Catalyst Partnerships Manager

The Open University; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

The Open University in Edinburgh is seeking a Partnerships Manager to develop and sustain external relationships with schools, colleges, local authorities and government, across Scotland and the UK.

You will oversee a portfolio of partnership projects, evaluate learning outcomes, and design innovative models using OU curricula to support students and partners, with occasional travel to partner campuses.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing and coordinating collaborative partnerships.
• Experience leading projects with reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
• Knowledge of post-16 education in Scotland and widening access.
• Understanding of part-time adult learners and distance learning challenges.
• Excellent communication with internal and external audiences; presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic planning and external engagement for OU in Scotland.
• Develop and maintain relationships with external partners and stakeholders.
• Manage partner projects with record-keeping, reporting and governance.
• Contribute to OU Scotland’s strategic framework goals and commitments.
• Create materials and events to support external engagement and outreach.
• Contribute to data collection, evaluation, and dissemination of findings.
• Identify opportunities to publicise successes and share impact.
• Assist in budget awareness, forecasting and value assessment.
• Support funding opportunities and proposal development.

Skills

Partnership management

Project reporting

Evaluation & impact analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Presentation skills

Interpersonal skills

Initiative & decision making

Organisational skills

Adaptability

Job description

Change your career, change lives

Job Location: Edinburgh, Remote/Hybrid

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Fixed Term Contract: End Date: 31 July 2029

Welsh Language: Not Applicable

The Open University is the UK's largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education, combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

The Open University is the most popular university in Scotland for flexible, part-time study. Social justice is at our core: our high quality education is accessible to all, regardless of age, income, qualifications or geography.

Working with our partners, from employers and trade unions, to schools and voluntary sector groups, we deliver personalised, supported open learning to a wide range of people at every stage of life.

The Partnerships Manager will play a key role in supporting our ambitions in relation to identifying, developing and sustaining partnerships that benefit learners across the length and breadth of the country.

You will develop and support a range of initiatives to enhance The Open University in Scotland’s (OUiS) external engagement work, particularly in relation to our work with educational institutions including schools, colleges, local authorities, representative bodies, government and third sector partners.

The post holder will be responsible for a portfolio of projects and activities. Working with external partners and with academic colleagues, you will identify, develop and grow a portfolio of initiatives.

The post holder will be expected to use their skills and expertise to identify opportunities and develop activities with a range of existing and new external partners. You will be responsible for developing innovative partnership models to support our activities, utilising the OU’s extensive curriculum and unique delivery methods to service the needs of partners and students.

You will also undertake evaluation work, ensuring our approaches to partnerships and our learning outcomes and impacts are based on a strong evidence base.

Work Location

Each Catalyst Partnership Manager will be located at one of the following partner college campuses, with an expected on-site presence of approximately 2 to 3 days per week:

• Borders College (Galashiels Campus)
• Dumfries & Galloway College (Stranraer Campus)
• Fife College (Dunfermline Campus)
• Glasgow Kelvin College (Springburn Campus)

Travel expenses to the partner college campus will not be reimbursed. However, travel expenses for journeys to the Edinburgh office will be covered.

Attendance at the Edinburgh office will be required approximately once per month for team meetings, with associated travel expenses covered.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the strategic planning and implementation of the OU in Scotland’s external engagement work, taking a central role in deepening and developing our work with external organisations including educational institutions including schools, colleges, local authorities, representative bodies, government and third sector partners, universities and other stakeholders within the Scottish and UK education systems.
• Establish, develop and maintain positive relationships with external and internal partners to facilitate the development of appropriate, innovative and effective opportunities.
• Manage a number of partner relationships and projects, with a particular focus on educational pathways and supporting students in transition, maintaining appropriate processes including record keeping, reporting and project management.
• Contribute to the achievement of OU in Scotland’s Strategic Framework objectives and other internal and external commitments.
• Develop and manage a range of activities and materials to support our external engagement work including partner meetings, external events, promotional materials and online and social messaging.
• Contribute to evaluation activity, data collection and analysis, report writing and other dissemination activity.
• Identify opportunities to promote, publicise and share successes.
• Contribute to the overview of budgets in your work area, including forecasting, monitoring and ensuring best value.
• Work alongside colleagues to identify appropriate funding opportunities and contribute to proposals to develop activities and outputs in your portfolio.
• Analyse relevant data and write and produce reports for internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to internal and external groups and committees as appropriate.

About You

Essential

• Previous experience of managing, developing, and coordinating collaborative partnerships.
• Previous experience of leading projects including project reporting, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Knowledge of the post-16 education sector in Scotland, including Further and Higher Education, and an understanding of current policy drivers in Scotland in relation to post-16 education and widening access.
• Knowledge and experience of supporting widening participation in the context of higher education, including an understanding of the needs of part-time adult learners and the challenges facing students in a distance learning context.
• Experience of writing and communicating with internal and external audiences, including presentation skills e.g. presenting your work to internal colleagues and at external events.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and experience of building strong relationships with a range of stakeholders and partners.
• The ability to work on your own initiative, to make considered decisions and to work in an open and collegiate way.
• Excellent organisational abilities, particularly in relation to a diverse and demanding work portfolio.
• Resilient and adaptable to change, including being open to ideas and possibilities and can respond positively to challenges and setbacks.

Desirable

• An understanding of distance learning.
• Experience and confidence in working with complex data sets.
• Experience of organising events, online and face-to-face.
• Previous experience in managing projects in a Further or Higher Education Setting.

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure Scotland check as part of the pre-employment screening process.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact 01908 541111 or email [e-mail] quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

It is anticipated interviews will take place week commencing 16 November 2026 and will consist of a panel interview and presentation.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

Contact us

If you have any queries or questions about the recruitment process, or regarding your application, please contact: [e-mail].

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Please use our AL home page to find AL vacancies.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.