Employability Events & Partnerships Manager
ThinkForward Employability Events & Partnerships Manager - London
Job information pack
About ThinkForward
ThinkForward exists to support young people to create better and brighter futures. We want them to be able to identify, realise and shape their aspirations and be ready to make a successful transition into work.
Young people experiencing barriers such as challenging relationships, living in low-income households, or growing up in areas with a lack of access to opportunities and can be confronted with hurdles. Without the right support these barriers can lead to high risks of unemployment and long-term effects on career and life chances.
There are more than 900,000 16-24-year-olds in the UK who are not at school or college, or don’t have a job or training place. Our ambition is to prevent young people becoming one of these statistics.
In 2026 we will be supporting more than 1,500 young people.
For more information on ThinkForward, our vision and mission, our programmes and equalities manifesto, please visit our website.
Our values
Our values are more than words; they are the principles that guide our actions and decisions every day. By embodying these values, we create a positive and empowering environment for ourselves, our colleagues, and the young people we serve.
Read more about how our values are embedded in our work here.
Authentic
Collaborative
Compassionate
Inclusive
Innovative
•
EDI Manifesto
ThinkForward is committed to being a place where all can thrive. We place equity, diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do as an employer, in our work with young people and within our sphere of influence. We value authenticity, compassion, collaboration, inclusion and innovation, and are intentional about underpinning these values with equity, diversity and inclusion practices.
We are working to create a world where our young people are more likely to thrive, and the absence of uniformity is considered a strength. We are wholeheartedly committed to continuously learning, challenging the status quo and creating a space where people’s ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disabilities, learning abilities or socio-economic origins are not the defining characteristics of their potential for success. We ensure that all voices are heard and that each person’s strengths are valued and utilised.
To embed our manifesto into ThinkForward practices, our EDI group is committed to continuous implementation and monitoring of key areas including representation, learning and education, policies and procedures, and accountability.
Our principles
ThinkForward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
ThinkForward is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
As a registered Disability Confident employer, ThinkForward has an accessible recruitment process. We offer interviews to all applicants who meet the job requirements and who declare themselves as having a disability. If you need support, such as materials in larger print, dyslexic-friendly fonts or adjustments for the interview, please contact jobs@thinkforward.org.uk and we will ensure you have what you require to successfully complete this process.
About our programmes
The FutureMe programme provides five years of personalised coaching and employability activities to get young people ready for the world of work. Coaches build trusted relationships, supporting young people to take control, find solutions to challenges, develop skills and create a positive vision for their future.
Specialised ready for work activities support young people to get familiar with the workplace, become inspired and identify a pathway to their chosen career. We run this programme in 15 schools in North and East London, Nottingham and Kent.
About our programmes
The Work Forward programme operates in London, Kent, and Nottingham, working with young adults aged 16 – 24 who reside in lowincome households to support them into sustainable paid employment.
The programme provides young people with a specialist Progression Coach for up to one year. Coaches offer support through one-to-one coaching sessions, group workshops and facilitating employer connections.
Young people on the programme have access to a range of support to help them identify their future aspirations, develop their skills, access peer support, and ultimately secure paid employment.
About our programmes
The Future Leaders programme works with young Black men and young Black and Asian women that are at risk of exclusion or have been excluded from mainstream school.
In London, young Black students are more likely to be excluded from school than white British students and young Black men experience disproportionately high unemployment rates.
To tackle these issues, Future Leaders supports Black students in alternative provisions and schools to make a successful transition into a post-16 destination, overcome the barriers they may face such as a lack of networks, social capital and soft skills, and prepare them to be ready to find a fulfilling career.
About the Employability Events & Partnership Manager role
We are looking for someone who shares our ambition that every young person has the confidence, independence and skills they need for a better and brighter future.
As part of our Development team, our Employability Events & Partnerships Managers play a key role in holding some of our valuable employer relationships and through the delivery of our essential ‘ready for work’ activities.
Working closely with our passionate and dedicated Delivery teams, this role is intrinsic to the success of our programmes. The successful candidate will:
• Project manage the end-to-end delivery of all Ready For Work events across the region, ensuring high-quality execution and stakeholder engagement
Demonstrate a strong process-driven approach, confidently utilising CRM systems to manage data, track progress, and support programme delivery
Bring enthusiasm and expertise in facilitating engaging, inclusive employability activities that prepare ThinkForward young people for further education and sustainable employment
• Build, develop, and maintain strong external corporate partnerships that support the delivery of progression and employability initiatives
• Influence ThinkForward’s careers guidance by providing insight and expertise on the local education and labour market landscape
• Use data effectively to plan, analyse, and evaluate employability and progression activities, ensuring quality, impact, and continuous improvement
• Cultivate and expand both new and existing corporate partnerships to enhance programme opportunities and reach
• Drive forward the job creation strategy in collaboration with corporate partners, creating meaningful employment pathways for young people
If this sounds like your ideal job, we’re keen to hear from you.
For job description and person specification details please click here
Please send your CV and answers to the following 4 questions to jobs@thinkforward.org.uk for consideration.
1. Event Delivery, Project Management & Inclusive Facilitation
Can you share an example of where you have project managed and delivered employability events or programmes, such as ‘ready for work’ activities?
Please describe how you ensured high-quality delivery across multiple priorities, used systems or processes (e.g. CRM) to stay organised, and embedded inclusive facilitation to engage young people from diverse backgrounds. We are also interested in how you managed behaviour, maintained engagement, and ensured participants developed skills relevant to further education or sustained employment.
2. Partnership Development & Job Creation
Describe your experience of building and maintaining relationships with external partners, such as employers or corporate organisations, to support employability outcomes.
How have you worked with partners to create meaningful opportunities for young people (e.g. work experience, jobs, or progression pathways)? Please include how you aligned partner needs with programme goals, contributed to job creation strategies, and ensured opportunities were inclusive and accessible.
3. Data, Insight & Programme Impact
How have you used data, local labour market insight, or feedback to plan, deliver, and improve employability activities or progression programmes?
Please include how you tracked impact (e.g. through CRM systems or evaluation methods), adapted delivery to improve quality and inclusion, and used insights to influence programme design, careers guidance, or partner engagement.
4. Collaboration, Communication & Stakeholder Alignment
Can you give an example of how you have worked collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to deliver successful employability initiatives?
How did you ensure clear communication, alignment of goals, and effective coordination across stakeholders, particularly when managing multiple priorities or funding requirements?
While we recognise that candidates may use tools to support their application, we’re especially keen to hear your own voice, reflections, and lived experience throughout your responses. These questions are an opportunity to help us understand how you approach collaboration, communication, inclusion and event delivery in practice.
The details
Contract:
Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Salary:
From £32,109
Start date:
August 2026
Location: London – onsite and community based, with some opportunity to work from home
Interview dates will be:
First Round: 16th June – online
Second Round: 23rd June – in person, location to be confirmed
ThinkForward offer a range of employee benefits including:
• 25 days annual leave, with incremental increases after 2 years service, up to 30 days per year.
• 3 additional days’ leave for office closure days between Christmas and new year
Flexible bank holidays
Up to 2 days’ leave for volunteering or 4 half days to support wellbeing
A commitment to personal development
• 4.5% employer pension contributions - 1.5% more than the statutory minimum of 3%
Interest free employee loans
Cycle to work scheme
Employee discounts and rewards scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
ThinkForward
0300 102 4475
info@thinkforward.org.uk www.thinkforward.org.uk
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