Youth Engagement Officer

Association of Association Executives; London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

The Association of Association Executives is seeking a motivated Youth Engagement Officer to drive initiatives that empower young people to influence educational policies and practices. In this hybrid role, you will support campaign activities, engage with decision-makers, and coordinate exciting youth-led events, contributing to a fairer future for all children.

Benefits

38 days Annual Leave and 3-day winter Holidays

Employer contribution 6%

Cash plan healthcare package

Big 8 leadership training

Qualifications

• Experience working with diverse young people to achieve goals.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops.
• Basic safeguarding knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage youth engagement strategies.
• Facilitate youth forums and events.
• Support the Youth Summit and Engagement events.

Skills

Passion for reducing inequality in education

Good verbal and written communication in English

Interpersonal and teamwork skills

Excellent organisational skills

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Teams, Zoom)

Job description

Fair Education Alliance (FEA) unites 300 member organisations under a shared vision that no child’s success is limited by their socioeconomic background. Our members (charities and social enterprises, think tanks, businesses and foundations, youth organisations, unions, universities and schools) are working collectively to create an inclusive system.

We exist to close the gap in educational outcomes between children from low-income households and their wealthier peers.This autumn, we’re kicking off our next strategic phase, which will take our work from neighbourhood to national, building a movement for systems change towards a fairer future for children and young people.

About the role

This role will play a critical part in the success of taking this work forward. As the Youth Engagement Officer, you will work with our Head of Youth Engagement to ensure our Youth Steering Group can lead their own campaign activities, engage directly with decision makers, and collaborate with other young people to bring about the change they want to see. You will also support and manage the logistics of our Youth Summit, Youth Engagement Working Group and other youth engagement events.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage youth engagement strategies that empower young people to influence FEA’s priorities and actions.
• Facilitate regular youth forums, workshops, and events to gather insights, amplify the youth voice, and promote active participation.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of the Fellowship Programme, supporting young people with lived experience of educational inequality to build leadership skills and contribute to policy change.
• Coordinate training, mentoring, and development opportunities for youth participants.

Partnership Building:

• Work collaboratively with schools, youth organisations, and local communities to recruit and support a diverse range of young people.
• Foster partnerships that enable sustained youth involvement and inclusive engagement practices.

Advocacy & Campaigns:

• Support the design and implementation of youth-led campaigns aligned with the Fair Education Alliance’s mission.
• Ensure youth perspectives inform policy submissions, reports, and public messaging.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• Track the impact of youth engagement initiatives through qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Use feedback and insights to continuously improve engagement practices and ensure they are inclusive and effective.

Internal Collaboration:

• Act as a liaison between the youth participants and internal teams to integrate youth perspectives into all FEA workstreams.
• Support the Communications team in sharing stories, insights, and outcomes from youth engagement activities.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Passion for reducing inequality in education.
• Commitment to working with young people as equal partners and supporting their leadership.
• Experience working with young people from diverse backgrounds and supporting them to achieve their goals.
• Experience in planning and facilitating in-person and online workshops with young people.
• Basic safeguarding knowledge and experience in risk assessment activities involving young people.
• Good verbal and written communication in English- compelling, clear, and grammatically correct.
• Good interpersonal and teamwork skills and experience of working collaboratively with others.
• Experience of self-directed problem solving, e.g,. Use the resources and people available to find solutions to your challenges.
• Experience of being self-motivated, staying focused, and working independently.
• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to balance multiple projects and deadlines at the same time and prioritise where necessary.
• Good IT skills, confident using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Experience using virtual meeting platforms such as Teams or Zoom.
• Experience with logistics such as searching for, comparing, and booking transport, accommodation, and suppliers.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience supporting youth participation programmes, youth boards, youth steering groups, and young trustees.
• Experience of volunteering, campaigning, and doing youth social action related to education or reducing inequality in the UK.
• Experience in influencing decision makers. Members of Parliament, civil servants, local authorities, unions, school leaders, and other policy makers. Knowledge of children’s rights and participation models.
• Understanding or lived experience of the education and youth sectors in England.
• Knowledge of how to use social media, including LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
• Experience in event planning
• 38 days Annual Leave and 3-day winter Holidays, plus 8 bank holidays
• Employer contribution 6%
• Cash plan healthcare package
• Big 8 leadership training.

Conditions of employment

• You must have the right to work in the UK

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
• We would be happy to provide further support that you may require - please get in touch with us via [e-mail] if you would like to discuss with us

Interviews

• Candidates will be notified by the end of the day on Tuesday, 8th July 2025
• First-round interviews: 16th and 17th July (online)
• Second-round interviews: 31st July (in-person at our London Victoria office)

We are committed to recruiting a workforce that reflects the population and will prioritise applications from historically underrepresented people, including from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, those from working-class backgrounds, and people who have experienced other forms of exclusion or marginalisation.

We want to cultivate a fair and inclusive environment where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We have tried to make this recruitment process as accessible as possible, but know that there might be more that we can do, particularly if you have experienced exclusion, disadvantage, or discrimination, or if you have particular accessibility needs.

The job vacancy information provided here is from third-parties and the AAE can not guarantee the accuracy of the information.