Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator (Manchester & Leeds)

Location: Hybrid role, based in our Manchester office. Some travel to Leeds to deliver events, as well as to other offices and locations, will occasionally be expected.

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £26,660 per annum

Hours: 5 days per week; 9AM-5.30PM (flexible working hours available). We are looking for the right candidate and while we envisage this being a full-time role (37.5 hours per week) we are very open to flexible working arrangements such as part-time, compressed hours and flexitime.

Start date: November 2026, as agreed with candidate

The Opportunity:

The Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator (APPC) postholder will be responsible for the delivery of the Aspiring Professionals Programme across all programme years.

Project Delivery
Deliver key projects including recruiting and onboarding students, creating digital resources and student events
Support with programme pilots, scoping (and delivering on) new activity
Collaborate and build relationships with our employer partners, schools, and universities to support our young people in their applications for university, internships and graduate roles
Update all stakeholders, internal and external, on your work areas appropriately escalating any issues in a timely manner
Plan and manage your day-to-day and week-to-week tasks effectively, ensuring projects are meeting their intended outputs and outcomes
Utilise tools and technologies to conduct your work effectively and efficiently
Deliver on allocated events relating to our programme model (university applications, skill development, work experience and mentoring), presenting content to a high standard and in line with the Social Mobility Foundation messaging
Contribute to team meetings, sharing ideas and collaborating to solve problems creatively
Project plans are updated and work is delivered to time
Events are delivered to time and rated well
Good working relationship with stakeholders
Monitoring and Evaluation
Follow established procedures to monitor the progress of your work area, using accurate data to inform decisions
Reflect on your work areas at key points in time, offering suggestions for efficiencies and process improvement
Maintain accurate records across relevant databases, updating data accurately and in a timely manner
Contribute to evaluation for key work areas (residentials, events, internships etc), produce high quality evaluation reports where required
Stakeholder Management
Communicate to internal and external stakeholders in a timely and professional manner
Proactively update external partners (i.e. employers) on your work areas, flagging risks in a timely manner with relationship managers
Manage internal student queries and maintain consistent stakeholder (e.g. students) processes through regular communication
Ensure employer, teacher and student records are kept updated
Activity Delivery
Coordinate planning and delivery of skills sessions, partner events, university visits, and other activities, both virtually and in person across the Social Mobility Foundation’s target cities across the UK
Coordinate logistics of sixth form and S5/S6 and undergraduate internships, including but not limited to, student selection, liaising with students and employers throughout internship delivery
Coordinate and support with the organisation, logistics and delivery of in-person residential programmes for students, including staying on site for day and overnight visits when needed
Coordinate student services including personal statement checking service and recruitment success service
Create digital resources to support all provisions
Support the delivery of the mentoring provision
Keep abreast of sector knowledge to inform resource and event creation that aligns with programme outcomes

For further details about the role, please view the attached Job Description.

Application Deadline October 18, 2026 Department Programme Delivery Employment Type Permanent - Full Time Location Manchester, UK Workplace type Hybrid Compensation £26,660 / year

Person Specification

We need someone who will demonstrate our organisational skills-based competencies - as listed below.

Leadership
Communication
Adaptability
Professionalism
Decision-making

Technical Knowledge, Understanding And Experience Required:

Basic Microsoft Office skills, particularly Microsoft Excel
A basic understanding of the barriers young people face in accessing university and particular careers

Ways Of Working:

Most of our work is office based, but you will spend a lot of time collaborating with other teams and clients via email, telephone and other communications channels such as Teams or Zoom.
This role requires you to staff residentials for students on our Programme. This means that during the summer period (Jul – Aug) you will be expected to stay overnight on-site (in the UK - exact location to be confirmed closer to the time) for a period of up to two-weeks, help run the residential and be responsible for the welfare of the young people involved.
Please note this role may require some during our peak delivery period (February-May). Travel and accommodation if required will be covered by the SMF.

Benefits

Please see full job description attached for more details.

36/37 days' annual leave (England & Wales and Scotland respectively - includes bank holidays) with 3 of these days reserved for the annual end of year office closure
Cycle to Work Scheme
5% Salary sacrifice pension scheme with enhanced matching employer contributions
Employee Assistance Programme available to staff and their family
Flexible work options such as hybrid working, flexitime, part-time
Regular staff team building and business planning “away days”

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply by submitting to our application portal Pinpoint the following information by 23:59pm, on Sunday 18th October 2026:

Please write a statement of suitability for the position of Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator, demonstrating how your experience lends itself to the Key Responsibilities of the role. (500 words maximum).
The SMF’s values of justice, empathy, optimism, integrity and collaboration are integral to how we work together and with our various stakeholders. Please tell us about a time (or times) where you have demonstrated two of the SMF's values in your professional life—this can be in a job, at university or during training, in volunteering, etc.—and how you would demonstrate those values while working with young people who face significant barriers to higher education, degree apprenticeships and careers. (500 words maximum)

Please note that generic applications and CV’s will not be considered. If you have any questions about the role, please contact the hiring manager, Megan Grand: megan.grand@socialmobility.org.uk

Interviews: First round interviews will take place on week commencing 26th October 2026, with slots throughout the working day. Interview candidates may be asked to complete online tests; this will be arranged after interview.

About The Social Mobility Foundation

The Social Mobility Foundation is an award-winning national charity that aims to make a practical difference in social mobility.

It Is Our Mission To Unlock Potential, Broaden Horizons And Create Opportunities With And For Ambitious Young People Who Face Structural Barriers In Education And Work Because Of Where They Grew Up, Went To School Or The Occupation Of Their Parents Or Guardians. We Do This By:

directly supporting students aged 16+ with university applications; professional mentoring; skills sessions and internships, through our Aspiring Professionals Programmes
influencing employers through our Employer Index as well as speaker events and training to ensure people from working class backgrounds can get in and get on in professional life.
advocating for social mobility and seeking to influence policy making at both local and national government level through our campaigns.

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Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator (Manchester & Leeds)