Project Manager - Transforming access to Higher Education for single parents in Scotland
Last updated: 12/02/2026
Key info
Post: Project Manager - Transforming access to Higher Education for single parents in Scotland
Hours: 28 hours per week
Salary: OPFS Grade Point - SP25 to 27 (£31,060 to £34,521 28 hours pro rata)
Location: Glasgow (hybrid), with travel across Scotland (pilots & partners). You may also be asked to travel, with notice, to other OPFS offices and events external to office base.
Reports to: Head of Policy, Strategy and Communications with dotted line to Head of Service - Support for Families
Closing date: 8th March 2026 at 11.59pm.
The postholder will be expected to operate in line with our values which are:
Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.
Overview
One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) is the national charity for single parent families and this programme is about changing what is possible.
All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children.
Main Duties
Over three years (April June 2029), OPFS will lead a long-term, systems change initiative to transform how single parents access, experience and succeed in Higher Education in Scotland. Researching this issue with The Robertson Trust evidences structural barriers rooted in poverty, childcare gaps and inflexible institutional systems.
This initiative will drive change through policy advocacy; coalition-building and participatory redesign of Higher Education pathways, ensuring they reflect the realities of single parents' lives. By tackling entrenched inequalities, the project seeks to open new opportunities for single parents, enabling them to move beyond immediate survival, aspire to new futures and fulfil their goals through meaningful access to education.
Equal opportunities and family friendly employment
OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. OPFS has Investors In People Gold status.
Role and key responsibilities
OPFS is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of this innovative programme. You will serve as the single point of contact for institutional partners and funders.
Programme Leadership & Governance
Use project management methodologies, lead the co-ordination of this project to ensure delivery of agreed outcomes and achievement of financial targets. This will include governance, budget management, reporting to funders and internally and risk management.
Manage relationships with key stakeholders both internal and external, including Scottish colleges and universities.
Work with higher educational teams to establish a co-ordinated and collaborative communications and outreach process to reach target groups and communicate with prospective and current student parents.
Create a system to monitor engagement to ensure all can participate fairly and without stigma.
Test & Change
Develop and deliver pilots with clear monitoring against expected outcomes.
Convert learning from pilots into policy/process updates, produce scalable toolkits and practice briefs.
Work with Single Parent Participation Officer to lead a lived experience Expert Panel and Single Parent Higher Education Action Group.
Co-develop partnership data sets enabling opt-in identification of single parent students, mapping routes into Higher Education and the supports engaged.
Using project learning and identified solutions, schedule and deliver OPFS training for staff to ensure learning is embedded in everyday practice.
Co-ordinate evaluation, including external evaluation of project outcomes, against clear project success criteria set up as part of the project governance.
Work with Policy and Influencing Lead to produce learning briefs, case studies that can be disseminated to Higher Education Institutions and policymakers.
Corporate Responsibilities
Support the work of OPFS and improve the lives of single parent families.
Align with OPFS values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Compassion, and Collaboration. Adopt a trauma-informed, anti-stigma approach that embeds Equity, Diversity and Inclusion practice while ensuring all activities and outputs are accessible.
Be flexible in the approach to work and duties. Attend relevant training and events to enhance service effectiveness.
Actively contribute to teamwork and promote a positive problem-solving attitude.
Comply with policies on safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and data protection.
Ensure single parents' voices and experiences influence your work.
Polices and guidance
Recruitment and selection
Application guidance notes
Job applicant privacy notice
Personal specifications
The role description is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that roles change and evolve over time.
Essential Experience And Skills
Proven track record of using project management methodologies such as Prince 2 or Agile, to manage complex projects or programmes with multiple partners, stakeholders and workstreams.
Ability to build effective working relationships and experience of working with a group of diverse partners and the ability to broker solutions to ensure success.
Meaningful experience of co-production or participatory approaches working with people with lived experience.
Experience of GDPR and data governance best practices with the ability to handle confidential or sensitive information appropriately.
Report writing skills for different audiences including funders, senior management and governance groups.
Skilled listener and facilitator, able to support inclusive, trauma informed discussion.
Comfortable working with evidence and learning, including contributing to monitoring, data capture and evaluation.
Proficient in Microsoft Office/Office 365 and confident using digital systems for collaboration and record keeping.
Able to work independently, manage competing priorities, and adapt in a changing environment.
Desirable
Experience of influencing policy or institutional practice at sector or national level.
Experience of systems change, poverty reduction, or social justice programmes.
Experience working with data frameworks, learning reports, or evaluation activity.
Knowledge of the Scottish Higher Education and widening access landscape.
Experience supporting advisory or expert panels.
Experience working directly with single parent families.
Personal Qualities & Attributes
Strong understanding or lived experience of, the realities faced by single parent families.
Commitment to anti-stigma, trauma-informed and rights-based practice.
Values driven, aligned with OPFS's mission to challenge poverty and inequality.
Flexible, reflective and open to learning as the programme develops.
Self-motivated with a commitment to Continuous Professional Development.
Strong commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity in all aspects of work.
Terms and conditions
Confirmation of Appointment: Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period, two references and a PVG check.
Salary: OPFS Grade Point - SP25 to 27 (£31,060 to £34,521 28 hours pro rata)
Hours of work: 28 hours per week, worked flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays (pro rata)
Pension: You will be auto enrolled in our pension scheme with a 3% contribution from you and 7% contribution from OPFS
Training and support and supervision: You will receive induction training and frequent support in the first three months. Thereafter you will receive monthly individual support and supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings will be held, and staff have access to internal and external training.
Application information
OPFS is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from members of all communities. We are committed to equality of opportunity, inclusion and diversity.
OPFS encourage and welcome applications from all parts of the community regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We particularly welcome applications from single parents or those who have experienced poverty and or tackled poverty.
OPFS, we are committed to protecting personnel, children, adults, and service users from any harm arising from each other, themselves, our activities, or organisational failings whilst in contact with us. More information on our privacy can be found on our website.
Please let us know if you will require any reasonable adjustments should you be called for an interview.
Please note that all job offers are subject to 2 satisfactory references and a disclosure satisfactory to OPFS from the Disclosure & Barring Service.
Making an application
The closing date for applications is Sunday 8th March 2026 at 11.59pm .
Interviews will be held w/c 16th March 2026.
If you need to make an application in an alternative format on the basis of a disability or long-term health condition please email for guidance.
To ensure a fair and effective selection process, we require all applicants to follow the guidance below when submitting their application.
Your cover letter is a critical part of your application. It must:
Directly demonstrate how you meet the essential experience listed in the job description.
Provide clear, specific examples of how your experience, skills, behaviours, knowledge and values meet those criteria.
Demonstrate your understanding of our sector, this role and its requirements, not just your general career history.
Tailor your cover letter to this specific role - generic or perfunctory cover letters will not be accepted.
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