Senior Programme Officer – Events and Fundraising

Introduction

School 21 is an internationally recognised school based in East London. With a mission to develop young people who are equipped to change the world for the better, our work with students is made up of three key pillars:

• Head - knowledge. The best that has been thought and said, including the things we believe that young people should know despite the fact that they might never be examined on it for a state test (e.g. feminism, sustainability, geopolitics etc.).
• Heart - character and wellbeing. We believe that all children should be known, and need to feel well in themselves in order to learn best. As such, we dedicate two and a half hours per week to coaching, where students receive group coaching in order to better understand themselves and how they relate to others.
• Hand - the ability to generate ideas and problem solve. We know that having lots of knowledge is not enough to succeed. Young people, especially those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, need to practice using that knowledge to actively change the world around them for the better. This is why we dedicate two afternoons per week to project-based learning, where students are working on a real life project.

Due to our innovative approach, we have attracted lots of national and international attention over the past seven years, and we receive hundreds of visit requests every year. This, coupled with our desire to see system change, means that we have set up a programme for sharing our key learnings beyond the school. Currently, School 21 receives over a thousand visitors from across the world every year, in the form of teachers, educational experts and those from the worlds of business and politics.

We are looking for a new member of staff who will be able to coordinate these visits and also the fundraising effort needed to support innovation in school. As such, the Senior Programme Officer will be responsible for events and development.

The role

This is an exciting role for an enthusiastic, meticulous and personable individual working in an innovative and influential school.

As Senior Programme Officer, you will be integral to the Partnerships Team, designing, marketing and managing events which showcase the school and spread our work with the wider education, business and local communities. Additionally, you will be responsible for spotting and coordinating efforts to secure funding for our innovation, and writing effective funding bids.

Working within a small and busy team, you will be comfortable using your initiative and excited about working with a wide variety of stakeholders from school students to secretaries of state. You will be a skilled and persuasive writer, and take a meticulous approach to managing your time and projects.

You will show excellent attention to detail, especially when managing relationships with people and coordinating multiple events. With your excellent organisational skills, you will be good at preparing for every eventuality, whilst at the same time being flexible and adaptable when faced with change.

You will be adept at juggling competing priorities and understanding the needs and motivations of the diverse range of individuals and organisations engaged in our work.

A confident and persuasive communicator, you will write fundraising applications and publicity materials, and promote our work across social media and through other channels. As an ambassador for School 21, you will represent the organisation at meetings and events.

School 21 is committed to the professional and personal growth and development of all our staff. The successful candidate will receive the training and guidance to be able to get to grips with all the tasks associated with this role.

Key accountabilities

• Event planning and management (including delivering sessions)
• Working with the Director of Partnerships to create compelling written propositions to fund and launch new projects and programmes
• Liaising with multiple stakeholders and coordinating their involvement with the school
• Writing reports based on information collected from project evaluations and research
• Administrative duties, including diary management and data entry as required
• Gathering regular stakeholder feedback to help promote continuous improvement
• Monitoring and reporting on project milestones
• Ensuring that interactions and activity with partners are recorded appropriately using our contact relationship management software

Skills, experiences and competencies

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to establish effective working relations with internal and external colleagues and stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Good IT skills and a willingness to develop these
• Outstanding organisation, prioritising and planning skills
• Ability to work on your own initiative
• Ability to work under pressure and to work to deadlines as required
• Ability to assimilate information quickly and to think logically
• Reacts positively and promptly to changing situations and requirements
• A natural and confident networker who seeks and establishes impactful relationships which will grow the school community
• Experience of coordinating multiple tasks, projects and events with a variety of stakeholders
• Interest in the education sector and issues surrounding social mobility

You will love this job if…

• You want to be part of a growing force for innovation in education
• You enjoy working with committed people in a fun and purposeful environment
• You have exceptional attention to detail, and are an organised person
• You enjoy writing, especially to make a compelling argument
• You enjoy developing new relationships
• You are passionate about education and creating opportunities for young people
• You like people and people like you!

How to apply

Please complete the online application form which can be found here.

If you wish to have an informal discussion about this role, please email Debbie Penglis, Director of Partnerships, on dpenglis@school21.org.uk.

Closing date: Midday on Monday 22nd July

Interview date: Tuesday 30th July