Alumni Coordinator - Future Charity Leaders Programme

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London Hours: 37.5 hours

Start date: November, 2024 (we are happy to work with you and your notice period)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £29,150 per annum if based in London. £26,575 per annum if based in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle or Bristol. Plus a £312 yearly tax-free work-from-home allowance.

Application deadline: 11th October 2024, 12 noon.

 

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 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 undergraduates from lower socioeconomic 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 SUMMARY

This role will report to the Senior Delivery Project Manager responsible for the ongoing development of the Alumni programme. The successful candidate will have a fantastic opportunity to guide our Alumni programme development. You will be responsible for organising events and opportunities for Alumni, such as our annual Professional Development Courses, in addition to communicating with both the Alumni group and the wider team about the programme and opportunities within it. You will also support tracking and reporting the impact of our work with Alumni to different stakeholders. You will have the opportunity to participate in the fast-paced and rewarding Future Charities Leaders Programme (FCLP) where no two days are the same, where you can focus on your professional development through the FCLP rotations (20% of your time), designed to build your charity management skills.

GRADUATE SCHEME SUMMARY

Being an Alumni Coordinator is the first step on upReach’s Future Charity Leaders Programme (FCLP). The FCLP provides you with a unique opportunity to:

• Work directly with our Alumni building their careers and exploring opportunities across different sectors, as well as our partner organisations who support them (4 days per week), while also;

• Gain exposure to various aspects of charity management through 6-month rotations (1 day per week).

• Receive training in Leadership throughout, and have the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship in Leadership and Management after 18 months on the programme (in place of rotations). 

The FCLP is designed either for graduates from any university, academic subject and background - or for those with experience in the corporate world who are looking for a career change and experience in the charity sector. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

You will contribute to upReach's mission, by leading upReach’s Alumni Programme, including events and communications, supporting young professionals from lower socio-economic backgrounds  to continue to develop the key skills necessary for progression in the workplace.

You will report directly to the Senior Delivery Project Manager, who will be on hand to provide guidance and support throughout, and who you will have regular check-ins with on a weekly basis.

Please note it is not possible for the job description to cover the exhaustive list of responsibilities of your role due to the varied nature of the role. The job description aims to provide an overview of your remit and core responsibilities.

 

Key responsibilities include:

1) ENGAGING ALUMNI

Once a student has graduated from university, and subsequently upReach’s core programmes, you will encourage them to engage with a range of activities. You will be responsible for:

• Developing content for our Alumni Platform and drive the use of the platform amongst the Alumni group, maximising the number that update their details, sign up for events and support upReach in a variety of ways.

• Lead on communication about the programme, both with the Alumni group and with the team and other stakeholders.  This includes a monthly Alumni newsletter, whatsapp and social media posts. 

• Lead on the organisation and further development of the Alumni Ambassador Board, including working alongside the Senior Delivery Project Manager to coordinate the logistics of the group, from sending invitations and reminders, as well as organising content.

   

2) PARTNERSHIPS & EVENTS Our partners make our support possible, and you will gain hands-on experience developing strong relationships with employer partners. The size and complexity of each varies, but you may typically oversee 1-2 large partnerships or 3-4 smaller ones. This includes:

• Being a partner’s first point of contact, and participating in update meetings - for example, updating a funder on Alumni engagement at an event.

• Organising Alumni events (virtual and/or in person): This includes promoting them to Alumni, overseeing logistics, and gathering feedback. 

• Organising Alumni Professional Development Courses (virtual and/or in person). The Professional Development Courses typically involves 5 events focussed on skills necessary to ‘get on, after getting in’. You will be responsible for promoting them to Alumni, overseeing logistics, and gathering feedback. 

• Support the delivery of additional events where Alumni are included, including funding or external engagement events

• Support End of Year Reviews with partners, including data analysis on Alumni engagement and successes - with the aim of ensuring partners renew their agreements.

3) DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI TO GIVE BACK upReach Alumni are often interested in giving back to upReach after graduation. You will be responsible for:

• Coordinating Alumni volunteering opportunities, including keeping an up to date register of Alumni volunteers and opportunities for them to engage in.

• Collaborating with different teams across upReach, including:

  • External events: coordinating Alumni speakers and volunteers

  • Fundraising: collaborating on fundraising campaigns, specifically targeting Alumni

  • Programmes team: collaborating with different teams across the Associate-facing programmes team, ensuring they are able to access Alumni volunteers for Associate-facing events

4) ROTATIONS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF CHARITY MANAGEMENT As part of the FCLP programme, you will work on rotational projects designed to give you a greater exposure and understanding of the different areas of charity management. 

You will have a six month rotation in each of the following areas during your first 18 months on the programme: (1) Fundraising, Partnerships and Comms, (2) Operations and Strategy (3) Project and Product Management.

• Each week you will work on projects related to your current rotation (7.5 hours per week). These projects will be agreed with your Rotation Manager, in line with the learning objectives for each rotation.

5) LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

During your initial 18 months on the programme, you will receive training every six weeks on different soft skills within Leadership through an external training provider. This training will take place through a mixture of online and face to face sessions. Training sessions will include: 

• Communication

• Understanding different working styles

• Conflict Management

• Emotional Intelligence

6) WIDER ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT PCs play their part in helping upReach achieve broader organisational objectives. As a key contact point with Alumni and partners, you will play a crucial role in raising awareness of wider projects. Examples include: encouraging Alumni to make nominations to upReach’s Student Social Mobility Awards; and supporting our HR team with assessing applications to future cohorts of the FCLP. 

COLLABORATION AREAS

Collaboration is a key part of upReach’s culture, and as a PC you’ll have the opportunity to work together with a range of different teams across our organisation, including: 

• Fundraising and Events - Who will work with you to spread the word about how Alumni can ‘give back’ to upReach

• Partnerships - Who will support you with managing your partner relationships and look for new opportunities to develop the programme.

You will have a unique chance to work with a variety of additional teams during your rotations, and we will look to take into account your interests and preferences along with our organisational needs. These teams include: Fundraising and Development; HR and People; Impact Measurement; Marketing and Branding; and Tech Product Management.

VALUES 

At upReach we uphold the following values for our team and volunteers, and will be looking for candidates who display these in our application process:

• Advocacy: We expect those involved with upReach to be advocates for everyone realising their full potential, regardless of social background.

• Aspiration: We empower our Associates to aim high and achieve their ambitions. 

• Integrity: We expect everyone involved with upReach to work collaboratively and with honesty, and to fulfil their commitments.

• Perseverance: We are adaptable when overcoming challenges, and encourage Associates to persevere similarly.

• Proactivity: We are proactive in our work, and inspire Associates to demonstrate this too.

 

SKILLS / COMPETENCIES  

Please see below a summary of the key competencies required for this role. We’re looking for candidates to display the following skills during the application process, and will provide regular training to those on our FCLP to develop these. We are interested in both your paid and voluntary experiences to date where you have demonstrated these.

Essential skills:

• Motivation - Displaying a commitment to upReach and enthusiasm for the work we do, and able to inspire and motivating Associates/ Alumni/ partners to engage fully in the programme 

• Leadership - Able to relate to others with authenticity, be a role model fro Associates and Alumni, and demonstrate integrity at all times

• Continuous improvement - Exhibits a growth mindset with a readiness and willingness to learn, participating fully in training and applying learnings to day to day work

• Planning and organising - Organises own work effectively with support of your manager, understanding how to set SMART objectives and meet these within the agreed timeframes.

• Problem solving & decision making - Identifies problems and gains support to tackle them in a rational and analytical way

• Innovative - Generates new and practical ideas to improve efficiency and tackle day-to-day problems

• Self-management - Manages their own tasks and projects to a high standard

• Commitment to social mobility - Has an understanding of the UK social mobility landscape, and demonstrates a willingness to deepen their knowledge

• Communication - Able to communicate using different styles, methods and timing, and in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner with all stakeholders.

We have also seen how the following attributes can be beneficial for a team member when they become an Alumni Coordinator:

Desirable skills / experiences:

• Experience with public speaking or leading workshops

• Knowledge of the graduate labour market in the UK and experience supporting individuals through an application process

 

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.