Design Lead - Mentoring

We are looking for a passionate, creative, and purpose-driven Design Lead to shape and deliver a bold new mentoring initiative that inspires businesses, communities, and volunteers to support young people to thrive.

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead the design, pilot and launch of a suite of mentoring offers that will reach young people across the UK. This includes developing innovative approaches such as in-school experiences, digital micro-mentoring, and enhanced mentoring pathways. Your work will directly influence how young people access support, build confidence, and unlock their future.

You’ll bring deep expertise in user-centered design and a relentless focus on what works for young people. Using insight, research, and creativity, you’ll design experiences that are engaging, scalable, and impactful—while ensuring they resonate with partners, funders, and communities across the UK.

Collaboration will be at the heart of what you do. You’ll work alongside delivery teams, young people, employers, and supporters to co-create solutions that reflect real needs and ambition. You’ll lead from the front—setting direction, driving delivery, and championing innovation across a complex and high-profile programme.

If you’re excited by the challenge of creating something new, motivated by making a measurable difference, and ready to lead design that changes lives, we’d love to hear from you.

• Lead the design, pilot and launch of mentoring offers reaching young people across the UK (in-school experiences, digital micro-mentoring, and enhanced mentoring pathways).
• Develop engaging, scalable, and impactful user-centered experiences that resonate with young people, partners, funders, and communities.
• Collaborate with delivery teams, young people, employers, and supporters to co-create solutions that reflect real needs and ambitions.
• Set direction and drive delivery while championing innovation across a complex programme.
• Lead with a focus on what works, applying research and insights to inform design decisions.

• Deep expertise in user-centered design and experience designing services for young people.
• Ability to translate insights and research into engaging, scalable, and impactful experiences.
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across partners, funders, and communities.
• Experience leading design initiatives from concept to pilot and launch within large, high-profile programmes.

• Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week
• Closing Date: 23:59 on 22 July 2026
• Salary: £45,000 to £65,000, dependent on location, skills, knowledge and experience. London weighting applies only to candidates based in London.
• Location: Preferably based at The King’s Trust South London Centre. Will consider candidates in Birmingham, Manchester or Bristol who can travel to London regularly.
• Interviews: Conducted via Teams on 29th/30th July

Please submit a CV and a Cover Letter that describes your experience, transferrable skills, and motivation to work for The King’s Trust. The team will be in touch about next steps shortly after the closing date.

• Great holiday package: 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays; office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Flexible working: combination of office days and work-from-home where operationally possible
• Opportunities to volunteer for and/or attend events
• In-house learning platform to develop skills
• Benefits platform with health and financial well-being support and discounts
• Personal development through networks: KT CAN, KT GEN, KT DAWN, PULSE
• Family leave: 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay for maternity/adoption; 8 weeks full pay for paternity
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Employer pension scheme with 5% employee contribution; company contributes
• Generous life assurance cover (4x annual salary)

Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to The King’s Trust. We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and strive to create an environment where everyone can be themselves and do their best work. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people within our work and require appropriate checks for roles involving contact with young people.