MAIN LOCATION: Contact and in North Manchester
RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Engagement
RESPONSIBLE FOR: The Agency freelance staff
WORKS WITH: All teams
STATUS: Fixed term July 2025 - June 2026 (with possibility of extension). 3 days (21 hours) per week - evening and weekend working will be required.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Wednesday 25th June 2025

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 9th July 2025

ABOUT THE AGENCY

The Agency is a collaborative project directed at engaging and empowering young people within local communities to plan, structure and deliver their own projects. Using a methodology developed for working with young people living below the poverty line in Brazil, the project provides development opportunities for young people in the UK, helping them to launch social enterprises and ambitious projects that positively impact the local area. The Agency is a National Programme established in 2013. It has been run Manchester, London, Chester, Bolton, Belfast, Cardiff and Southampton. The Agency has also piloted in Feltham Young Offenders Institute for boys aged 15-17. With sustained support from our funders we are building on the strong foundations of the programme to continue to grow nationally, with more partners interested in the social impact of this creative methodology.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

To lead on the development and the delivery of The Agency project in North Manchester

MAIN TASKS

Project Management

Responsibilities:

• Maintain a strong relationship with the National Agency team through regular communication and meetings.

• Be responsible for the recruitment and retention of The Agency participants ensuring their pastoral needs are met.
• Line management and support of The Agency facilitation team including Lead Facilitator and Peer Mentor.
• Develop successful partnerships with organisations and individuals from across Greater Manchester including voluntary, public and community organisations, schools, youth clubs and other arts organisations that will support the work of The Agency.
• Ensure the provision of resources for projects, such as space, equipment and materials.
• Be responsible for the monitoring and management of The Agency project budget.
• Work with the Finance team to ensure that monthly financial reports are completed for partners and funders.
• Work with other Departments at Contact and various partner organisations.
• Work with the independent evaluator to monitor and evaluate The Agency in line with the evaluation framework.

Administration and Communication

Responsibilities:

• Utilise office systems to ensure thorough planning, tracking and evaluation of projects.
• Organise marketing and publicity material for The Agency working with the marketing team and the National Agency team.

Creative Development and Delivery

Responsibilities:

• Deliver engagement work in relation to The Agency project targeting groups of young people from the appropriate areas of North Manchester.
• Support the wellbeing of the young people during the project.
• Be forward thinking in generating and employing new ways of reaching and working with a diverse range of young people.
• Take a leadership role in the delivery of workshops for young people where necessary.
• Work collaboratively with The Agency team in developing new and exciting methods to engage young people within the workshops.

GENERAL

• Keep up to date with developments within the arts and youth culture.
• Represent Contact and The Agency at external events as required.

• Establish and maintain good working relationships with all Contact’s partner organisations.
• Get involved with creative work being presented by Contact by attending workshops, read-throughs, rehearsals and performances on a regular basis.
• Respect Contact's Health & Safety policy, undertaking duties as required and ensuring that reasonable care is taken to maintain a healthy and safe place for public and staff.

• Actively commit to Contact’s Equal Opportunities policy and Contact’s Safeguarding of Young People Policy.
• Get involved in other work at Contact.

• To provide mentoring and support to young people and on occasions deliver training/workshops in areas relevant to your job role.
• In line with Contact’s governance model, pro-actively engage young people in decision-making through consultations, young people’s panels and other mechanisms relevant to your job role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL

• Maintain a strong relationship with the National Agency team through regular communication and meetings.
  
• Be responsible for the recruitment and retention of The Agency participants ensuring their pastoral needs are met.
  
• Line management and support of The Agency facilitation team including Lead Facilitator and Peer Mentor.
  
• Develop successful partnerships with organisations and individuals from across Greater Manchester including voluntary, public and community organisations, schools, youth clubs and other arts organisations that will support the work of The Agency.
  
• Ensure the provision of resources for projects, such as space, equipment and materials.
  
• Be responsible for the monitoring and management of The Agency project budget.
  
• Work with the Finance team to ensure that monthly financial reports are completed for partners and funders.
  
• Work with other Departments at Contact and various partner organisations.
  
• Work with the independent evaluator to monitor and evaluate The Agency in line with the evaluation framework.
  
• Utilise office systems to ensure thorough planning, tracking and evaluation of projects.
  
• Organise marketing and publicity material for The Agency working with the marketing team and the National Agency team.
  
• Deliver engagement work in relation to The Agency project targeting groups of young people from the appropriate areas of North Manchester.
  
• Support the wellbeing of the young people during the project.
  
• Be forward thinking in generating and employing new ways of reaching and working with a diverse range of young people.
  
• Take a leadership role in the delivery of workshops for young people where necessary.
  
• Work collaboratively with The Agency team in developing new and exciting methods to engage young people within the workshops.
  
• Keep up to date with developments within the arts and youth culture.
  
• Represent Contact and The Agency at external events as required.
  
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with all Contact’s partner organisations.
  
• Get involved with creative work being presented by Contact by attending workshops, read-throughs, rehearsals and performances on a regular basis.
  
• Respect Contact's Health & Safety policy, undertaking duties as required and ensuring
  
• Actively commit to Contact’s Equal Opportunities policy and Contact’s Safeguarding of Young People Policy.
  
• Get involved in other work at Contact.
  
• To provide mentoring and support to young people and on occasions deliver training/workshops in areas relevant to your job role.
• In line with Contact’s governance model, pro-actively engage young people in decision-making through consultations, young people’s panels and other mechanisms relevant to your job role.
  
• A minimum of two years project management experience of managing complex participatory arts projects.
  
• An enthusiasm for and experience in working with young people from a range of backgrounds and cultures.
  
• Experience of working with culturally diverse communities and an understanding of successful approaches to this work.
  
• Experience of engaging young people through outreach work.
  
• Experience of delivering creative participatory projects in community settings.
  
• Strong organisational skills and ability and experience of managing complex budgets.
  
• Enthusiasm for delivering a variety of exciting Arts and cultural activities for young people aged 13 – 30.
  
• An understanding and vision of how Arts activities can provide positive benefits for young people with different needs and abilities.
  
• Experience of providing pastoral care and support to young people.
  
• Versatile communication skills and ability to work with a range of young people, staff, artists, organisations, community groups and visiting companies.
  
• Proficient IT skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, internet and email.
  
• Strong written skills and ability to write project plans, reports and evaluations.
  
• Willingness to represent Contact and speak at events regionally, nationally and internationally.
  
• Skilled in facilitating workshops and sessions with young people.
  
• Ability to work under pressure, sometimes unsupervised and under your own initiative.
  
• Availability Saturdays and Wednesday evenings for the duration of the delivery period, September-May.
  
• Experience of working with young people who may have complex needs or challenging behaviour.
  
• An enhanced DBS check is a requirement of the role (this can be applied for if you do not have one already)