Programme Manager, FT Schools

Financial Times; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading news organization is seeking a Programme Manager to enhance its FT Schools programme, providing access to quality information for students. This role involves strategizing growth initiatives, developing marketing for teachers and students, and overseeing operational excellence. Candidates should have a strong background in project management within the education sector and excellent communication skills. This position offers a hybrid working model and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Medical cover

Subsidised gym memberships

Flexible working pattern requests

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Programme/Project Manager in the education sector.
• Strong contacts within the education community.
• Ability to identify growth targets and monitor progress.

Responsibilities

• Strategise and implement initiatives to drive the FT Schools programme.
• Develop marketing strategies for teachers and students.
• Manage day-to-day operations of FT Schools and a growing team.

Skills

Programme/Project Management

Marketing to teachers and students

Strong presentational skills

Organizational skills

Stakeholder leadership

Classroom experience

Job description

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Build a newsworthy career at the FT.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.

The Role / Position Overview

The Financial Times is seeking a dynamic and experienced Programme Manager to drive the growth and engagement of its successful FT Schools programme. This flagship initiative provides free access to FT.com for 16-19 year old students, supporting their studies and future decision-making.

Sitting within the FT's Leaders Academy team, this role requires a highly motivated individual to work independently and collaboratively with Editorial and Commercial colleagues, particularly the FT Future Audiences Unit and the FT enterprise subscriptions team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategise and implement initiatives to accelerate FT Schools' growth beyond 6,000 schools and 70,000 active users, with a focus on key international markets like Japan, India and the US.
• Develop and implement marketing strategies to attract and engage teachers and students, encouraging FT.com usage in lessons.
• Monitor important data and dashboards to supervise progress towards agreed targets for school registrations and engagement.
• Maintain and improve engagement with registered schools.
• Lead and develop marketing content, including social media.
• Build and apply a user database to gather insights for sustainability, usability, and growth.
• Work on joint / related research projects with the FT Future Audiences Unit

Partnership & Advocacy:

• Lead engagement with FT Schools' external sponsor, overseeing deliverables such as special reports, webinars, and social media campaigns.
• Act as a strong, vocal advocate for FT Schools internally and externally, proactively promoting the programme.
• Regularly visit UK schools to assess needs and gather feedback.

Operational Excellence:

• Be responsible for the day-to-day operational running of FT Schools, ensuring efficient processes.
• Work closely with Customer Care to optimize the school registration process and troubleshoot challenges.
• Manage the student advocate/mentor programme.
• Manage a growing team of freelancers, interim specialists and volunteers who work on our student advocates/mentor programmes; teacher engagement initiatives and competitions.

Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience as a Programme/Project Manager, with a strong understanding of the education sector (specifically 16-19 year olds).
• Demonstrated success in marketing to teachers and students.
• Experience of managing people across multiple projects.
• Strong presentational skills.
• Good knowledge of curriculum requirements for 16-19 year olds.
• Strong contacts within the education community.
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills.
• Ability to identify growth targets, mobilize resources, and accurately monitor progress.
• Strong understanding of financial literacy, FT content, and the value of accurate news.
• Ability to strategize and problem-solve independently.
• Highly collaborative with strong stakeholder leadership skills.
• Understanding of how young people consume information.
• Classroom experience and the ability to adapt financial news content into thematic learning materials are highly valued.

What’s in it for you? Our benefits

Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community.

We’ve embraced a 50% hybrid working model (averaging two to three days onsite) that fosters trust and remote adaptability while encouraging in-person camaraderie and peer learning. Additionally, we are open to accommodating specific flexible working pattern requests for all roles where feasible.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email [e-mail] and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. The Financial Times is an equal opportunities employer.