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.