Programme Manager - Youth Employment Opportunities

Salary: £49,282 - £53,460
Hours: Full time, 36.25 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Tootal Building, Manchester, with a hybrid approach to working and travel across Greater Manchester as required.
Closing date:Sunday 6th September

Your role: Helping shape the future of youth employment in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is leading the way nationally in developing a devolved approach to education, skills and employment. We are looking for an ambitious and experienced Programme Manager to join our Youth Employment Opportunities team at a pivotal moment for the city region.

This role will play a leading role in shaping and delivering Greater Manchester's response to emerging national reforms, including the recommendations of the Milburn Review, while driving forward our ambition that every young person has a pathway into education, employment or training.

You will lead strategic programmes that improve opportunities for young people aged 16-24, strengthen employer engagement and create clearer routes into work. Alongside a focus on establishing NEET prevention as part of our Live Well Journey to Employment, a key priority will be the development of Greater Manchester's Apprenticeship Brokerage Model, helping employers navigate the apprenticeship system and connecting more young people to high-quality opportunities.

Working across education, employment, local government, employers and the voluntary sector, you will help build a more joined-up system that improves participation, progression and access to good work for all young people.

Your impact

You will:

  • Help to shape Greater Manchester's strategic response to national youth employment and skills reform.
  • Develop and deliver programmes that improve participation, progression and employment outcomes for young people aged 16-24.
  • Co-ordinate the implementation of a Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Brokerage Model that supports employers and creates more apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
  • Strengthen the connection between education, skills and employment, creating clearer pathways into good jobs.
  • Reduce inequalities in access to opportunities for young people facing the greatest barriers.
  • Embed youth voice and co-design into policy development, programme design and system leadership.

What you'll lead

  • Strategic programmes and partnerships focused on youth employment, inclusion and employer engagement.
  • The development of new approaches that connect employers, providers and young people more effectively.
  • High-profile programmes including apprenticeship growth, employer brokerage and youth participation initiatives.
  • Cross-system collaboration with local authorities, DWP, DfE, employers, providers and wider partners.
  • Programme governance, commissioning, performance management and evaluation to ensure measurable impact.

About you


You are a credible programme manager with a clear vision for outstanding, inclusive youth employment provision. You can provide programme oversight and drive delivery at pace, ensuring programmes translate into measurable improvements in outcomes for all young people across Greater Manchester. You will bring:

  • The ability to translate strategy into clear delivery models and measurable outcomes
  • A strong understanding of equality, inclusion and reducing inequalities
  • Experience of programme delivery, commissioning and performance oversight
  • A clear commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people

Why join us:

Greater Manchester is leading the way nationally in devolution. In careers education, we are building a coherent, system-wide approach. Through the GM Careers Hub, the MBacc, and the Live Well Journey to Employment, we are aligning education, work and opportunity to deliver a system that is inclusive, ambitious and impactful for all young people.


  • Lead system change at scale in one of the UK’s most advanced devolved city regions
  • Shape the future of careers education at the forefront of national policy and delivery
  • Be part of a city-region backed by the Greater Manchester Strategy, driving inclusive growth and opportunity
  • Deliver meaningful impact improving outcomes, progression and access for all young people


Additional information:

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and will require basic DBS check. You will be expected to uphold GMCA’s values and behaviours, maintain confidentiality, and contribute to inclusive and sustainable service delivery.

Mandatory Information:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)


We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process.

Privacy Notice (Click here)

Employees on the redeployment register will be given priority for any vacancies in the first instance. If employees are identified as a match from the register then the vacancy may be withdrawn or put on hold pending an outcome.

For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licenced sponsor.


Hybrid working

This role is part of GMCA’s hybrid working scheme. As part of our commitment to ‘Build Back Fairer’ in Greater Manchester following the Covid-19 pandemic, we have evolved our management methods by trusting and empowering staff to deliver their work in the best way that suits the business and their individual needs, and supports health and wellbeing. Our hybrid working policy sets out a flexible approach, combining attendance at our Manchester city centre office, allocated GM Local Authority office(s), or on site in the community, with remote working, typically from home (within a reasonable commutable distance from Greater Manchester); the location of work is primarily dictated by the needs of the business: ‘Do what is right for you and the business on that day’. If appointed to the role you will work with your manager to agree and regularly review the best working pattern for you, your team and your work.

GM Elevate programme

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme within the last two years, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application?


BASIC DBS

The role holder will be subject to an Basic level check by the Disclosure & Barring Service.

Ready to apply?

Location

Tootal Buildings, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU, United Kingdom

Job ID

1317

Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey

We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.

This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.

You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.

Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester

Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.

Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.

  1. Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay

    Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

    Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)

  2. Check Your Benefits Entitlement

    See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.

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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice

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