding the application process, please contact us. CVs are currently not accepted. 

As a Leader in Diversity employer, we encourage applications from everyone and value diversity in our workforce.   

Closing date: 21st June 2026

Please be aware – If we have a high number of applications, we may decide to close the vacancy earlier. 

Contract Type: Maternity Cover until the end of December 2026

Location: Field based with an expectation of two days a week in our Burnley office. 

Assessment Centre: 30th June 2026

Let's make every day a chance to create a brighter future for the next generation!

Together, we'll ensure that our young people get onboarded and engaged in our programmes safely and with style. Dive deep to uncover any barriers that stand in their way, helping to remove those barriers to enable them to shine and propelling them on their journey towards amazing outcomes. Responsible for a group of young people, for one-on-one support, group sessions and guidance, supporting them into employment outcomes. You'll be on a mission to assist with travel expenses and find clever ways to handle their other commitments. You'll champion their support and learning needs with employers, and you'll be the ultimate liaison, working alongside partners like the job centre and HSC employer partners, including the NHS to ensure that nothing stands in the way of their success!

You’ll also be the guiding light for our delivery partners and service providers as we want them to deliver the best experience and outcomes for our young people. High-fives all around! Roll up your sleeves and deliver employability sessions directly to our incredible young people. You'll also help our Delivery Partners and volunteers do the same, both in person and virtually through our trusty MS Teams. When we're doing things face-to-face, you’ll need to hit the road and be there in person to help with programme delivery or programme visits to make sure all is running as smoothly as possible.

And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, you’ll also be keeping meticulous records of information and data on our young people, volunteers, and partners. It's all about making sure every step of their journey is accurately reflected in our systems so that it complies with our funding contracts.

We are a massive advocate of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion so it would be amazing if you could lead the charge in creating an environment where everyone feels seen, by implementing a local action plan that supports our big-picture EDI goals. Let's make positive change happen!

Be ready for anything and everything. Alongside all these fantastic responsibilities, you might find yourself wearing different hats and rocking them like a pro, this could even include deputising when the need arises.

Join the King's Trust Team and let’s make magic happen!

What happens next?  

For our Youth Development Lead roles, there's no need to upload a CV or cover letter, as we use a strengths-based approach. Simply complete your profile, including the screening questions. If you pass the initial screening, you'll be invited to complete an online assessment (which must be completed to be considered). We'll then be in touch with next steps shortly after the closing date. 

Why do we need Youth Development Leads? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with every three in four moving into a positive outcome for either work, education or training. Youth Development Leads play a crucial role in supporting young people, no matter the young person's background or current circumstances, to fulfil their full potential. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives and we couldn’t do this without the important work of Youth Development Leads! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Unless the location of the role is remote, the Youth Development Lead role requires a combination of office days and working from home. 
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary) 

About the Investment team

The Investment team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact. 

The Investment team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles. 

The team is made up of 18 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.   

The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in school engagement, school attainment and employment sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors between them. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 7). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest. 

The Investment team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team. 

About this role

We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. As we enter a challenging time with rising inflation and a likely recession, our work feels more vital than ever before. The role of Investment Director presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the charities portfolio partners we serve, the team itself and the whole of Impetus.   

We support a portfolio of 23 high potential charity and non-profit partners in the youth sector, helping them deliver benchmark-beating employment and education outcomes for young people, and to grow. 

We believe the strength of our approach resides in three things: 

​

• ​Building deep, trust-based, sustainable relationships with charity leaders by, investing time, kindness, integrity and honesty.
• ​Providing our charities multi-year, unrestricted funding to help them become sector-leading organisations and scale their impact.
• ​Offering tailored advice to charity leaders’ most pressing and strategic questions, including their mission, programme design, performance management, growth planning, and financial resilience.

Working with our portfolio partners is a privilege. The leaders we support are incredibly talented, passionate and keen for external advice, and the issues we work through with them are stimulating and stretching. Our senior management relationships are some of the most fulfilling relationships many of us have had in our careers, while the growth and impact performance of our partners are testament to charities’ commitment to disadvantaged young people and the influence we have on their development. 

Charities and funders often comment on the quality of our people. Our team is analytical and data driven; we are deeply relational, low-ego and collaborative. We actively invest in our colleagues holding regular training and community of practice sessions, and use skills-based assessments to tailor development. 

As an organisation we seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work and actively challenge our assumptions to better deliver change. Over the past two years we have taken action to help reduce racial inequality in the youth sector. In 2021 we launched our Connect Fund to support diverse leaders and their robust solutions to the entrenched employment gap faced by young people from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with their white peers. We have also built a highly regarded Leadership Academy for emerging youth sector leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds, with generous funding from State Street Foundation. 

If you are looking for a role combining strategic thinking, analytical insight and influencing emerging leaders, as well as the opportunity to work with a supportive team to transform young lives, I hope you will apply to work with us. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sebastien Ergas 
Portfolio Director 

​Key responsibilities
Finding high potential charities and non-profit partners for our portfolio 

• Identifying potential charitable organisations for investment.
• Leading and delivering in-depth due diligence process within the scope of a grant round, to assess and build partnership foundations with potential partners – covering leadership and governance, and their impact, scale, and partnership potential.
• Modelling from first contact of origination, our approach to engaged and trust-based investment management support.
• Developing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.

Managing partnerships with portfolio partners​

• ​Managing relationships with partner Chairs and CEOs. 
• Agreeing Service Funding Agreements, including appropriate annual investment milestones to allow for a clear assessment of re-investment potential at end of phase. 
• Regularly monitoring and assessing partner progress / risks against milestones and making evidence-based recommendations on progression or exit to Leads, Portfolio Director and the Investment Committee.
• Escalating key risks on performance, leadership and safeguarding.   
• Conducting annual partnership reviews with Sector Leads and partner CEOs.
• Working with Impetus finance colleagues to ensure timely distribution of grant payments, in line with Service Funding Agreements.  

Supporting portfolio partners  ​

• ​Providing high quality advisory support to CEOs and senior colleagues on key strategic topics, using a mix of at least monthly one-to-one meetings and group facilitation to: 

• clarify theory of change
• ​define long term ambition
• ​develop growth strategy 
• ​achieve a step change in the delivery and performance management of outcomes 
• ​strengthen leadership (individual and collective) and governance capabilities
• ​develop path to scale
• ​build financial resilience

• ​Scoping and project managing pro bono capacity-building projects (in addition to providing direct management support). Ensure projects are delivered to a high standard and contribute to charity progression.
• Identifying engagement opportunities for our donors and supporters with portfolio partners that are aligned with the partner’s activities and do not distract or undermine their core work.
• Collaborating with the Impetus Philanthropy team to support the development of additional funding opportunities for portfolio partners, enhancing their ability to deliver impact at scale.
• Effectively leveraging the support of investment managers to advance the objectives developed for each portfolio partner that is managed by an Investment Director.

Support to Impetus

• Developing expertise about “what works” in the sector through cultivation and use of expert input and engagement as well as investigation into key research and evaluative literature.
• Contributing insights and learning from portfolio work to inform Impetus’ strategy, model and delivery, providing evidence based recommendations to senior colleagues
• Contributing to internal priorities and working groups, bringing expertise and insight from portfolio work (e.g. team strategy discussions, digital improvement initiatives, or equity, diversity, and inclusion).
• Contribute towards Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives through input into case studies, research and policy campaigns, donor reports and fundraising events.
• Sharing the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally working within Impetus strategy and agreed forums.
• Engaging in Impetus pro bono, communications, and advocacy events, and engage portfolio partners appropriately in these events. 
• Line-manage and support one or more Investment Managers, setting clear objectives and providing coaching, feedback and development opportunities to enable them to deliver high quality work and achieve their individual, project and team goals
• Embedding inclusive and equitable practices in portfolio work, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered and barriers to participation are identified and addressed

​Person specification

Essential​

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission. 
• ​Senior level responsibility and a strong track record of building trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders, advising them on key strategic decisions, and challenging them in a respectful and collaborative manner. 
• ​A talent for strategic thinking around complex issues. 
• ​Strong financial acumen and analytical skills. 
• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation fundamentals. 
• ​Resilience, tenacity and initiative. 
• ​Ability to adapt personal style to different leadership contexts, working inclusively and effectively with diverse leaders and organisations.
• ​Growth mind-set to seek out and act on feedback and a commitment to continuous learning and development. 
• ​Proven ability to work independently, and to exercise good judgment. 
• ​Strong planning and time management skills. 
• ​Experience contributing expertise to team or organisational priorities, including sharing learning and supporting others’ development. 
• ​Interest in partnering closely with charities that are doing what it takes to get better. 
• ​A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Desirable​

• Experience in the non-profit (charity or social enterprise) sector, through work, as a pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity.
• ​Experience in consulting, investment management, senior charity management, or other in-depth grant making and advisory work. 
• ​Knowledge and expertise in UK education or youth employability sectors. 
• ​Board experience in private, public or third sector. 
• ​Understanding of or experience with commissioning impact evaluations. 

About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.​

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:  ​

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school  

• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths 

• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment  ​

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.​

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life. ​

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.​

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.​

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

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Our Values​

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.​

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.​

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.​

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.​

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.​

​Our employee benefits ​

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.​

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button at the top of the page. ​

You will need to:​

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form)
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.​

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.​

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.​

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.​

The deadline for applications is 2026, Sunday 21st June 2026, 11:59pm.​

Interviews:​

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 29th June 2026.​

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 6th July 2026.​

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.​

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.