Programme Manager

£42,000 per year pro rata (0.8 FTE) / £33,600 per year

Part-time, 28 hours per week

Fixed-term contract for one year

Based in London / home and flexible working

Our client empowers people with the skills they need to succeed in life. Together, they're helping people change their stories. You could join them to lead the delivery and development of their early years programmes.

What youll be doing

Supporting reading and writing in the early years is one of our client's key strategic priorities, ensuring every child starts school with language and communication skills ready to grow and learn at school.

You will be responsible for leading the development and delivery of early years programmes to deliver impact at scale, and developing relationships with funders to ensure sustainability.

The programmes you will work on include initiatives designed to empower parents and carers with skills and resources to support their childs early communication and language before the age of two. You will also manage a professional development programme for practitioners that combines dialogic reading of stories and dialogic interaction to improve language outcomes. You will manage team members delivering this activity and develop new ideas and approaches to support language and literacy in the early years.

You will be contracted to our client's office in London, but this role is suitable for home and flexible working, with the majority of your work carried out from home if you would prefer. However, you will need to be available to travel to London for staff and team days, as well as to support project delivery and partnerships. This could be around a day a week on average, although at times it will be a lot less, and unfortunately, our client is unable to cover travel costs for this.

What our client is looking for

You will be an experienced programme manager, including working with fundraising targets and budget management. You will be able to lead and motivate a team, as well as manage complex relationships with internal and external partners. Experience working in, or with, the early years sector will be essential. Knowledge of evaluation methodologies and impact measurement for large-scale programmes, and experience of working with the corporate sector and volunteers, would be an advantage.

This role is also subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with our clients safeguarding policy and safer recruitment procedures.

Why our clients work is so vital

Reading and writing change everything.

They give you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. Theyre the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. Theyre better results at school and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, its harder to get where you want to go.

Our client helps people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.

- They work collaboratively in local communities, focusing their work in areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.

- They support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.

- They campaign to make reading and writing a priority for politicians and decision-makers.

- They support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders institutions to build their skills.

What our client offers you

Our clients team are passionate about their mission, and have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. They offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to their success, whoever you are.

As well as a competitive salary, they offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle-to-work scheme, an employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.

Application details

Our clients people are their most important asset, and they value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). They particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which they work. They would like to increase the representation of these groups among their staff as they know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact on their work.

To apply, please select the apply button shown. xbpsjku

Closing date: 10am, Friday 1 May 2026.

Please note, our client does not accept CVs. No agencies or recruitment sites.