Senior Partnerships Manager

Key information

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full time)

Start date: ASAP (we are happy to work with notice periods)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £41,905 - £45,090 per annum if based in London. £39,255 - £42,440 per annum if based in Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle or Nottingham, plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance.

Application deadline: Monday 11th May 2026

This application process will consist of 3 stages: Written application, Telephone interview and Assessment Centre (interview & presentation).

Role Summary

As a Senior Partnerships Manager at upReach, you will play a strategic leadership role in shaping the growth, quality, and impact of our partnerships at upReach.

Reporting to the Head of Partnerships within the Income Generation and External Engagement team, you will take strategic ownership of a portfolio of high-value partnerships (5, 6, and 7-figure) within the Tech and STEM sectors, alongside building crucial new partnerships in the sector. Moreover, you will have responsibility for delegated projects that strengthen our partnership strategy and visibility, you will line-manage members of the partnerships team, providing coaching, direction, and support to ensure the team consistently delivers high standards of stewardship, innovation, and income generation.

You ll act as a senior representative of upReach, cultivating relationships with high-level external stakeholders, championing collaboration across internal teams and identifying new opportunities to raise the visibility and influence of upReach to help drive our mission.

Core Responsibilities

You will play a critical leadership role in advancing upReach s mission by shaping and scaling high-impact, income-generating partnerships with top employers committed to social mobility. You will lead on delegated strategy projects, mentor and manage members of the partnerships team, and play a key role in upReach s organisational growth and influence.

Your work will directly support the charity s strategic partnership priorities: driving sustainable income growth, enhancing partnership impact, and increasing our brand visibility. This role offers scope to lead complex partnerships, influence internal strategy, and champion innovation in partnership delivery. While not exhaustive, your key areas of responsibility include:

Leadership of Employer Partnerships

• Lead the strategic management and growth of a portfolio of high-value, multi-year partnerships in Tech and STEM, ensuring strong alignment with upReach s mission and priorities.
• Oversee the quality and consistency of partnership engagement across the team, including partnership health reviews, ensuring best-in-class stewardship and measurable partner outcomes aligned with the Partnerships team's OKRs.
• Identify opportunities to deepen relationships, co-create new initiatives, and embed partners in long-term collaboration with upReach.
• Working closely with upReach s Programme teams to ensure partnerships and programmes are delivered to a high standard.

Develop and Secure New Partnerships

• Proactively identify, cultivate, and convert a pipeline of four-seven figure prospective partnerships aligned with upReach s mission and strategic goals.
• Lead high-quality prospecting and relationship-building activity, targeting income-generating partnerships that also deliver high-impact opportunities for Associates.
• Build strong relationships with key contacts at potential partners, including senior stakeholders within your sectors, through regular in-person and virtual meetings.
• Deliver compelling, insight-driven proposals and presentations tailored to organisational priorities and demonstrating mutual value.

Strategic Development

• Support the Head of Partnerships in setting partnership strategy and income targets, and contribute to organisational planning and forecasting.
• Analyse market trends to identify emerging opportunities and inform the evolution of upReach s partnership offer.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of new strategic initiatives that enhance income diversification and partnership sustainability.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure partnership activity is evidence-led, data-informed, and aligned to organisational objectives.

Management within the Partnerships Team

• Line manage a Junior Partnerships Manager, supporting their professional development and building team capabilities.
• Provide leadership and guidance in managing complex partnerships, offer escalation support, and ensure strategic consistency.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that values innovation, accountability, and shared success.
• Champion continuous improvement across the team, ensuring processes, tools, and resources support efficiency and growth.

Stakeholder Representation and Engagement

• Deputise, where required, for the Head of Partnerships as a senior representative of upReach at external meetings, conferences, and industry events, building influence and credibility across the social mobility landscape.
• Develop relationships with senior external stakeholders, including executive sponsors, industry leaders, and cross-sector collaborators.
• Serve as an ambassador for upReach s mission, promoting our partnership approach and outcomes to new and existing audiences.
• Use insight from partner feedback to inform organisational strategy and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Innovation

• Collaborate with Programme, Finance, Marketing, and Impact teams to ensure partnership activities are well-integrated, efficient, and mission-aligned.
• Support the continuous improvement of internal systems (CRM, contracting, invoicing, and reporting) to enable effective delivery and forecasting.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to design and deliver strategic campaigns, thought leadership, and storytelling that elevate upReach s employer partnerships nationally.
• Lead or contribute to cross-organisational projects that enhance income generation, innovation, or partnership experience.
• Uphold upReach s legal, ethical, and data protection responsibilities in all partnership activity.

Skills and Experience

• The ideal candidate for the Senior Partnerships Manager should display these behavioural skills:
• Exceptional organisational and project management skills, with the ability to lead complex projects and manage multiple strategic priorities autonomously.
• Confident and pragmatic decision-maker who exercises sound judgment and provides strategic direction in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience leading employer engagement, account management, new business development, or fundraising activity within a purpose-driven, education, or social mobility context.
• Proven ability to design and deliver partnership growth strategies that deepen engagement, generate mutual value, and contribute to organisational goals.
• Skilled communicator and influencer, capable of articulating complex ideas clearly and persuasively through written reports, presentations, and external representation.
• Collaborative leader with experience guiding and supporting colleagues across teams and functions to deliver shared objectives and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Proficient in using CRM or data management systems to oversee pipelines, generate insights, and inform strategic decision-making.

Desirable

• Strong understanding of ED&I, CSR, or early careers recruitment priorities and how they inform partnership strategy.
• Experience collaborating with marketing and communications teams to create strategic campaigns or content that enhances employer visibility and engagement.
• Experience in management or mentoring others to develop partnership capability and performance.

Team Culture & Benefits:

We offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working.
• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days and bank holidays. This increases to 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then to 3 additional days after 5 years of working with us.
• Birthday leave and Volunteering leave
• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members.
• 3% Pension Contribution, which increased to 5% after 5 years of working with us.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Monthly socials and annual wellbeing days
• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aid Training.
• Personal Development Budget, activated after 6 months in the role.
• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks:
  • Disability and Inclusion Network
  • Diverse Roots Network
  • Green Network
  • LGBTQ+ Network
  • Mindfulness Network
  • Parents and Carers Network
  • (Im)Migrants Network

Ready to apply?

We are committed to making our recruitment process inclusive. All applications will be blind screened, and our job packs are available in Braille, large text or another format upon request. We can provide reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment application process and on the job, and we'll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible click apply for full job details