Senior Change Manager, Education (x2 roles)

The Youth Endowment Fund is here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. In recent years, violent crime has risen significantly, including homicides, assaults, robberies, and offences involving weapons. We have also seen large increases in violent crime involving children and young people. This is a tragedy, and every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a charity with a £200m endowment and a mission that matters. We exist to prevent children becoming involved in violence. Our mission is to find what works and build a movement to put it into practice, particularly in the world of education. We need to inspire and connect with education leaders across England and Wales to spread what works and make our country safer for some of our most vulnerable children.

Key Responsibilities

We have made good progress building the evidence of what works within and around education to reduce violence, including publishing our Education, Children and Violence Guidance which provides school, college, and alternative provision leaders with five evidence-based recommendations to help prevent children’s involvement in violence. We have also published Education Policy, Children and Violence which provides eight recommendations for policymakers and system leaders. In 2025, we launched the Education Practice Insight Creator (a self-assessment tool for education leaders) and a number of collaborations with leading sector organisations. However, the big risk is that despite all of these efforts, change is not made or sustained within the sector.

We are recruiting for two Senior Change Manager roles within our Education Change Team. Both roles will support education leaders to implement and sustain evidence-informed practice to prevent children’s involvement in violence.

• Senior Change Manager – Education Network: You will design, lead, and grow a national network of education leaders, supporting them to put in place and sustain evidence-informed practice. This includes delivering a programme of network activity (online sessions, in-person events, collaborative projects, and a national conference), building a strong professional community, and generating insight to inform our wider work. Initially, this will focus on a new programme - the Safety in and Around Schools Partnership – which will involve supporting a network of up to 250 schools.
• Senior Change Manager – Practice Change: You will work directly with education leaders and local partners to support the implementation and sustaining of evidence-informed practice. This includes facilitating training, providing 1-2-1 support, developing resources, and working with clusters of schools and multi-agency partners in local areas.

You are this sort of person:

• You are fascinated about change and are experienced in making it happen.
• You understand the education sector and have extensive experience of working in and with education settings.
• You build strong professional communities and great relationships, facilitating inclusive spaces and helping people to connect.
• You have experience of supporting and developing education leaders.
• You learn fast but remain humble, caring more that good things happen than who gets the credit.
• You don't want your days to pass without making a difference.
• You understand young people and the lives of vulnerable young people.
• You are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

While it’s not a criteria, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting children and young people. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status, or social economic background.

Hybrid Working

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

To Apply

Please click on the "Apply for this" button and submit your CV, your completed monitoring form, and ensure your covering letter answers the specified questions. Please submit your application by Monday 8th June at 12pm.

Benefits Include:

• £1,000 professional development budget annually
• 25 days annual leave, 3 days end of year shut down, plus Bank Holidays
• Four half days for volunteering activities
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support
• Volunteering days - 4 half days per year
• Death in service - 4 times annual salary
• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm
• Financial support including travel and hardship loans
• Employer contributed pension of 5%

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. We do not share your data with other third parties unless your application for employment is successful.