Key information
Closing date: 10am, Wednesday 15 October 2025
Salary: £30,500 per year
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term for 18 months
Location: Based in London SW8 / home and flexible working
Interviews: Online, Wednesday 22 October 2025
We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. We are looking for a Project Manager to join our Reading Champions programme as we grow our activity during the National Year of Reading.
What you’ll be doing
Our Reading Champions programme supports enjoyment of reading among primary and secondary school pupils. It includes termly Reading Challenges and the annual National Reading Champions Quiz, which celebrates young reading advocates during regional heats and a grand final. We will be scaling up this activity, including a new primary school version of our National Reading Champions Quiz, during the 2026 National Year of Reading.
You will work with a wide range of partners and be responsible for all aspects of project delivery, including recruitment of schools, content development, event management, volunteer management and quality assurance.
You will also support and contribute to the delivery of other projects within the school programmes team during the National Year of Reading.
What we’re looking for
You will need excellent project management skills as well as experience of managing events and working with schools and/or young people. You will also need experience of volunteer management, and a creative interest in developing young people’s enjoyment of reading. Experience working in an education setting would be an advantage, as would experience of working in partnership corporate organisations.
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.