Key information

Hours: 37.5 hours

• Start date: November 2022 (we are happy to work with you and your notice period)

• Duration: Permanent

• Salary: £27,000 - £35,500 per annum if located in Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham or Newcastle. £29,500 - £38,000 based in London. In addition, all staff receive a £312 yearly tax-free WFH allowance.

Early applications are encouraged, as we will assess applications and schedule interviews on an ongoing basis.

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 right now 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 young people from less advantaged 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 

upReach is seeking to hire a Partnership Manager (Work Experience and Internships). Reporting to the Head of Employer Partnerships, you will collaborate closely with the manager in charge of delivering upReach’s work experience programmes to ensure the opportunities are run smoothly and successfully for upReach beneficiaries. In addition, you will work with upReach’s Regional Development Manager to ensure that there are opportunities available across the UK.. This is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse team who are passionate about improving social mobility. 

Our values

upReach upholds the following values:

• Perseverance

• Integrity

• Advocacy

• Aspiration

• Proactivity 

Skills 

The ideal candidate for Partnership Manager will bring with them the following skills:  

• Partnership and stakeholder management

• Pitching and communication skills, both written and verbal

• Passion and motivation

• Strategic thinking

• Collaboration

•  Team and project management

Experience 

The ideal candidate will be proactive, resilient and used to managing competing priorities within a varied workload. You should be able to demonstrate: 

• Experience in building, developing and owning strategic partnerships / external relationships with stakeholders at different levels of seniority

• Experience in influencing, communicating with and/or pitching to partners, clients or external stakeholders.

• Experience in preparing and presenting (written and oral) reports and proposals to senior management and external stakeholders.  

• Experience in collaborating with and supporting a diverse team to deliver projects, programmes or activities. 

Desirable experience:

• Partner or client-facing experience

• Knowledge of the graduate recruitment, CSR and/or social mobility landscape in the UK 

• Knowledge of GDPR legislation and regulations;

• Familiarity with G Suite and Zoom video conferencing software.

Responsibilities

You will play a pivotal role in generating sustainable income growth from new and existing employer partners who offer work experience and internship opportunities for upReach’s beneficiaries. Core responsibilities include: 

Developing New Strategic Employer Partnerships:

• Researching, developing and converting a pipeline of strategic employer partners who can offer work experience and internship opportunities for Associates and generate income for the charity. 

• Collaborate closely with upReach’s Head of Employer Partnerships and Regional Development Manager to create a strategy for increasing the number of work experience and internship opportunities available to upReach Associates across a variety of sectors and geographical regions. 

• Preparing and delivering compelling and evidence-based presentations to potential partners. 

• Oversee the end-to-end onboarding process of new employer partners, including contract management, CRM management and existing upReach processes to ensure the smooth set-up, delivery and longevity of the partnership. 

Managing and developing existing partnerships, and supporting the delivery of work experience and internship programmes: 

• Managing some of upReach’s portfolio of existing partners with exclusive work experience programmes, stewarding relationships on a day-to-day basis to ensure the partnerships remain strong and mutually beneficial. 

• Collaborate closely with upReach’s delivery teams to ensure work experience programmes are delivered effectively.

• At key points during the planning of work experience and internship programmes (typically Spring / early Summer), work with the manager in charge of delivering these programmes to support their logistical and organisational planning, ensuring successful work experience and internship programmes with employer partners. 

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the work experience and internship programmes, taking a lead on employer impact reporting with partners delivering these programmes. 

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 and bank holidays. This increases to 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then 3 more additional days after 5 years of working with us. 

• Birthday leave.

• 3% Pension Contribution.

• Cycle-to-work scheme.

• Monthly socials.

• 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

  • Ethnic Minorities Network 

  • Green Network 

  • LGBTQ+ Network

  • Mindfulness 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. If you have particular needs or requirements, please get in touch using recruitment@upReach.org.uk.

Applications close at 5 pm Friday 28th October. Early applications are encouraged as we will be scheduling interviews on an ongoing basis. 

If you have any questions regarding the role please email us at recruitment@upReach.org.uk.