Programme Manager & HQ Support - Leeds

Programme Manager & HQ Support with Basecamp Adventure Trust

Reports to: Head of Programmes & Development

Hours: Part-time 3 days (22.5 hours) a week (with a possibility to gain further hours in the future as we expand).

Salary: £26,000 - 30,000 FTE pro-rata for 22.5 hours per week (dependant on experience)

Location: Old Fire Station, Gipton, LS9 6NL/Adventure Residentials in the Lake District/Yorkshire Dales. The role will be split between normal office working hours and longer hours on 6 x 3-day residentials a year. It is expected that 2 days a week will be spent in the office when we’re not on residential.

Transport: The role will require access to a car.

Start Date: We will accommodate the start date depending on the individual’s situation, but we are ideally looking to get someone in between September and November 2024.

Annual leave: 22 days (pro rata) + bank holidays + 1 x day off per Adventure Residential (to account for extra hours worked).

Basecamp Adventure Trust delivers 1-year adventure and personal development programmes to young people in Leeds that face barriers to thrive. Through a combination of skills workshops, exhilarating adventure trips and a deeply relational approach, we challenge, celebrate and inspire young people to discover a newfound sense of confidence, resilience and self-belief, and to explore new possibilities for themselves. Our programme spans the academic year of Year 8, in which groups of 30 young people take part in 6 themed modules, comprising of 6 skills workshops and 6 2-night adventure residentials.

This is a hybrid role and a unique opportunity to be part of a start-up charity from the beginning, to get involved with different arms of our operation, learn lots and creatively influence what we do.

Programme Manager (≈60%) We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic and capable Programme Manager who not only has the ability to directly work with and support young people, but can lead a team, has an acute eye for detail and organisation, and a creative, dynamic approach to problem-solving. The Programme Manager role takes up around 80 days a year, with the days being weighted unevenly across the months of the year.

HQ Support – (≈40%) We are a rapidly growing charity and are increasingly in need of support across our programme, fundraising, logistics, events and administrative undertakings. We’re looking for someone who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into supporting various areas. We are proud to be a deeply people-led organisation, so it’s not out of the question that your specific experience and expertise would dictate the direction of this aspect of the role. The 58 (roughly!) days not covered by the Programme Manager aspect of the role would be taken up with HQ Support.

Programme Manager Role & Responsibilities

The Programme Manager will have ownership and oversight of 1 cohort, comprising of 2 schools and 30 young people. Responsibilities include:

• Acting as the key point of contact to organise, deliver and oversee the Basecamp Core Programme to 1 cohort of young people, including managing residential trips, school workshops and other supporting sessions throughout the year’s programme (e.g. Taster Days, Graduation etc).

• Set the tone and ethos of our organisation to the highest standards on all delivery.

• Attending and managing all of the cohorts’ Adventure Residentials. These events are exhausting, immersive and rewarding experiences that require high energy, a lot of ‘crisis-management’ and a good dose of resilience!

• Coordinating Adventure Youth Coaches, Volunteers, Instructors and School Supporting Staff on residential, as the main point of contact.

• Ensuring the highest standards of support, safety and safeguarding across the programme, in line with Basecamp’s ethos, policies and procedures.

• Managing disciplinary action as required if a situation is escalated higher than Adventure Youth Coaches or Volunteers.

• Facilitating creative, arts and games-based workshops in school.

• Onboarding young people onto the programme, working in collaboration with schools to ensure our referral criteria are met and we have the information we need.

• Carrying out direct work with young people to help support their needs and fulfil Basecamp Adventure Trust’s aims.

• Providing ongoing feedback to young people, parents, carers and schools, through email, Whatsapp and handwritten cards.

• Supporting the effective monitoring of the programme and measurement of young people’s developmental outcomes using the Outcomes Star.

• Promoting take up of the Young Leader’s Programme.

• Creating, collating and buying any resources needed for a Basecamp session or trip, in line with allocated budgets and needs.

• Working with partner organisation such as schools and instructors/activity providers, to ensure the Basecamp mission is consistent and everybody has the smoothest experience possible and to build the Basecamp ‘brand’ to an extent that the schools want to keep working with us and value the work that we do.

• Taking the lead with day-to-day administration and management of the programme. This will include maintaining a database, producing written communications and reports, information leaflets, booking and negotiating with providers, and an array of detailed record keeping.

• Contributing to organisational planning and development, including supporting the development of further opportunities for young people (e.g. BYLP and Basecamp Voices).

• Supporting the fundraising operation through providing feedback, reports or event support.

• Adopting a relation-led approach that not only makes young people feel seen, heard and valued but our team and partner organisations too.

HQ Support Role & Responsibilities

We are doubling our intake in September, have big fundraising plans and all sorts of jobs that need to be done, so it’s hard to say exactly what this role will or won’t include just yet. We see it as an exciting, developmental opportunity and we’d be excited to hear what you think you could bring to the organisation outside of the Programme Manager role. It may include for example:

• Helping deliver fundraising events

• Supporting the development of new fundraising initiatives, such as a Basecamp Community or corporate outreach

• Developing or supporting the development of a Marketing, PR and Social Media Strategy

• Supporting all manner of administrative tasks such as creating Basecamp Journey Trackers, analysing referral data, sourcing new fundraising grants, posting letters, buying resources etc

Person Specification

The postholder will play a key role in both organisational and direct delivery work. They will have an excellent understanding of the issues facing young people today and how their life experiences, circumstances and inequality of opportunity can affect their ability to thrive and reach their potential and will have a proven track record and relevant experience of working with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people. We are also looking for someone with a sharp eye for detail, strong organisation skills and excellent communication.

They will meet the following requirements:

Essential:

• Relationally-led. They will be a strong relationship builder, have the ability to make every person involved in Basecamp feel seen, heard and valued and role model this ethos to those within and outside of the organisation.

• Enjoys and experiences the power of adventure/nature in their life.

• Sound understanding of safeguarding and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.

• Understanding or alignment with some of the models underpinning our work, e.g. restorative practice, person-centred theory, unconditional positive regard, coaching and mentoring.

• Relevant experience of managing vulnerable young people with empathy, patience and compassion, preferably in a residential environment as well as outside of this.

• Experience in working in partnership with other professional organisations and parents/carers.

• Strong eye for detail and ability to multitask/notice multiple things going on at once and effectively deal with them.

• Self-motivated, with the ability to work on their own initiative and plan and manage their workload.

• Strong IT skills, including experience of MS office, web-based platforms, marketing software and databases.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• A positive attitude, high energy and enthusiasm for the work of the charity and able to live the values.

• Able to resolve problems and take a flexible and dynamic approach to the work.

• Sound understanding and appreciation for the role outdoor adventure can have in supporting health and wellbeing and underpinning personal development.

• Experience in facilitation work, e.g. running games, activities and sessions on a certain topic to inspire and energise young people in new ways of thinking.

Desirable:

• Outdoor knowledge/familiarity with the Yorkshire Dales & Lake District

• A professional qualification in an appropriate field

Other requirements:

• Willing to work flexible hours and work in outdoor environments/take part in outdoor activities in order to be able to oversee and quality assure programme delivery and train and support staff as required

• A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle

• A satisfactory enhanced DBS check

• Satisfactory references

Please apply by Friday 6th September by submitting a CV and Covering Letter to emily@basecamp.org.uk.

We will process applications as soon as they come in, offering first an interview and then an assessment day for final candidates on 19th or 20th September.