Job Description

Candidates should already be based in NI and have experience working with appropriate stakeholders in NI.

Are you a good fit?

You’re scrappy, and yet resourceful, you admit when you lack the an answer, and yet strive find it. You don’t grab for the low hanging fruit, but instead you shake trees.

You see a disconnect between school and the world in which we will live, you know that there are ways to connect the dots, to fulfilling and productive futures.

You want to work with a highly respected and aspirational brand, at the heart of a network of many of the UK’s leading figures and employers.

You know that technology has a significant role to play, but that human interaction and relationships are of even greater importance.

You want to feel like a valued member of a growing team, in an organisation which recognises that its people are not just a number, but its greatest asset and part of an extended family, working together to support each other to meet organisational and not just individual goals.

What is Speakers for Schools?

Founded by ITV Political Editor Robert Peston (Trustee), and chaired by Andrew Law (Caxton Associates), Speakers for Schools was created to help level the playing field for UK state schools and their students by giving them the same access to the UK’s leading figures from politics, business, science, sport, the arts and more, as that enjoyed by private schools.

Bill Gates, Baroness (Martha) Lane Fox, Professor Brian Cox, David Dein, David Cameron, Natalie Bennett, Philip Hammond, Naomi Campbell and over two thousand other influential and inspirational people, have been kind enough to volunteer their time to speak with Speakers for Schools.

Over a million Young People have attended a Speakers for Schools talk.

In 2016, we launched our Experience Programme. Experience works with our outstanding network of speakers and partner employers to offer young people amazing work experience opportunities, which would often be out of reach to them. Our experience programme has more than 40x’d in size since September 2019 as employers such as the Bank of England, M&C Saatchi, Disney, Spotify, Santander, Morgan Sindall, BA, BP, Cisco and others offer placements to thousands of Young People. In March 2020 we launched a ground-breaking virtual work experience programme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ideal candidates will be looking for a demanding post in an entrepreneurial charity. This is an exciting time to join our team as we take Experience to the next stage.

Hours/Location: Full-time (37.5hrs pw).

Application deadline: Please see below regarding notifications and start date.

What you’ll be doing

• Outreach to and onboarding of new host employers, helping to grow our employer network to reach ambitious targets for Experience and Progression Programmes (and others as they develop).
• Outreach to and onboarding of education and training providers, supporting our Progression Programme to reach ambitious targets.
• Account managing relationships with participating employers, education & training providers, supporting them in the design of programmes (where appropriate) and engagement with our leading technology platform.
• Outreach to discount and opportunity providers, helping grow the range of discounts and opportunities for young people through our Youth Card programme.
• Delivering commercial income from employers, and education & training providers to meet regional income targets.
• Supporting programmes as needed on any contact, phone conversations with stakeholders, programme delivery tasks and wider charity work in support of wider organisation aims and needs, particularly during peak delivery periods.

Your Experience

• Experience in a similar environment (full-time) working with a variety of stakeholders (previous experience working with HR/Recruitment/CSR/Engagement teams an advantage)
• Clear and concise communicator, capable of producing written content to a professional quality
• Confident liaising with and managing relationships particularly with stakeholders from all levels
• Comfort and experience in working with technology and data management
• Proven capability of working through high volumes of work and securing targets across varying objectives within delivery
• An understanding of the NI Education System and a familiarity with careers provision within NI schools and colleges would be an advantage
• Proficient use of the Salesforce CRM, to track relationships and ensure proper data management.

We are looking for people who:

• Are sociable and confident and happy building and maintaining relationships with multiple stakeholders
• Excel at organising their workload and enjoy driving work forward independently
• Think strategically and can change tactics while still meeting larger objectives

It not just a matter of Qualifications. As an eclectic team, one size does not fit all. A degree level qualification may be useful, but experience, effort and amazing communication skills often trumps a long time in education.

How to Apply: 

Please apply as soon as possible submitting your CV and a one page covering letter which outlines your specific interest and ability to successfully fill this role, as well as your salary expectations and current notice period.

Please make it clear in your cover letter what previous experience you have working with Salesforce. 

Please note, if you do not provide a covering letter your application will not be considered.

Appointees are subject to a successful DBS check, as contact with young people is likely.

The Journey to joining Speakers for Schools: 

Interviews will be scheduled as applications are received, before the closing date, and will take place over Microsoft Teams. We may appoint before this date depending on applications.

We will be closing this on or before Friday 9th July.

Our new team member will start ASAP but by end of August at the latest. 

Candidates should already be based in NI and have experience working with appropriate stakeholders in NI.