Innovation And Collaboration Manager, Q

Age UK are recruiting for a Senior Influencing Project Manager on a fixed term 12 month contract.

We will be developing a number of research, policy and practice development projects in support of our new strategy. These include the 'extremely vulnerable people' project and a new partnership researching older people's experiences pre and post an urgent episode of care or emergency hospital admission.

This exciting opportunity will also take on responsibility for managing our response to the Pandemic Inquiry and relationship with the Health and Wellbeing Alliance. This is initially a 12-month role, with the possibility of extending to 24 months depending on project funding.

The successful Senior Strategic Influencing Manager will take the lead in designing and delivering these complex projects, including management of external partners, consultants or agencies and internal teams as required. The role will work closely with the Policy Lead, Clinical Lead and Head of Health Influencing to coordinate and drive delivery of the organisation's goals and strategic priorities across health and care.

This hybrid role, known as a Senior Strategic Project Manager within the charity, offers flexible working between home and a central London co-working hub. Occasional travel may also be required to attend meetings, workshops etc.

Age UK Grade 4L

Must haves:

• Experience of leading complex projects to deliver a combination of research, policy and practice/ service development outputs.
• Experience of project and programme design, research methods and action learning/ improvement processes, and an understanding of best practice in working with vulnerable people.
• Ability to develop and drive coherent influencing strategies and change programmes, manage a complex workload, set priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Proactive, flexible approach, identifying and taking forward opportunities, shaping new ideas and developing partnerships
• Ability to be agile and adapt projects as they develop or in response to a changing external environment.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to present complex issues in a persuasive, accessible style to a range of different audiences.
• Experience of developing and leading project teams, including external stakeholders, funders, and partners, to build engagement with and support for the project and outputs.
• Ability to support and challenge internal colleagues, with self-confidence and a commitment to internal communication and helping others meet shared goals.

Great to haves:

• Good oral advocacy skills and ability to build influential relationships with senior stakeholders, with the ability to present complex issues in a persuasive, accessible style to a range of audiences and in different settings (meetings, speeches, media etc.).
• Experience of policy analysis and advocacy at a senior level, including managing relationships with funders, external stakeholders and lead officials.
• Ability to assimilate new policy issues/areas quickly, make connections between different policy areas, and initiate and frame new policy agendas.
• Excellent skills in policy analysis with a focus on robust evidence, understanding political and policy contexts, and finding solutions.

What we offer in return

• Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme
• Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, health cashback plan and EAP
• Car Benefit Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loan
• Techscheme - buy any tech from Apple or Currys, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free
• Blue Light Card Scheme
• You Did It Awards - recognition awards from £100-250.

Additional Information

All CVs will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role at Age UK. Please note that our system is unable to anonymise cover letters, and we would therefore ask that to support the work we are doing on making our recruitment selection process fairer and more unbiased, that you remove any personal information from your cover letter/supporting statement, including your name before uploading this. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us once you are invited for an interview.

Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria under the Disability Confident Scheme. Please note that on occasion, due to high numbers of applications, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.

Age UK is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children, from abuse and neglect. We expect everyone who works with us to share this commitment.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time.

Age UK politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.