We are always on the lookout for talented and dedicated individuals who share our commitment to furthering George Orwell’s legacy. If you are interested in working or volunteering with us, please check this page for the latest opportunities.
Current opportunities:
Programme Manager: The Orwell Youth Prize
Deadline: 17:00 Wednesday 20 November 2024
Interviews: Monday 9 & Tuesday 10 December 2024
Start date: Tuesday 7 January 2025
Location: Central London (University College London, Gower Street, WC1)
Contract: Initially offered as a 1-year fixed term contract, full-time (37.5 hrs pw)
Salary: £30k – £35k pa FT (depending on experience)
Additional benefits: NEST pension; opportunity for flexible hours and hybrid working; 25 days of paid annual leave in addition to public holidays plus the period between Christmas and New Year.
Job Description
The Orwell Foundation is recruiting a new Programme Manager for The Orwell Youth Prize. This is a unique opportunity to lead the delivery and growth of our programme for young people, building on current momentum to coordinate interventions for secondary school age students and teachers and to shape the future of our activities. Far more than a prize, the programme is rooted in Orwell’s values and encourages all young people to think and write critically and creatively about their world.
The impact of the Youth Prize has grown in recent years, and we are looking for a candidate who shares our ambitions for its future. The programme is an initiative of The Orwell Foundation, a registered charity which exists to perpetuate the achievements of the author, journalist, and essayist George Orwell through the education of young people and the provision of prizes, cultural events, and debates for the public benefit.
Alongside the prestigious Orwell Prizes for Journalism, Reporting Homelessness, Political Writing and Political Fiction, the Foundation is also host to a growing number of Orwell-related activities – from events and lectures, to dramatised readings of Orwell’s work and the supporting of new research on his life and legacy.
The Programme Manager manages our work with young people, but has no direct reports except, on occasion, temporary contractors. We are a small team, and our activities are integrated across all our programmes, including fundraising. The Programme Manager will therefore be expected to work flexibly across Foundation-wide activities where required.
Reporting to the Foundation’s Deputy Director, the role involves:
- Coordinating the entry and judging process for the Orwell Youth Prize
- Recruiting, coordinating and providing occasional training for our network of volunteer readers
- Leading the Orwell Youth Fellow programme for past winners and runners-up
- Lead on the management and delivery of Orwell Youth Prize events, in collaboration with the Foundation team and assist in the delivery of shared events
- Helping to develop annual themes for the Prize and creating an effective communications campaign
- Maintaining and developing the associated outreach programme and resources
- Developing partnerships with funders, other prizes and relevant organisations
- Promoting Orwell’s values and the study of Orwell on the curriculum
The ideal candidate will have:
- Experience working directly with young people in an educational context (including cultural education for a museum, gallery etc)
- A commitment to The Orwell Foundation’s vision, mission, and values and a belief in the importance writing and thinking critically and creatively, for all young people
- A strong understanding of the UK education system
- The ability to work independently, quickly and accurately
- A can-do attitude to working in a small, busy team
- Excellent organisational skills, and the ability to prioritise a diverse workload.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to build rapport and form relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds
- A record of designing and delivering effective communication campaigns
- Competence across IT and software (Microsoft Office, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and a willingness to learn basic graphics programmes e.g. Canva)
- Experience managing project budgets
- Good understanding of politics, current affairs and popular culture
- A readiness to work with people holding a diverse range of political beliefs and attitudes
- Some familiarity with Orwell’s work and legacy, and a willingness to learn more
Not essential but also desirable is an understanding of the charity fundraising environment and experience of contributing to successful fundraising bids as well experience of commissioning writers/journalists or other creative artists.
How To Apply
To apply, email recruitment@orwellfoundation.com by the deadline of 17:00 Wednesday 20 November 2024 with your CV and a brief cover letter (no more than on side) explaining why you are interested in working for The Orwell Foundation and why you believe you are suited to the role. Please also complete our anonymous equal opportunities form, which you can find here.
Part-time applicants (minimum 22.5hrs pw) will be considered for this role. If this applies to you, please state in your cover letter the number of hours you could work and how you would propose to balance any other commitments.
At times, the successful candidate will be expected to support in any role necessary for the good management of the Foundation’s programmes.
The Orwell Foundation is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff. We welcome and encourage applications from people within underrepresented groups.
The recruitment email address is for applications only. If you have any questions, please email Liz Wallace at liz.wallace@orwellfoundation.com.