Programme Manager, Greater Manchester Step Change Consortium

Salary: £39,152 starting salary (salary range will increase to max £41,771 via the length of service) per annum. Contract: Permanent basis contract (funded until September 2028). Hours: Full-Time 35 hours per week (excluding lunch breaks) Location: Manchester office (please note regular travel to and across Greater Manchester is required). We will consider UK-based hybrid working options. About Refugee Action Refugee Action exists to work with refugees and people seeking asylum who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes. We are a national charity with more than 40 years’ experience of empowering people who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes to secure the protection and support that they need to live with dignity and respect and build a new life in the UK. We do this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of partner organisations and campaigning on the policies that affect them. To succeed in the role you will need to demonstrate: Commitment to removing barriers to power for people with lived experience, and commitment to anti-racist practices. Understanding of how the UK’s hostile refugee protection and asylum system impacts those affected by it. Understanding of the Greater Manchester city-region context, including the key organisations and decision makers on issues of migration. Understanding and/or experience of working with lived experience groups including appreciation of the barriers and mechanisms to ensure engagement is meaningful, sustainable and includes accountability. Experience of understanding and working with the asylum and refugee communities in Greater Manchester. Strong networking, facilitation and partnership-building skills with significant experience of delivering collaborative projects and/or partnerships. Excellent project management skills with experience of successfully managing complex programmes of work. Ability to assess support needs and provide high quality development support to a range of frontline organisations. Understanding of the current and future challenges faced by organisations that provide services for asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants in the UK. Understanding of monitoring and recording systems and how they produce effective data to measure impact. Experience of overseeing granting arrangements and management of grantees. Understanding of the Asylum and Immigration System, legal literacy, IAA, and access to justice and commitment to developing knowledge/attending training. Ability to draft impactful blogs, social media posts, presentations and reports in English, tailored to various audiences, including people with lived experience and funders. Ability to plan and manage own workload, as well as an open and reflective attitude to own work and experience. Ability to use Information Technology to the required standard and willingness to learn new technology. Those with lived experience as a refugee are particularly encouraged to apply Closing date: 23:59 on 27 November 2025 Interviews: 9 December 2025 (on Zoom) Refugee Action only operates in the UK, so all roles are UK-based, and you must have the right to work in the UK. This role is not on the Shortage Occupation List. If you have permission to work that is restricted to the Shortage Occupation List, we will be unable to appoint you to this role. You can find out which roles are on the shortage occupation list via these two links: Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations for healthcare and education We are currently campaigning for people seeking asylum to have the right to work in the UK, see our Lift the Ban campaign here.

Location: Greater Manchester,, GB

Posted Date: 11/14/2025