About Us

Unlocked Graduates is an award-winning organisation that aims to change the way we develop society’s future leaders, as well as how we think about prisons and prisoners by focusing on rehabilitation, and addressing the damage and cost of reoffending.

At the core of Unlocked Graduates is a new leadership programme that will get top graduates into prisons working as frontline prison officers for two years. The project grew out of a recommendation in the Coates’ Review of prison education.

Our participants are asked to focus on rehabilitation and breaking cycles of re-offending to give second chances to those who lacked opportunities earlier in life. This work will form part of their studies for a master’s degree which they will complete while taking on the full duties of a frontline prison officer. At the end of the programme they will be asked to develop policy ideas that they think have the potential to influence systemic change.

We want the programme to raise the status of a currently invisible and undervalued public service by attracting a different kind of leader to work in prisons and help identify ways to reform the prison system, reduce re-offending and improve rehabilitation. We also want our participants to consider entering other professions and sectors at the end of the two years and are building corporate relationships to offer such opportunities.

The role

We are looking for an outstanding project and events manager who can work with a significant budget and a small, talented team to deliver training, events and opportunities that are on a par with blue-chip graduate programmes.

Reporting to the Head of Delivery, the programme and events manager will work across the full breadth of programme delivery as well as taking a leading role in the planning and delivery of events.

You will act as the “glue” that holds the programme team together: Managing and monitoring the project plan and budget, ensuring milestones are being met, and coordinating across the organisation to maximise efficiency and ensure an efficient joined up approach.

The key event deliverable is the annual Summer Institute – a seven-week training programme with regional and national residential elements. This includes complex timetabling of training; management of over 30 external organisations and speakers; logistical, accommodation and catering arrangements; and staff support planning. You will work closely with student accommodation providers, universities and event spaces. You will also lead on delivering other events including our annual conference, lecture days and graduation ceremony. 

Key responsibilities

• Managing, monitoring and communicating the project plan, ensuring milestones are being met and coordinating across the programme team and with others across the organisation.

• Developing and managing relationships with external suppliers including procuring venues, equipment and transport; negotiating contracts with a view to achieving quality and value.

• Managing the creation and delivery of participant communications and resources including coordinating training resources and managing the monthly newsletter.

• Overseeing the logistics and planning of regional training for participants, including coaching meetings, training sessions and lecture days.

• Managing all on-day event logistics including delegate management, coordinating staff, liaising with suppliers and visitors, problem solving.

• Managing and reporting on the programme and events budget, working with the finance manager to ensure accurate forecasting.

• Reviewing and evaluating the quality of training and event delivery to ensure that all participant engagement is best-in-class. Develop a quality improvement process for logistics planning and develop standard procedures/process guides to ensure best-practice and consistency of event delivery.

• Managing and developing a full-time intern and training, leading and motivating a team of event interns during the Summer Institute event.

• Creating and shaping meaningful partnerships with local organisations (corporate and third sector) that can support the programme.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience

• Strong project management skills and evidence of successfully planning and delivering complex projects to time and within budget.

• Experience of event management, including large, complex events with significant budget responsibility.

• Line management experience, including the ability to motivate and inspire a diverse team.

• Stakeholder management experience with evidence of dealing with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

• (Desirable) Experience with project management software or systems of your choice (e.g. Asana, Jira, Wrike) and Customer Relationship Management systems (e.g. Salesforce).

Characteristics and skills

• Passionate about reducing reoffending and positive about the capacity of Unlocked Graduates to create system change.

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail; able to set, track and complete objectives for self and others.

• A confident communicator; able to engage with a broad range of people at all levels of an organisation and to keep all relevant internal parties involved and updated.

• Proactive and positive approach with excellent problem solving skills.

• Flexible and adaptable; able to deal with and prioritise competing demands.

• Highly resilient; able to remain calm and focused when faced with a demanding and variable workload.

How to apply

To apply, please follow the link where you will need to fill in a short application form and upload a CV.

If you would like to have an informal and confidential discussion about the role or about the process please contact laurence.jay@unlockedgrads.org.uk.

Timetable

Closing date:                                  Monday 24th February at 12:00 midday

First round interviews:                 Monday 2nd/Tuesday 3rd March

Second round interviews:            Tuesday 10th/Wednesday 11th March

Applications will be assessed as they are received.

Please let us know if you will have any limits on your availability during this time. For more information about Unlocked Graduates please visit our website.