upReach - Director of Income Generation and External Engagement
WELCOME
We’re delighted you’re considering joining us at upReach as our new Director of Income Generation and External Engagement. At upReach, we believe no student should have their future career limited by their socio-economic background.
upReach is one of the UK's leading social mobility charities and exists to help undergraduate students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to secure top graduate jobs. We achieve this through working closely in partnership with leading employers and universities to deliver a programme of 1-to-1 coaching to eligible undergraduates. upReach has 85 staff across offices in Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and London (I am based in the Manchester office).
The students supported by upReach - known as Associates - are all exclusively state-school educated in the UK and most of them had a household income of less than £25K and are the first generation of their family to go to university. While upReach is focused on supporting young people from the most challenging socio-economic backgrounds, the gender balance on our programmes is roughly 50-50 and around 70% of Associates are from an ethnic minority or mixed race background.
The careers support offered by upReach is highly personalised, and every single Associate has a named member of the upReach staff team as their 1:1 career coach. Associates often join upReach in their first year of university and enjoy this 1:1 support and an extensive range of resources and experiences throughout their time at university. This means that Associates are able to show their true potential to graduate employers and to compete successfully for graduate jobs against students from far more privileged backgrounds.
We proudly hold a Queen’s Award for Enterprise as a testament to the quality and impact of our work on social mobility. A recent external evaluation of our work by the National Centre for Social Research, due to be published this summer, has again given the upReach family abundant and powerful evidence that our model works.
This is a key appointment to our Senior Leadership Team and will be a critical part of the future of upReach and our impact. The role reports to me as the CEO, which I hope will be considered a ‘plus’ by applicants. Right across upReach, we have a vibrant culture of ‘high performance and high wellbeing’.
Currently in the last year of our 2024-2027 strategy, the SLT, our Trustees and I are busy pulling together the next Strategy for upReach. We are fortunate to be able to do this from a position of strength and success. Despite the serious challenges in the wider UK charity sector, upReach is thriving and growing; we are free to be bold and imaginative about the future of our work together on social mobility.
This role will play an important part in shaping the new strategy as well as ensuring our income levels continue to grow to match our ambitions. Plus, ensuring our events, marketing, and communications continue to enhance the profile and reputation of upReach This is a truly exciting opportunity to boost the work of one of the UK’s most credible and respected charities at a critical moment for social mobility.
We hope this job pack will shed some more light on the full potential of this role and upReach, and we hope to receive your application.
Nick Bent, CEO of upReach
ABOUT UPREACH
Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects? upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. Our work is important because right now a student from disadvantaged background who gains a first-class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2.
Founded in 2012, we are an award-winning charity working in close partnership with leading employers and universities to deliver a programme of 1-to-1 coaching to eligible undergraduates. This year we will provide personalised employability support to 3,400 students from across the UK, helping them to discover different career options, and develop the vital skills, networks and experiences needed to succeed in their chosen career and beyond
To find out more about how we support our students, visit our website, read our Annual Report, and 2024-27 Strategy.
FACTS AND FIGURES FROM THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR
Director of Income Generation and External Engagement
KEY INFORMATION
Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London
Hours: 37.5 hours
Start date: As soon as possible, but we are happy to work with you and your notice period.
Duration: Permanent
Salary: £70-80k plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance
Position: Senior Leadership Team role reporting directly to the CEO.
ROLE SUMMARY
It is an exciting time to join the team, with income growing year on year and an increasing awareness of our brand. This year we will support 3,400 Associates and raise £5 million, and we expect both Associate numbers and income to continue to grow in 2026/2027, the final year of our current strategic period. We are also in the process of writing an ambitious new strategy for 2027-2030, which this role offers the chance to help form. Our goal is to transform lives through our 1:1 employability support to undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs. With the autonomy to shape and drive innovative income streams and engagement initiatives you will play a pivotal role in directly contributing to the charity’s impact.
Collaborating with an expert team and high-profile stakeholders, you will foster meaningful relationships and inspire change. You will be responsible for developing strategies and business plans which focus on income diversification, both through philanthropy and commercial income. You will lead on external engagement with key target audiences to build the brand, communicate the mission and mobilise resources for the delivery of the strategy.
This is a senior role that reports directly into the CEO and would be a member of the six-person Senior Leadership Team. It would suit an individual with a passion for improving social mobility, experience in leading an income generation team and who is used to operating in a fast-paced environment.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director of Income Generation and External Engagement will contribute to upReach's mission by delivering the charity’s ambitious philanthropic and commercial income stream and engagement strategies. You will be responsible for motivating and developing the Income Generation and Engagement teams, inspiring and leading a high performance culture.
You will represent the charity at relevant networking events, lead on the upReach Development Board and act as an ambassador for the organisation.
Reporting to the CEO, you will manage three direct reports (Head of Fundraising and Events, Head of Partnerships and Head of Marketing and Communication) and will work collaboratively with the Senior Leadership Team and across the organisation.
The Core responsibilities include:
Strategy and Leadership
• Lead a high performing team to realise financial targets (2025/26: £5m) and take personal responsibility for securing 6 and 7 figure gifts
• To ensure that the team works cooperatively across income streams to maximise all opportunities for income and to share contacts, cross sell products and promote an organisational joint approach
• To be a visible leader within the organisation as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team. To work with colleagues on SLT to develop the organisational strategy and plans, ensuring these are embedded and delivered at department level
• To lead the Income Generation Team, including managing staff recruitment, development, training, monthly team meetings and annual appraisals
• To ensure all activities are monitored and comply with the CIoF Codes of Practice and the Fundraising Regulator
• To represent the team and undertake high-quality reporting to the Board of Trustees and key donors as and when required
• Act as the Secretary for upReach’s Development Board, cultivate and steward members to support income generation by securing funds and access to their networks
• To deputise for the CEO and other Senior Leadership Team colleagues as appropriate
Income Generation
• Drive a culture of income generation across the organisation and deliver plans for increasing income in line with our strategy
• To improve efficiency, effectiveness and increasing return on investment by establishing a strong impact and evaluation process and culture
• To identify and implement new funding opportunities in the changing external environment ensuring that the team is outward-looking and driven to take advantage of new opportunities
• Lead, champion and model a culture of outstanding donor stewardship and supporter care; including best practice and behaviour
• Work with the CEO, nurture relationships with donors including high net worth individuals and companies maintaining the highest level of supporter care
External Engagement
• Oversee the strategic development, positioning, delivery and evaluation of all aspects of the upReach brand, marketing, communications and PR strategy
• Ensure our campaigns support income growth, increase our supporter base and deepen engagement with our key audiences
• Oversee our brand strategy to ensure we deliver a demonstrable increase in public awareness and understanding of social mobility, upReach, and what we do
Other
• Regular out of office work may be required in order that the organisation is able to deliver on its commitments to its stakeholders
• Some UK travel will be required from time to time
Please note that it is not possible for the job description to cover the exhaustive list of responsibilities of your role due to the varied nature of the role. The job description aims to provide an overview of your remit and core responsibilities.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
The ideal candidate for Director of Income Generation and External Engagement should display these skills:
• Strategic thinking, problem solving and decision making, the ability to stay calm under pressure
• Influencing, facilitation and communication skills (both oral and written)
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and deliver to tight deadlines
• Passion and motivation
• Leadership and collaboration skills
• Proven skill in design and delivery of change management programmes
To be successful, it is anticipated that you would have experience working in a fast paced environment and have demonstrable experience of meeting financial and other targets and of motivating and developing others. While experience of leadership roles in the third sector is welcome, it is not essential. We will consider strong candidates with relevant skillsets and proven track records in the private and public sectors, including the education sector.
• Exceptional relationship building, stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and persuade at the highest level including Trustee Boards
• Confident, clear and creative communicator and presenter; strong storytelling skills and a proactive attitude
• You will understand relevant performance metrics and use data and insight to ensure maximum return on investment
• You have developed and delivered on budgets including personal success of securing 6 and 7 figure gifts
• Proven ability of managing performance
• Designing and delivering successful income generation and external engagement strategies
• Leading and managing a high performing team to achieve success
• Competence in charity law and knowledge of GDPR as it applies to income generation and marcomms
• Responsibility for your own professional development
TEAM CULTURE & BENEFITS
By joining the upReach team, you will be joining a team who are committed to supporting you in your career journey and fostering an inclusive culture.
We offer:
• Flexible and hybrid working.
• A minimum of 34 days of leave per year (25 days of annual leave, 1 day for your birthday and 8 bank holidays). In addition we usually provide 2-3 extra ‘Wellbeing’ days per year, where we shut the office and give the whole team an extra day off. Annual leave allowance increases by 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then by 3 additional days after 5 years of working with us.
• An additional 2 Volunteering Days per year
• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members.
• 3% Pension Contribution, this increases to 5% after 5 years of working with us.
• Cycle-to-work and tech buying schemes
• Monthly socials
• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme and annual wellbeing days
• Personal Development Budget, activated after 6 months in the role.
• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks:
• Disability and Inclusion Network
• Diverse Roots Network
• Green Network
• LGBTQ+ Network
• Mindfulness Network
• Parents and Carers Network
• Socio-economic Background Network
• Immigration network
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
At upReach, we are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, social background or any other protected class. We celebrate and value the diverse perspectives that people from all backgrounds bring to our team. We are passionate about creating a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK.
Diversity in the workplace creates dynamic and effective organisations and we are actively working to build a more inclusive workforce by continuously improving our recruitment, retention, and development practices. We encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities , those who are care-experienced, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those who are LGBTQIA+.
HOW TO APPLY
In order to apply please submit your CV and a relevant cover letter in the first instance via this link xxxxxx Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a meeting to brief you on the role. You'll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon.
While we expect candidates to make use of AI in a skilful and considered way, this must not be a substitute for highly specific and tailored content written personally by the individual applicant.
