Social Mobility Manager

JR United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Social Mobility Manager to join their Responsible Business Team in London. This full-time role involves driving the firm’s social mobility agenda, managing outreach programmes, and collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure impactful initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess strong project management skills, a deep understanding of social mobility challenges, and the ability to engage effectively with diverse teams. Join this innovative firm to make a meaningful difference in social mobility within the legal sector and beyond.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in social mobility and diversity & inclusion.
• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive progress on the social mobility agenda and manage outreach programmes.
• Track performance against key indicators and report on progress.

Skills

Social Mobility Expertise

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Data Analysis

Written Communication

Public Speaking

Diversity & Inclusion Knowledge

Job description

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We are offering an opportunity for an experienced Social Mobility Manager to join our London-based Responsible Business Team, to drive progress of the firm’s social mobility agenda.The role is full-time and permanent.

Social mobility is a key pillar of the firm’s Responsible Business strategy, and we are recognised as a market leader in this space. Following the launch of our 2023 social mobility targets, our initiatives in this area have expanded significantly. The Social Mobility Manager will play a role in ensuring delivery of key outreach components of the firm’s Social Mobility Action Plan. The Social Mobility Manager will be required to develop good relationships to work closely with key stakeholders across the firm—including HR, Responsible Business, early careers and recruitment teams, and senior leadership to achieve this.

The role will manage some of our outreach programmes and scholarship schemes, including managing our partnership with charities, delivery of programmes, managing evaluation and impact, and strengthening our client and external engagement in this space.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate and strategic professional to drive meaningful change in social mobility within the firm and the wider legal sector.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES //

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

• Work with internal stakeholders, to ensure a joined-up and impactful approach to deliver the Social Mobility Action plan, and to drive progress on social mobility initiatives.
• Track and report on progress against key performance indicators, identifying challenges, opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Keep up to date with best practices, external research, and policy developments in social mobility to refine and enhance the firm’s approach.
• Monitor, review and evaluate programmes and advise on continuous improvement to evolve current practices.
• Manage and strengthen the firm’s outreach and development programmes for students 18 years+ from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
• Work closely within the wider responsible business team to ensure alignment pre and post 18 years outreach programmes.
• Oversee the firm’s scholarship programmes, ensuring they are structured, impactful, and aligned with the firm’s broader social mobility objectives.
• Work closely with the Early Careers and recruitment teams to enhance practices around access and outcomes.

Data, Research & Reporting

• Contribute to the firm’s submission to the Social Mobility Employer Index, ensuring robust data collection and high-quality reporting.
• Manage evaluation and impact across post-18 years outreach programmes and schemes, making the relevant links with other programmes and recruitment and D&I teams to develop robust end to end systems.
• Act as the central point and expert on data tracking and monitoring of social mobility initiatives, working closely with HR and responsible business colleagues to measure impact effectively.
• Analyse internal and external data to identify trends, gaps, and areas for intervention, best practices providing insights to inform decision-making.

Client & External Engagement

• Develop and strengthen client engagement on social mobility, identifying opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
• Represent the firm at industry events, working groups, and roundtables, showcasing our leadership in social mobility.
• Foster relationships with external organisations, charities, and government bodies to further the firm’s social mobility objectives.

CANDIDATE PROFILE //

Candidates for this position must have:

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience in social mobility, diversity & inclusion, responsible business, early careers or HR within a professional services, corporate, or non-profit environment.
• Strong understanding of social mobility challenges, including barriers to entry, progression, and retention in the professions.
• Experience managing outreach programmes, partnerships, or scholarship initiatives that support individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to track, analyse, and report on progress effectively.
• Demonstrate high quality written communications
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior leaders, clients, and external partners.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams, ensuring a joined-up approach to social mobility initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience in data tracking, impact measurement, and reporting.
• Confident public speaker and communicator, able to represent the firm externally and contribute to thought leadership in social mobility.
• Previous experience working on social mobility within a professional services firm, or charity.
• Familiarity with recruitment and talent development processes, particularly as they relate to improving access and progression for underrepresented groups.
• Experience in submitting to benchmarking indices (e.g., Social Mobility Employer Index) and using data to drive strategy.

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status.