Partnership Manager (Growing Minds)

Partnership Manager (Growing Minds)

Location: Littlemore, Oxford (OX4 4HQ)

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time, 22 or 30 hours per week (we’re open to either 3 or 4 days per week)

Salary: Up to £31,600 per year (pro-rata, based on a full-time salary of £39,000 per year)

Peeple is a charity based in Oxford, dedicated to promoting the importance of the early years and

the vital role parents play in their child’s learning. Our purpose is to encourage parents and children

to learn together through everyday activities at home, working directly with families in Oxfordshire

and training practitioners from across the UK to deliver our programmes.

Growing Minds is a project bringing together experienced local organisations and evidence-based

early years interventions to improve school readiness and strengthen young children's life chances.

Delivered in collaboration with Home-Start Oxford and The Berin Centre, the project provides

coordinated support for local families. Click here to watch a short film of Growing Minds in action.

We have ambitious plans to expand Growing Minds beyond Berinsfield and Littlemore to reach

even more families. To support this, we’re looking for an experienced Partnership Manager to join

the Peeple team in Littlemore.

In this role, you’ll manage the Growing Minds partnership between Peeple, Home-Start Oxford and

The Berin Centre, and foster strong relationships with external partners and stakeholders. Reporting

to the Peeple CEO, you’ll oversee data systems across the project and lead a test-and-learn

approach to continuous improvement. You’ll also play a key role in establishing the Growing Minds

project in The Leys area.

What you’ll be doing:

Partnership and stakeholder management

•  Manage the Growing Minds Partnership between Peeple, Home-Start Oxford and The Berin

Centre, and lead relationships with wider community partners and stakeholders.

•  Coordinate delivery across all partners, ensuring the project is implemented effectively and

that families can access all appropriate elements of the Growing Minds service.

•  Review Partnership Agreements annually with project partners to ensure clarity, alignment

and effective collaboration.

•  Schedule, chair and minute regular partnership meetings across the project areas to support

good communication and shared learning.

•  Plan and organise project Learning Days, helping to share practice, insight and data across

the partnership.

Project leadership and delivery

•  Work with the Delivery Manager at Peeple, the Head of Family Support at Home‑Start, and

the Early Years Practitioner from The Berin Centre to manage the Growing Minds project,

ensuring effective delivery, proactive risk management, clear communication and high levels

of stakeholder satisfaction.

•  Maintain oversight of project objectives, delivery plans, workplans and reporting

requirements, ensuring progress is monitored and communicated effectively.

•  Facilitate strong collaboration between delivery teams across all partner organisations,

promoting shared learning, problem‑solving and consistent quality standards.

•  Lead the expansion of Growing Minds into The Leys area of Oxford, working closely with all

partners and local stakeholders to establish and embed the project.

Data, impact, and continuous improvement

•  Refine data collection and collation methods across the partnership and from other

stakeholders, ensuring reliable and useful information is captured.

•  Analyse project data to monitor progress against outcomes and demonstrate impact.

•  Use storytelling approaches to gather family stories, capturing rich qualitative insight

alongside quantitative data.

•  Prepare quarterly reports to inform internal review and contribute to reports for funders.

•  Lead project partners in a test‑and‑learn approach to support continuous improvement and

effective delivery.

Finance, monitoring, and reporting

•  Oversee the project budget, including authorising expenditure for project partners in line

with the agreed budget.

•  Work with the Peeple Finance Manager and Policy & Fundraising Lead to prepare the

annual project budget, and lead discussions with partners on the allocation of funds.

•  Report regularly to partners on income and expenditure against the agreed budget.

•  Coordinate data collection and produce reports, in collaboration with the Policy &

Fundraising Lead, for funders and the Peeple Board.

Policy and communications

•  Represent and advocate for Growing Minds and its partner organisations at local and

national policy levels.

•  Lead joint communications work with partners, agreeing shared and local messaging for the

project and ensuring consistent publication across partner websites and social media

channels.

•  Write and collate copy from partners to produce quarterly communications for donors and

supporters.

What we’re looking for:

Essential:

•  Experience of managing projects or programmes, including planning, delivery and

reporting.

•  Experience of working collaboratively with partners or stakeholders across multiple

organisations.

•  Strong organisational and project leadership skills, with the ability to manage competing

priorities and deadlines.

•  Analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive and flexible approach.

•  Experience of collecting and reporting qualitative and quantitative data, including for

funders or boards.

•  Experience of data management systems and using data to inform decision making.

•  Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation approaches.

•  Experience of monitoring project budgets and financial information.

•  Knowledge of GDPR regulations and compliance requirements.

•  Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and a commitment to inclusive practice.

•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective working

relationships.

•  Confidence using IT and digital tools to support project delivery.

•  Understanding of early years or family support work within the voluntary or community

sector.

•  A relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable:

•  Experience of early‑years, school‑readiness or family‑support programmes.

•  Experience of partnership or multi‑agency working within the third sector.

•  Knowledge of Oxfordshire’s early‑years or family‑support landscape.
•  Familiarity with the Peep Learning Together Programme.
•  Experience of contributing to funding applications or fundraising strategies.

•  Experience of policy engagement or influencing at local or national level.

•  Experience of communications work, including messaging and donor communications.

•  Experience of supporting service expansion into new areas.

The Peeple values:

Our values sit at the heart of how we work, and we’re looking for someone who shares this

approach.

Courage: we speak up, challenge ideas and decisions respectfully, and try new ways of doing

things, even when it feels scary.

Collaboration: we support each other, share our knowledge freely, and learn from each other.

Curiosity: we ask questions and explore how things can be done differently, more efficiently, or

creatively.

Kindness: we treat each other with compassion and respect.

How to apply

Download an application form from our website and email it to: jobs@peeple.org.uk.