Social Impact Ventures Manager (MEC)

The University of Manchester; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Annual leave

EV car/ride to work scheme

Job summary

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at The University of Manchester seeks a Social Impact Ventures Manager to lead the delivery and development of MEC’s Social Impact Pathway. The role involves coordinating workshops, events and resources to support student and early-career founders in developing ventures with social and environmental impact.

You will work closely with MEC colleagues and the wider University innovation ecosystem to recruit cohorts, manage budgets, milestone tracking and

Qualifications

• Highly organised and collaborative, with strong experience in social enterprise or social innovation.
• Confident delivering engaging workshops and coaching early-stage founders.
• Able to manage programmes and coordinate diverse participants.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery and development of MEC’s Social Impact Pathway.
• Coordinate and run workshops, hackathons, ideation events and associated activities.
• Oversee Manchester Impact Ventures: cohort recruitment, onboarding, and milestone tracking.
• Manage budgets, reporting and KPI tracking for impact outcomes.
• Build a pipeline of social ventures and collaborate with mentors, investors and external partners.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Workshop facilitation

Coaching

Job description

MEC Social Impact Manager

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) is The University of Manchester’s focal point for student entrepreneurship, enterprise education and early-stage venture support. As one of the UK’s leading centres for applied entrepreneurship education, MEC supports students, graduates and early-career researchers from all disciplines to develop entrepreneurial skills, explore new ideas and create ventures with economic and social impact.

We are seeking a Social Impact Ventures Manager to lead the delivery and development of MEC’s dedicated Social Impact Pathway. This is an exciting opportunity to support aspiring social entrepreneurs and purpose-led innovators as they explore, test and grow ideas that respond to social and environmental challenges.

Working closely with colleagues across MEC and the wider University innovation ecosystem, you will coordinate an inclusive programme of support for students, early-career researchers and recent graduates. You will help participants move from early curiosity through to idea validation, venture development and access to relevant networks, mentoring, funding and wider ecosystem opportunities.

The role will involve managing MEC’s three-stage Social Impact Pathway, supporting activity across Explore, Build and Grow. You will coordinate workshops, hackathons, ideation events, digital and physical resources, showcase activity and participant communications. You will also lead the delivery of Manchester Impact Ventures, including cohort recruitment, selection, onboarding, programme coordination, budget administration, milestone tracking and impact reporting.

You will play an important role in building a strong pipeline of emerging social ventures and helping promising founders access the right support at the right stage. This will include working with mentors, social entrepreneurs, impact investors, academic colleagues, student societies and external partners across Greater Manchester and the wider UK social enterprise sector.

We are looking for a highly organised and collaborative individual with strong experience in social enterprise, social innovation or venture support. You will be confident delivering engaging workshops, coaching early-stage founders and managing programmes that support diverse participants to develop purposeful, viable ventures. You will also bring strong communication skills, excellent attention to detail and a commitment to inclusive, founder‑friendly support.

As a core part of Unit M, the University’s dedicated innovation arm, MEC contributes to a wider innovation ecosystem designed to unlock the University’s potential as a major regional innovation asset. This role offers the opportunity to work at the heart of that ecosystem, helping the next generation of changemakers build ventures that create meaningful social and environmental impact.

Please note:

Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 12th October.

(Grades 6-9)

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy.

Enquiries About The Role, Shortlisting And Interviews

Name: Prof. Lee Pugalis

Email: [e-mail]

General enquiries and administrative support

[e-mail]

Technical and job portal support

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars (with person specification) linked below.