Living Wage Places
Living Wage Places is a pioneering, place‑based approach to tackling in‑work poverty. Local action groups made up of public and private sector employers work together with charities, unions and civil society on a three‑year action plan to grow the number of employers committed to the living wage, living hours and living pensions.
Since the scheme launched in 2019, the organisation has recognised 20 cities, boroughs and city‑regions as Living Wage Places.
Living Wage Places taps into the power of place, recognising and developing local champions within the network and supporting them to engage and influence their community’s employers. It feeds into broader local economic plans such as community wealth building and local anchor institution work.
Living Wage Foundation
The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which led to the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.
While still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to keep the voices of both workers and businesses at the heart of the movement. It currently works with over 16,000 employers, benefitting more than 475,000 people and achieving more than £3 bn in improved wages for those who need it most.
At the foundation the team works across a range of industries and sectors, building pragmatic coalitions to progress specific campaigns. Partnerships around a particular issue such as the living wage do not imply endorsement of broader policy positions.
Main Responsibilities
The Programme Manager delivers and grows a pioneering place‑based approach to tackle in‑work poverty. The role manages and develops the Living Wage Places programme, supports local action groups to deliver ambitious action plans and embeds standards such as living hours and living pensions. The Programme Manager is the first point of contact for regional leads seeking guidance, works across internal teams and external stakeholders, builds strategic partnerships, strengthens regional networks and ensures effective monitoring, evaluation and learning across the programme. The role combines project management, relationship building, strategic thinking and a commitment to scaling the living wage movement.
Your main responsibilities will include:
Contribute to CUK and Project Strategic Objectives
* Support and grow the Living Wage Places project and ensure it is embedded in CUK’s overall strategy
* Collate and share good practice across teams to ensure strong collaboration and keep civil society at the heart of Living Wage Places
* Support strategy development around local and general elections, identifying opportunities to grow the scheme and influence stakeholders
Build and Manage Projects and Achieve Work Targets Effectively
* Monitor, evaluate and draw out learning from across the Living Wage Places project
* Lead the development of systems for monitoring and evaluating impact and progress
* Support action groups to design and deliver action plans, including living hours and living pensions
* Facilitate roundtables, meetings and milestone activities
* Identify opportunities to expand living wage buildings and zones
* Deliver project milestones and reporting
* Deliver additional projects aligned to the team business plan
Learning & Expertise
* Develop expertise in local economic policy, including community wealth building and devolution
* Support internal teams to understand Living Wage Places principles
* Build knowledge of priority sectors and apply that to strategy
* Lead internal learning sessions
* Provide guidance on living hours and living pensions
* Continue personal professional development
Develop and Manage External Relationships
* Build and manage relationships with regional stakeholders
* Support development of new partnerships
* Represent the organisation at meetings and events
* Co‑deliver the Living Wage Places network
* Develop relationships that support long‑term impact
Communications
* Support development and delivery of communications strategy
* Gather and share case studies
* Maintain communications channels
* Support local action groups with communications
Develop and Manage Internal Relationships
* Build capacity of organisers and programme staff
* Lead delivery of learning strategy
* Support collaboration across teams
Generate Income and Manage Resources
* Support development of funding proposals
* Collate evidence for funder reporting
* Contribute to budget development
* Support sustainable growth of the programme
Personal Specification
(D) Desirable, (E) Essential
Key Skills and Knowledge
* Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage a wide range of competing demands (E)
* Outstanding communication skills, both verbally and written, with the ability to liaise with senior stakeholders (E)
* Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships, lead, influence and motivate others (E)
* Ability to take in and interpret information and present it in a succinct manner (E)
* Understanding of the policy and campaign landscape around inclusive local economic strategies and devolution deals (E)
* Ability to support monitoring and evaluation reports for external funders and internal impact monitoring (E)
* Strong IT skills to include MS Office and CRM software (E)
* Understanding of database and systems management (D)
Personal Qualities & Values
* A proactive approach to all areas of work with a ‘can do’ attitude and a flexible approach to work demands (E)
* Able to work within a team, responding to needs and achieving results collaboratively (E)
* Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the mission of the Living Wage Foundation (E)
Equal Opportunities
We value diversity and encourage applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith. If you need reasonable adjustments or information in another format, please contact us.
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