Job Description
Reports to: Programme Manager
Location: West London. MESME currently operates an agile working policy requiring 1 day a week (Tuesday) team day in the office (The Yellow Building, 1 Nicholas Road, London, W11 4AN).
Pattern: Full or part-time considered (minimum 0.6 FTE)
Benefits: 11% employer pension contributions
Annual leave: 27 days plus 8 bank holidays
About MESME
Mathematics Education for Social Mobility Excellence (MESME) is a registered education charity on a mission to make England a more productive and socially mobile country. Half of disadvantaged children who are high attainers in mathematics at eleven are no longer high attainers by age sixteen. That is a huge loss of human potential that affects both those children as individuals and us as a wider society. We are focused on stopping that loss.
We do this by finding children with mathematical potential, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and guide them along a path to mathematical excellence. We take a dual pronged approach: providing an in-school programme to improve their experience of maths, and tackling harmful views in society that stop children from feeling like maths is for them.
We are currently expanding our approach and developing our organisation to meet this mission over the next ten years.
What we are looking for
MESME is embarking on a phase of substantial growth, and the Programme Coordinator will be a key member of our Programmes Team.
We are looking for a well-organised Programme Co-ordinator to work alongside our two existing co-ordinators and Programme Manager to ensure successful outreach and support for, and communication with, teachers leading maths circles in their schools.
The MESME Programme Coordinator role is an exciting opportunity for someone who is highly organised and passionate about young people’s mathematical development to use their relationship management skills to ensure the impactful delivery of maths circles in schools. The Programme Coordinator will be the point-of-contact between MESME and a substantial number of teachers leading circles.
The responsibilities of the role include:
Project Management
- Conduct outreach and onboard schools and teachers to the programme.
- Oversee logistics and manage communication with schools delivering the maths circles, ensuring sessions are delivered as planned and that reliable feedback is collected regularly.
- Support teachers in their delivery, ensuring they have what they need to effectively facilitate each session.
Relationship Management
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with schoolteachers, and other school staff, that are involved in the maths circles programme.
- Visit schools facilitating circles, for the purpose of relationship development.
- Organise events and activities that support the network of MESME teachers/mentors.
Evaluation and Reporting
- Collect and analyse student and feedback data from across schools.
- Contribute to MESME’s internal and external reporting processes.
Provide support across the MESME team towards successful delivery and expansion of the maths circles. As MESME is a rapidly growing organisation, some duties may change over time.
Person specification
MESME is committed to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce, with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We do not want potential candidates to be put off if they believe they do not meet every one of the criteria as described in this person specification. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our criteria.
Essential / Desirable
Experience, knowledge and skills
Excellent organisation and time management skills and the ability to prioritise multiple concurrent projects E
Experience managing projects, ideally in the education/charity sector E
Strong communication and relationship management skills E
Excellent writing and editing skills E
High level of attention to detail E
High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office E
Data collection and analysis experience D
Previous employment in schools, preferably as a maths teacher D
Experience managing projects with schools/teachers D
Experience conducting outreach with schools D
Knowledge of the UK education landscape, specifically STEM fields and mathematics D
Character and qualities
Passionate about social mobility and providing opportunities for young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds E
Excitement at the breadth, fluidity, and opportunity of this role E
A ‘self-starter’ who works independently and imaginatively but to a clear brief and within a ‘tight’ framework E
The confidence and willingness to challenge robustly but constructively E
The enthusiasm, imagination, and flexibility that an organisation needs in a phase of substantial growth E
The commitment and dedication to ‘burn the midnight oil’ when needed, and the organisation and time-management to ensure that this is rarely needed E
The balanced, reflective self-awareness that ensures mistakes are learned from E
The confidence to lead independently and the willingness to follow clear direction E
Confident when using standard office programmes and willingness to learn how to use specialised programmes E
Good cheer and good humour E
Other
Right to work in the UK E
Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all students E
Willingness to undertake training E
How to apply:
Your application must include:
- A CV no longer than 2 sides of A4, and
- A statement detailing your answers to the following questions:
- Why do you want to work for MESME? Describe your experience which proves that you would be a good fit for our charity and its overall mission to improve mathematical excellence for young people (200 words)
- MESME is a new, and fast-growing charity and the nature of this organisation requires the schools coordinator to take on various tasks that may fall outside of the scope of this role. Please provide an example of an experience that demonstrates you are adaptable and a team player (300 words)
- If you are successful, what two aspects of the role would be the biggest challenge for you, how would you resolve those challenges? (300 words)
Please send your application to [email protected] (via the ‘Apply’ button above) with the subject ‘MESME Programme Co-ordinator – your name’ by 12pm 31st July 2023.
First round telephone interview will take place week beginning 1st August
Second round in person interviews (and task) will take place in our office in London the following week on Tuesday 8th August
Please note, we will be reviewing applications regularly and we may close this vacancy to new applications earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.
MESME is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; all successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and must have the right to work in the U.K.