You would be joining us at a time when in the middle of last year, we launched our new identity as the Leadership Skills Foundation (previously Sports Leaders UK) alongside a new 5-year ‘Evolve’ strategy. Having navigated the challenges of the pandemic, the organisation has naturally placed an emphasis in recent years on retaining and sustaining the existing relationships we have with the 2,500 organisations (centres) that deliver our programmes.

Looking ahead, with new programmes and partnerships emerging, this role will now play a significant part in helping us expand the network of centres delivering Leadership Skills Foundation programmes and broaden the audiences we reach. Over the next few years, we aim to create an adaptable leadership skill offer that will increase our reach to more young people across, fully establishing the Leadership Skills Foundation as the trusted voice for leadership skills development.

We have ambitions to empower a more diverse range of young people with opportunities to develop essential leadership and life skills, regardless of their background. Having recently secured a strategic partnership with Sport England, this role will play a significant role in activating that programme, leading the co-ordination, engagement and management of local and regional stakeholders to deliver leadership programmes with identified target audiences, groups and individuals. 

The role will initially be a fixed term contract (to July 2027) but we aim to secure further funding for the role to extend.

You will act as an influential member of the organisation’s newly established Programme Delivery Team delivering the Programmes and Projects Strategy aimed at supporting growth, reach, and impact of Leadership Skills Foundation programmes among underserved and/or under-represented communities and individuals, which will in turn, benefit thousands of young people across the UK. 

This role will require someone with the ability to engage and inspire others, with strong and effective communication skills. You will need to be comfortable working collaboratively as well as independently and want to pro-actively lead on making a positive social difference to the individuals and groups benefitting from our programmes. 

Role title: Local Delivery Lead  

Reports to: Head of Programme Delivery 

Salary: £33,000 

Contract: Fixed Term to July 2027 with potential for future funding 

Location: Home based with some travel to other locations when required.

Hours: 36 hours typically 8.30 – 16.30. Monday – Friday. 

Role summary 

Main duties and responsibilities 

1. Responsibility for co-ordinating, engaging and managing local stakeholders to deliver leadership programmes with identified target audiences, groups and individuals 
2. Develop a shared understanding of the needs and barriers young people in underserved communities face in accessing leadership skill development and volunteering opportunities. 
3. Provide support to identified local delivery stakeholders to address and overcome these barriers to engage the target audiences. 
4. Identify and co-ordinate work with local delivery partners to create and activate local delivery area plans 
5. With support, develop and oversee the process and distribution of agreed programme delivery funding to local delivery partners
6. Deliver training, support and orientation to local delivery partners
7. Support identified stakeholders to test adapted leadership skill development programmes and learn from the delivery to inform future delivery. 
8. Establish a delivery feedback loop to inform the development of learning resources and programmes to overcome the needs and barriers young people in underserved communities face
9. Provide opportunities for the research plan, developed by the Programme Delivery Research Team, to be implemented to drive the improvement of strategic, business and operational planning and delivery
10. Provide connectivity between your work/engagement with delivery centres and the work of the Business and Market Development Teams
11. Capture and share best practice to support the wider adoption across community and partner networks
12. Work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to successfully influence and deliver agreed programme objectives and key results 
13. Maintain a working knowledge and up to date awareness of the landscape and audiences the Leadership Skills Foundation works with and aspires to work with 

Key Relationships 

Internal 

• Head of Programme Delivery (line manager) 

• Programme Delivery Research Manager 

• Programme Delivery Research Executive 

• Innovation Officers 

• Finance Manager 

External 

• Local delivery centres and partners 

• Strategic partners including organisations such as Sport England. 

• Research and insight partners 

Skills, experience and knowledge 

Essential 

• Experience of supporting individuals/teams and organisations to deliver projects and programmes. 

• Confidence to act as the lead contact point for the local delivery of a funded programme. 

• Familiarity with delivering and carrying out operational workplans and working collaboratively with teams to achieve them 

• Effective resource management 

• Experience of proactively supporting and managing local and regional stakeholder relations. 

• Analytical thinking and evaluation skills

• Strong interpersonal, presenting and communication skills with the confidence and ability to adapt styles to different groups.

Desirable 

• A proven track record in leading and delivering purpose-driven programmes. 

• Experience of collecting and presenting data and insight. 

• Experience of supporting programme innovation, development, and design.

• An understanding of the sport and physical activity landscape in the UK. 

• Experience of delivering informal education or skill development programmes 

Personal qualities 

• The ability to engage and inspire others. 

• A confident, collaborative individual that wants to lead and make a positive social difference. 

• Pro-active with the ability to work on own initiative collaboratively and independently. 

• Effective and confident communicator. 

• Adaptable to operational requirements with an openness to give and receive constructive feedback as part of a growth mindset. 

• A creative, problem solver with a focus on the individuals and groups benefitting from our programmes. 

Ability to travel across the UK required