Young Craft Citizens (YCC) Network Manager

Crafts Council; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work/Scheme

Job summary

Crafts Council is seeking a Network Manager for the Young Craft Citizens (YCC) programme. The role leads the London Hub as a flagship model, develops a scalable national Hub network, and builds partnerships with regional Craft UK organisations to expand membership and impact.

You will manage programme administration, reporting, and stakeholder engagement across a national framework, with a hybrid working pattern and a focus on equity and inclusion in craft careers.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering education, learning or participation programmes.
• Strong project management and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and partnership-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the London Hub as a centre of excellence and scale a national YCC Hub network.
• Build and manage partnerships with regional organisations to establish regional Hubs.
• Grow and engage YCC membership nationwide and monitor delivery against targets.

Job description

Permanent (Full-time)

Job Description

Job Title

Young Craft Citizens (YCC) Network Manager.

Salary

£30,000 to £40,000 gross per annum, dependent on experience and based on full-time working (pro rata for part-time / annualised working).

Contract and Hours

Permanent, full-time, 36.25 hours per week. Role to commence ASAP from January 2027 onwards.

A typical working day is 9.15-5.30pm, including a lunch break (unpaid). We support flexible working and part-time arrangements where it is appropriate for the role.

We promote hybrid working with three days per week worked at our office and gallery for full-time staff, and two days per week office and gallery working for part‑time staff.

Wednesday is a whole team office and gallery day when staff meetings take place.

Location

Crafts Council Office and Gallery is based on the Pentonville Road in Islington, London, with some hybrid / home working.

Reporting to

Senior Learning and Skills Manager (line manager) with some reporting to Senior Communities and Membership Manager.

Managing

The role will provide day‑to‑day supervision and support for YCC Paid Placements and coordinate YCC Maker Facilitators, as required.

Working Closely With

Learning and Skills team, Craft Ecology team including Membership, Communications team, YCC Maker Facilitators.

Copy of full job description:- Job Description - Crafts Council Young Craft Citizens (YCC) Network Manager .pdf

Join Us

Crafts Council is the national charity for craft. We believe craft has the power to transform lives; enriching everyday experience, inspiring creativity, strengthening communities and expanding opportunity.

Craft matters. It connects people to materials, skills, creativity and culture. It shapes how we live, make and imagine the future.

At Crafts Council, we champion craft and the people who make it. We support makers at every stage of their journey; from young people discovering craft for the first time to established makers building sustainable creative businesses.

Community sits at the heart of our work.

About the Role

Young Craft Citizens (YCC) works with young people to open up pathways into craft and the wider creative sector. Together, we build creative, professional and leadership skills, with a clear focus on supporting those affected by racism, classism, ableism, and their intersections.

In May 2027, YCC marks its 10‑year anniversary. This milestone is an opportunity to expand the programme's reach and impact through the development of a national YCC Hub network, connecting and supporting members across the UK.

The YCC programme has a strong, established London-based core. This acts as a national flagship, creating a safe, inclusive space for learning, connection, joy and community. National membership is expected to reach circa 1,000 individuals this year and grow rapidly as we approach the 10‑year anniversary.

Building on the London flagship, YCC aspires to develop a network of regional Hubs in partnership with Craft UK organisations.

These Hubs will:

• Support YCC members in their local areas
• Strengthen connection to regional craft ecologies
• Increase accessibility and participation across the UK
• Enable growth in membership, reach and impact

This role will lead the development and delivery of the YCC Hub network, overseeing its growth and ensuring best practice through the London Hub as a centre of excellence. It will drive national delivery, strengthen membership engagement, and support the expansion and diversification of the YCC community.

Role Focus

This role combines hands‑on programme coordination and administration with youth programme leadership, community building and strategic development.

You will:

• Lead the London Hub as a centre of excellence and best practice
• Shape and implement the national Hub model
• Build and manage partnerships with regional organisations
• Grow and engage the YCC membership nationally
• Ensure high‑quality, inclusive and impactful programme delivery
• Deliver robust administrative processes and reporting
• Capture the impact of the programme through evaluation
• Support fundraising in support of YCC programme ambitions

Core Responsibilities

Programme and Hub network management

• Lead the delivery and ongoing development of the YCC programme, establishing the London Hub as a flagship model of best practice
• Develop and implement a scalable national YCC Hub network, rooted in the London Hub and aligned with organisational strategy
• Build and manage partnerships with Craft UK organisations to establish and sustain regional Hubs

Youth and member engagement

• Act as the primary point of contact for YCC members, ensuring a responsive and inclusive experience.
• Lead on membership growth and engagement, meeting recruitment, retention and participation targets.

Programme administration and reporting

• Maintain effective systems and processes to support the smooth day‑to‑day running of YCC and the Hub network.
• Coordinate programme administration, including member and partner records, scheduling, documentation and programme communications.
• Monitor delivery against agreed plans, targets and budgets, providing accurate and timely internal reporting.
• Maintain accurate programme data and records in line with GDPR and organisational requirements.
• Support fundraising activity.

Communications and advocacy

• In collaboration with Comms colleagues, plan and deliver a targeted communications approach to raise the profile of YCC and drive engagement.
• Oversee the delivery of regular member communications, including newsletters and digital content.
• Curate and share opportunities for employment, training and skills development across the network.

Impact and evaluation

• Lead on data collection, monitoring and reporting to demonstrate programme reach and impact.
• Use insight and feedback to continuously improve the programme, ensuring it responds to the evolving needs of members.

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who believes in the power of craft as a force for change and is committed to supporting marginalised young people to overcome barriers to engagement and progression into craft careers. You will be a confident and collaborative communicator, drawing on excellent project management skills to bring together a diverse national network of partners, practitioners and young people to build a connected, inclusive and thriving YCC community.

You will also bring:

• Experience developing and delivering education, learning or participation programmes.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Evidenced administrative and organisational skills.
• Experience monitoring and reporting against programme targets.
• Passion for championing craft and creative, hands‑on learning in education and career progression into the creative industries.
• Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships across education, culture and community sectors.
• Experience growing and supporting networks, communities and practitioner groups.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience creating engaging content and resources.
• Confident facilitator, presenter and advocate for learning and participation.
• Experience using data, evaluation and insight to improve programmes and demonstrate impact.

Values

You will demonstrate alignment with Crafts Council's values:

• Pioneering - exploring new ideas and possibilities
• Open - welcoming diverse perspectives and voices
• Playful - embracing curiosity and creativity
• Active - making things happen
• Collaborative - working together to achieve more

General

You will:

• Champion our values of being pioneering, open, playful, active and collaborative
• Understand the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and be committed to accessibility and social justice
• Work collaboratively across teams and with external partners
• Contribute to our organisational impact framework supporting makers of today, makers of tomorrow and changemakers
• Work within Crafts Council policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and GDPR
• Undertake any duties reasonably required for the role

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As a small but dedicated team, we are committed to being open, welcoming and inclusive for all. We aim to support you throughout your time with us and including during this recruitment process. Please let us know how we can best support you and we will do our very best to make that happen.

On joining us we will continue to work with you to ensure your needs are met to help you thrive at work. You are very welcome to contact our HR team via [email protected] for further support and we will always be happy to talk through any questions or requests you may have.

Discover more about our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and plan here.

Our Employee Benefits

We offer a flexible, friendly and supportive working environment, with a range of benefits and opportunities to help you develop within and beyond your role.

Our employment benefits include:

• 7% Employer and 3% employee pension contribution*
• Flexible and hybrid working for staff, where possible for role
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays per year, pro rata for part time staff
• Discretionary additional paid leave between Christmas and New Year
• Enhanced Company Sick Pay offering up to 65 days basic pay in any rolling 12‑month period.
• Competitive Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental Leave policy
• Home life leave
• Regular training opportunities and personal learning time
• House moving day.
• Employee Assistance Programme including in‑person counselling.
• Interest free Season Ticket Loans and Cycle to Work scheme.

* Our pension scheme includes generous employer contributions. If you contribute 3%, we will contribute 7% of qualifying earnings, as defined by the pensions regulator. Staff whose earnings are over £833 per month will be auto enrolled after 3 months, but you will be able to opt into the scheme earlier than this if you wish, or if your earnings are under this level.

Discover more about Crafts Council here