Key information
Closing date: 10am, Thursday 1 May 2025
Salary: £58,000 per year
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Location: Based in London SW8 / home and flexible working
Interviews: First round, online, Friday 9 May 2025 / Second round, in-person, Friday 16 May 2025
We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. You could join us to lead our programmes for primary and secondary schools.
What you’ll be doing
Our school programmes target those from disadvantaged and underserved communities, enabling them to read for pleasure and develop confidence in their reading skills, develop their skills and creativity for writing, and become confident communicators. In this key leadership role, you will be responsible for a substantial proportion of our programmes for both primary and secondary school-aged children and young people.
You will provide strategic leadership for programme teams who work with a wide range of partners, including those outside of traditional mainstream education, such as alternative provision settings, sports clubs and other community organisations. You will ensure our programmes are impactful, evidence-based and targeted to need, as well as ensuring their sustainability through your expert relationship management and identification of new partners and business models.
You will also be a compelling and expert advocate for all aspects of our work and a represent the charity at a senior level.
This role is based in London but you will be able to work from home if you prefer under our flexible working policy. However, you will need to be in London at least six times per year for team and organisational days, as well as for other partner/funder meetings or events when necessary, and unfortunately we are unable to cover travel costs for this.
What we’re looking for
You will be an excellent programme leader, with strategic vision, leadership skills and experience of financial and risk management. You will also be skilled at leading and motivating a team, particularly in a distributed/flexible working environment.
You will need experience of senior stakeholder management and working in or with schools. Being a clear and confident communicator, for a wide range of audiences and levels, is essential. Experience working in or with the charity sector and/or corporate sector, and knowledge of effective approaches to literacy teaching and learning, would be an advantage.
Why our work is so vital
Literacy changes everything.
It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. It’s the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. It’s better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, it’s harder to get where you want to go.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words – reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.
- We work collaboratively in local communities, focusing our work in 20 areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.
- We support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.
- We campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and decision-makers.
- We support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders’ institutions to build their literacy skills
What we offer you
Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.
As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.
Application details
Our people are our most important asset and we value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). We particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which we work. We would like to increase representation of these groups among our staff as we know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact for our work.
For more information and to apply, download the files below.
Please also complete our online equal opportunities monitoring form when you submit your application.
Unfortunately, we are unable to respond individually to applications so if you have not heard from us by the advertised interview date, this means we have not been able to shortlist your application this time.
Please note we do not accept CVs. No agencies or recruitment sites.