Youth & Community Manager

YMCA South Midlands; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

YMCA South Midlands is seeking a dedicated Youth & Community Manager in Milton Keynes to lead day-to-day delivery of youth mentoring and community programmes. You will oversee safe, inclusive activities, coach a small team of staff and volunteers, and build strong partnerships with schools and local organisations to deliver funded projects and measured outcomes.

The role emphasizes safeguarding, outcomes, and a proactive, solutions-focused approach to expand opportunities for young people across

Qualifications

• Experience in youth services, community development or mentoring.
• Experience managing people, volunteers or projects.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage priorities.
• Ability to build positive partnerships with schools, councils and charities.
• Understanding safeguarding and creating inclusive environments.
• Experience monitoring outcomes and delivering against objectives.
• Proactive, solutions-focused approach and commitment to youth development.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of youth mentoring, youth engagement and community programmes to ensure safety and impact.
• Manage funded projects, including budgets and outcomes.
• Coach and develop a small team of staff and volunteers.
• Develop strong partnerships with schools, local authorities and community organisations.
• Monitor performance and demonstrate the difference the work makes.
• champion safeguarding and wellbeing of young people at the core of all activity.

Education

Degree-level qualification in social work / youth work / social science / education

Tools

DBS clearance

Job description

Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Contract: 3-year fixed-term contract

Location: Milton Keynes

We're delighted to be partnering with the National Lottery Community Fund as part of our Youth Mentoring MK project. Their funding and support means we're able to expand our mentoring support for children and young people across Milton Keynes, helping those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination to build confidence, improve their wellbeing and achieve their goals.

We're looking for a passionate and proactive Youth & Community Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of our youth and community services, making a real and lasting difference to young people across Milton Keynes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves working with people, enjoys leading a small team and has the drive to turn great ideas into meaningful outcomes.

What you'll be doing

As our Youth & Community Manager, you'll play a key role in ensuring our programmes deliver the best possible support and opportunities for young people.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading our services: Overseeing the delivery of youth mentoring, youth engagement and community programmes, ensuring they are safe, inclusive and impactful.
• Managing projects: Taking ownership of funded programmes, including our Youth Mentoring project, ensuring activities, budgets and outcomes are delivered successfully.
• Supporting your team: Managing, coaching and developing a small team of employees and volunteers, creating a positive and accountable team culture.
• Building partnerships: Developing strong relationships with schools, local authorities, charities and community organisations to create more opportunities for young people.
• Demonstrating impact: Monitoring performance, measuring outcomes and ensuring we can clearly demonstrate the difference our work is making.
• Championing safeguarding: Ensuring the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of young people remain at the heart of everything we do.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who combines a genuine passion for supporting young people with the confidence and organisational skills to manage services and deliver results.

You'll bring:

• Experience working in youth services, community development, mentoring or a similar environment.
• Experience managing people, volunteers, projects or community programmes.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• The confidence to build positive relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• An understanding of safeguarding and the importance of creating safe, inclusive environments.
• Experience monitoring performance, demonstrating outcomes and delivering against agreed objectives.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and a genuine commitment to making things better.

Above all, we're looking for someone who takes ownership, brings out the best in others and is motivated by seeing young people succeed.

A degree-level qualification in social work, youth work, a social science, education or another relevant field is highly desirable, but not essential.

Why join YMCA South Midlands?

We're more than a charity. We're a community of people who believe in the potential of every young person.

You'll be joining an organisation where your ideas matter, your contribution makes a difference and you'll have the opportunity to shape and develop services that genuinely change lives.

If you're ready to combine your passion for young people with your leadership and project management skills, we'd love to hear from you.

Safeguarding

YMCA South Midlands is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to complete appropriate safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and a children's barred list check where the role is eligible.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want every candidate to have the opportunity to perform at their best throughout our recruitment process.

If you have a disability, long-term health condition or are neurodivergent and would benefit from any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us at any stage. We'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Charity number: 1125743