University Partnerships Manager

Salary : £20,004 pro rata (£33,340 Full Time Equivalent). The salary is £21,804 (£36,340 FTE) if your home-location is in a London Borough.

Reporting to: Director of Fundraising and Communications

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31st December 2027, part-time 3 days a week (22.5 hours per week)

Location: Remote (within England, Scotland, Wales). The role holder must be available at the London office bimonthly for in-person team meetings and as required for external or internal meetings and events, with occasional travel to partner universities (reasonable business travel costs are covered).

Closing date : Monday 28th September at 9am

Benefits:

25 days annual leave p.a (15 days pro rata), Bank Holidays and Winter closure (5 days).

PerkBox – offering nationwide shopping discounts, gym memberships, holidays, learning and much more.

Employee Assistance Programme, a 24-hour helpline for staff.

Paid wellbeing day.

Online Medical assistance – access 24/7 to a qualified GP within minutes, with referrals and prescriptions available same-day.

Interest-free travelcard loans.

Cycles scheme loans.

Two paid Volunteering Days.

Employer’s pensions contributions (3%).

CPD options with a business case aligned with strategic objectives.

About the organisation

We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and make the most of their education. We’re passionate about reducing the educational barriers our students face, helping them to pursue a career in their chosen field and follow their dreams.

Our mission is to support students from under-resourced backgrounds to access top universities, through a unique combination of tuition and in-school mentoring. We work with them to make good applications, get the grades and transition to university.

The programme combats educational inequality and improves social mobility by raising students’ grades and supporting them to understand the pathway to a top university. Young people on our programme are 50% more likely to place at a top university compared to statistically similar students.

Safeguarding Statement

The Access Project is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our safeguarding system is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation.

Why work at The Access Project

People who work at The Access Project are motivated by the desire to create a fairer society. We all play an active part in achieving the mission to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds access top universities. At The Access Project, we’re a friendly, collaborative, supportive and inclusive team, with passionate people working together in Delivery, Sales and Partnerships, Strategy, Finance and Operations to achieve our mission.

The vision of our people strategy is to enable and inspire all employees to achieve, grow, succeed and thrive. We regularly have opportunities for people to share their ideas in various working groups, generating strong teamwork across the organisation.

We value every individual who works at The Access Project and we have a wide range of benefits that make this a rewarding place to work. In our last staff engagement survey, over 90% said their ideas and opinions count.

Our values

Empowerment

We support students and our people to develop the skills and knowledge to accomplish their goals.

Courage

We encourage our students and our people to be authentic, innovative and ambitious in order to reach their full potential and deliver our mission.

Impact

We evolve our programmes through an evidence-led approach, supporting our students to achieve their best outcomes.

Inclusion

We respect and value individuality and engage diverse voices to achieve our mission.

Ownership

We hold ourselves accountable in all our actions and efforts. We ask “What can I do to improve my results?”

About the Role

Purpose of the role

The Access Project has a growing portfolio of university partnerships built around shared aims: widening access to top universities for students from under-resourced backgrounds and supporting universities to advance their own access and participation commitments. These partnerships are central to our long-term growth and impact.

Partnership stewardship

The Universities Partnership Manager will steward these funder relationships, ensuring partners receive excellent account management, timely communication and high-quality impact reporting. The role will also ensure The Access Project delivers on its commitments to funders while identifying opportunities to deepen and develop each partnership.

This role will suit someone who combines strong interpersonal and account management skills with an entrepreneurial approach. The successful candidate will enjoy building relationships, communicating with a range of stakeholders and producing clear, engaging reports. They will also bring a good working knowledge of the higher education landscape and relevant policy areas.

What you will bring

We are looking for a dynamic relationship manager with excellent communication skills, sound judgement and a collaborative mindset. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of a growing organisation committed to educational equity.

Key Responsibilities

Account management and stewardship

Account manage a portfolio of university partnerships, ensuring excellent stewardship and impact reporting and timely responses to enquiries.

Work effectively across The Access Project to pool knowledge and connections to universities, consulting relevant stakeholders on decisions about funding and volunteering opportunities.

Maintain a database of all our university partnerships and key project milestones.

Work with colleagues across the organisation to plan and deliver high-quality events, engagement opportunities and cultivation activities that strengthen supporter relationships and contribute to income growth.

Act as an ambassador for The Access Project, building and maintaining strategic relationships with key external partners, networks and influencers.

Support the renewal process for university partnerships, working proactively with partners to demonstrate impact, address challenges and secure continued or increased funding.

2. Develop expertise

Keep up to date with Higher Education and Widening Participation policy and landscape.

Monitor sector trends and maintain a strong external network to identify emerging opportunities and best practice.

3. Proposal development

Work with the Director of Fundraising and Communications to develop university fundraising offers and proposals.

Support the CEO and Director to identify, research and qualify prospective university partners, developing targeted approaches to build new relationships and generate income.

4. Lead generation and awareness raising

Raise The Access Project's presence in the Widening Participation and Access sector, working with our communications team to create and identify opportunities to raise our profile. This would include monitoring sector news and helping to develop relevant content to increase awareness of The Access Project within the higher education sector

Work with the Director of Fundraising & Comms and the Communications team to create materials, both on and offline, that will reach and attract university widening participation audiences.

5. Cross-organisational contribution

Model the tone and behavioural expectations of The Access Project amongst staff

Manage significant cross-team projects

Contribute to the achievement of the charity’s wider organisational goals

Work collaboratively across regions as required

6. Governance, Compliance and Reporting

Ensure all fundraising activity is compliant with UK regulations and sector best practice.