Programme Manager

The Royal Society is the national academy for science in the UK.

This role sits within the Society’s Education Policy team, part of a wider Science policy team. A key aim of our work is to bring about change in the education system, including equipping young people with the skills needed to thrive in a data- and technology-rich world. 

As programme manager, it is expected that a major focus of your role will be in shaping and implementing a programme of activities in support of the recommendations of a major new report on mathematical and data education, and ensuring this initiative has maximum impact. You will be also expected to contribute to the wider policy work of the team as required. 

The Society’s policy work on mathematics education is overseen by the Royal Society Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (RS ACME). A major programme of work has recently concluded with the publication of  the Mathematical Futures Programme reporthttps://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/mathematical-futures/ in September 2024.  This programme drew on expertise from across the mathematics education community and beyond. Its recommendations propose significant changes to the way that mathematical and data education is approached in schools and colleges and forms part of the Society’s call for wider reform of the education system in England.  

A key responsibility of this role is to work very closely with RS ACME and associated networks and stakeholders to steward the recommendations towards successful implementation.

As programme manager, you will be responsible for an ongoing schedule of engagement to build, maintain and extend the coalition of support for the programme recommendations across a range of strategic stakeholders.  You’ll use your strategic communications, relationship building and event management skills and experience to devise and deliver plans which ensure that the key messages from the report reach policy makers and others. You’ll work closely with internal stakeholders across the Royal Society, and with members of Standing Committees and Fellows engaged with a range of issues in education policy.

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Reports to: Head of Education Policy

Pay band: D

Salary: £45,000 to £50,000 pa

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 35

Location: Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus the option for some hybrid remote working
Closing date for applications: 1 January 2025

Interviews will be held: WC 20 January 2025 and WC 27 January 2025

Maintain and extend a stakeholder network and coalition of support to advocate implementing the recommendations of the Mathematical Futures Programme report, with a particular focus on senior stakeholder engagement, events programming /convening interested parties and relationship-building to bring about change in the culture around mathematical and data education.  

• Devise and manage a programme of events and other activities to engage leading educational thinkers and practitioners and users of mathematical skills including industry and business leaders, scientists, NGOs and other and strategic stakeholders.
• Create, in collaboration with Education and other RS teams, a strategy to deliver recommendations made in ’a new approach to mathematical and data education’ including leading the commissioning of additional resarch where appropriate and drawing on advice and insights from senior stakeholders including RS ACME and Fellows.
• Execute this strategy within agreed budget and other resources, adapting as necessary to external factors.
• Support the work of RS ACME, the Society’s standing committee which oversees our mathematics education policy activities and includes representatives from other organisations as well as Fellows of the Royal Society.
• Manage the interface with the new Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.
• Report regularly on progress and impact.
• Working across the team matrix reporting structure, share expertise in event and senior stakeholder management across the team to support expansion of convening and other activities in pursuit of team strategic goals.

At Band D you will hold a role as a specialist or professional in your field or be working towards that. Pay Band D roles are described in the following dimensions:

Decision-making - You organise and undertake a range of specialist tasks.  You take action, make decisions or recommendations within established policies or guidelines which are standard for your area of work. You seek guidance on complex or unfamiliar matters. 

Thinking challenges - You undertake the analysis needed to find the best solution to unusual situations or issues where the answer is not available through existing policies, standards or procedures.  You use your initiative to investigate new ways of working or to improve policies or procedures.

Communicating - You share and present information or ideas to others, tailoring your language, style and media used to meet the needs of varied situations and responds to specialist queries.  If your role demands, you make new contacts and participate in external networks on behalf of Royal Society and can be an ambassador for the Society.

Developing people – You are likely to have direct line responsibility for one or more staff members in a narrow field of work.  If you are in a specialist role, you advise, guide or train others in a specific discipline or field of work.

Managing Resources – You are likely to have delegated responsibility for allocating resources, for reconciling financial information or for monitoring and recording use of a delegated budget.

Applying knowledge & expertise - You apply your specialist or technical skills in a specific area of expertise that requires theoretical understanding gained through vocational or professional qualification, practical knowledge and skill, or equivalent level of expertise obtained through relevant specialist experience.