Description
Contract Type: Full-time / 12 Month Fixed-Term Contract
Salary: £24,900 per annum
Hours: 5 days per week; 9AM-5.30PM (flexible working hours available)
Start date: 9th March 2026 or ASAP, as agreed with candidate
The Opportunity
The Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator (APPC) role will be well-suited to someone who is focused on the best ways they can help the aims of the charity as well as those of our participants and partners. An APPC is responsible for supporting the delivery and development of the Social Mobility Foundation’s programme of activities for young people through their S5-6/sixth form and university years.
The SMF offers in-person and online support and opportunities, so this role will involve providing virtual and in-person support to students and working with employers across the UK.
1. 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
2. Monitoring and Evaluation
* 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.
3. 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
4. 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
* Create digital resources to support all provisions
Please see full job description attached for more details.
Person Specification
We need someone who will demonstrate our organisational skills-based competencies - as listed below.
1. Leadership
2. Communication
3. Adaptability
4. Professionalism
5. Decision-making
Technical knowledge, understanding and experience required:
* Basic Microsoft Office, 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 attend 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 see full job description attached for more details.
Benefits
* 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 Thursday 12th February 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)
* What do you think are the main concerns the young people that SMF target face regarding access to higher education, degree apprenticeships and professions? (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 Jessy Portwood; jessica.portwood@socialmobility.org.uk
Interviews: First round interviews will take place between 23rd and 26th February 2026, with slots throughout the working day. Interview candidates may be asked to complete online tests; this will be arranged after interview.
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.