Programme Delivery Manager (Skills & Learning) in London

Our client is an established organisation dedicated to helping young people realise their potential in the world of work through innovative technology, content and development opportunities.

Working in partnership with leading employers, universities, schools and other organisations, they create opportunities that help students and young people explore career options, develop essential skills and build confidence as they transition into employment.

Through a combination of digital platforms, educational resources, events and employer partnerships, the organisation is committed to improving access to career opportunities, particularly for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups.

Due to continued growth, they are looking to appoint a

Programme Delivery Manager – Skills & Learning to join their Student Success function.

About the Role

As Programme Delivery Manager, you will take full ownership of the design, development and delivery of a large-scale employability programme supporting approximately

10,000 young people

, including Year 10 students and those aged 16–24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The programme is delivered in partnership with a major national retail organisation and aims to help young people access meaningful work experience opportunities.

This is a hands‑on programme design and delivery position rather than a traditional coordination or client relationship role.

You will be responsible for creating coaching programmes and masterclass content, scheduling and personally facilitating sessions, and managing candidate communications throughout the entire programme journey.

You will also recruit, onboard and manage a network of freelance coaches, alongside coordinating internal colleagues to ensure consistent, high- quality delivery.

A key part of the role will involve engaging and supporting young people from diverse backgrounds, including those who may face additional barriers to accessing traditional employment opportunities.

You will need to create an engaging, accessible and supportive experience that encourages participation and improves outcomes.

You will report into the Head of Events and Programmes, working closely with wider internal stakeholders to ensure successful programme delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Design & Coaching Delivery
• Design and develop the structure and content of a comprehensive 1:1 coaching programme, including session objectives, formats, materials and progression.
• Tailor coaching content to meet the needs of young people, including NEET candidates and Year 10 students.
• Establish criteria for identifying candidates who would benefit most from additional 1:1 coaching support.
• Schedule and personally deliver coaching sessions, alongside coordinating delivery through internal colleagues and freelance coaches.
• Brief, train and support coaches to ensure consistency and quality across all sessions.
• Masterclass Design & Facilitation
• Design and develop engaging masterclass content and session plans tailored to a youth and early careers audience.
• Plan and coordinate a programme of approximately 22 masterclasses throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Personally facilitate sessions for groups of 100+ candidates, coordinating additional presenters or co‑facilitators where required.
• Review candidate feedback and engagement data to continuously improve content and delivery.
• Support the creation and publication of online learning resources and self‑paced development content through the candidate support platform.
• Candidate Engagement & Communications
• Own the end-to‑end candidate communications journey, from initial registration through to coaching, masterclasses and work experience placements.
• Develop clear and engaging communications to encourage registration, participation, attendance and ongoing engagement.
• Create targeted follow‑up and re‑engagement campaigns to support candidates who may disengage during the process.
• Ensure all communications are accessible, inclusive and appropriately tailored to the needs of young people, including those with additional support requirements.
• Freelance Coach Management
• Source, recruit, onboard and schedule a network of freelance coaches to support programme delivery.
• Coordinate approximately 750 coaching sessions through freelance coaches, alongside approximately 250 sessions delivered internally.
• Ensure all freelance coaches have the appropriate enhanced DBS checks in place before any candidate contact.
• Provide clear briefings and guidance to coaches, ensuring they understand the programme structure, delivery expectations and quality standards.
• Monitor the quality and consistency of coaching delivery throughout the programme.
• Programme Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Maintain accurate records of candidate registrations, coaching allocations, attendance, masterclass participation and feedback.
• Produce regular programme performance reports for internal stakeholders.
• Monitor engagement and delivery data to identify areas for improvement and adapt content, scheduling and communications accordingly.
• Ensure programme milestones and delivery targets are achieved within agreed timelines and budgets.
• Safeguarding & Compliance
• Act as an operational point of contact for safeguarding matters, working with relevant internal stakeholders to ensure appropriate escalation.
• Ensure all programme delivery practices meet safeguarding requirements, particularly when working with under‑18s and vulnerable young people.
• Maintain appropriate processes around freelance coach vetting, candidate communications and participant engagement.
• Success in this role will be measured against several key objectives, including:
• Successfully designing and delivering a 1:1 coaching programme for approximately 1,000 candidates.
• Developing and delivering approximately 22 masterclass sessions, reaching 100+ candidates per session.
• Maintaining strong candidate engagement and conversion throughout the programme journey.
• Ensuring the freelance coaching network is fully vetted, onboarded and ready ahead of each delivery phase.
• Maintaining accurate reporting and delivering against agreed programme budgets.
• Ensuring all activities are delivered in line with safeguarding and compliance requirements.

About You

We are looking for a creative, proactive and delivery‑focused individual who is passionate about designing and facilitating learning experiences that make a genuine difference to young people’s lives.

You will combine strong learning design and presentation skills with the operational ability to manage a complex, multi‑faced programme from initial concept through to delivery.

You will ideally have

• Proven experience designing and developing learning, coaching or employability content, ideally for a youth, education or early careers audience.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills, with the confidence to deliver sessions to large audiences of 100+ people.
• Experience managing or coordinating multi‑stranded programmes or projects, ideally within employability, education, youth services or community‑focused organisations.
• Experience developing and managing candidate, participant or learner communications across a multi‑stage journey.
• The ability to engage confidently with individuals from diverse backgrounds and adapt your approach to meet different needs.
• Experience managing freelance, associate or contractor relationships.
• Excellent organisational and scheduling skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across a long‑term programme.
• Confidence working with data, spreadsheets and reporting tools to monitor performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• A good understanding of safeguarding requirements when working with young people, or a willingness to develop this knowledge.
• A proactive, self‑motivated approach, with the ability to take ownership and drive projects forward independently.
• Previous experience working within charity, community, CSR or social impact organisations.
• Experience supporting NEET or otherwise disadvantaged young people.
• Familiarity with enhanced DBS checks and safeguarding procedures.
• Experience using CRM systems, email marketing platforms or other engagement tools to manage participant communications.

What's on Offer?

• The opportunity to take ownership of a large‑scale, high‑impact employability programme.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference to the career prospects and opportunities available to young people.
• A varied role combining programme design, content creation, facilitation and operational delivery.
• The opportunity to work with established employer partners and wider education and employability stakeholders.
• A collaborative and purpose‑driven working environment.