Social Value Manager

• Salary: £45-55,000 DOE
• Location: Hybrid – Regular travel and office attendance at both Coventry (Erasmus location) and Bracknell (Bid team) will be required
• Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time (40 hours/week)
• Reports To: Bids and Growth Operations Director

Role Overview

This role will work across IRARA to embed practical, measurable social value in both bids and contract delivery. The role will support new contracts at mobilisation, help teams sustain good practice, and work with IRARA partners to strengthen our offer and support business growth. Working with operational, bid and business development teams, the postholder will turn commitments into achievable plans and evidence the benefits delivered for people and communities.

Key Responsibilities

Central support across the business

• Co-ordinate social value activity across the business, providing practical guidance, shared tools and staff briefings, and sharing learning between contracts.
• Maintain accurate, auditable evidence and produce dashboards, reports and case studies for clients and colleagues. Use suitable measurement frameworks where required, avoid double counting, and protect personal data and obtain consent for stories.
• Monitor public sector procurement developments, including the Procurement Act 2023, relevant policy notes and evolving Social Value Model guidance. Update colleagues and recommend changes to bidding and delivery practices.

Bid support

• Support business development and tender responses through research, bid writing, case studies and delivery evidence, ensuring commitments are feasible, costed and appropriately approved.
• Apply PPN 026 where relevant to the procurement, aligning responses with the buyer’s selected Social Value Model outcomes and criteria on good jobs and skills. Check the applicable policy edition, evaluation method and tender instructions, including transition arrangements.
• Specify measurable bid commitments with targets, timescales, owners and evidence, linked to the contract and proportionate to its scope. Address relevant community programmes where requested and distinguish core delivery obligations from proposed social value benefits.

Mobilisation support

• Support mobilisation by translating bid commitments into delivery plans with clear ownership, resources, milestones, measures and reporting arrangements.
• Maintain bid-to-delivery handovers, commitments registers and contract KPI tracking, supporting performance reporting requirements.
• Confirm partner capacity, responsibilities and evidence requirements to ensure commitments are deliverable from contract start.

Contract delivery support for ERASMUS+

• Work with operational teams throughout ERASMUS+ delivery to embed social value in delivery, monitor progress, identify risks and escalate shortfalls with proposed corrective action.
• Build relationships with partners, employers, local authorities and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to identify local needs and develop realistic opportunities for employment, skills and community benefit.
• Co-design ERASMUS+ activities with partners and communities, especially people facing barriers to employment, and maintain clear responsibilities and evidence requirements throughout delivery.
• Track appropriate ERASMUS+ indicators such as jobs created or retained, sustained employment, training completion, apprenticeships, placements and progression. Agree definitions, baselines, targets, data sources and reporting frequency.
• Any other duties appropriate to the role

Requirements

Essential (these will be used to decide whether to shortlist)

Experience

• Around 2–3 years’ relevant experience in social value, community engagement, partnership co-ordination, project delivery or related work.
• Experience delivering or supporting measurable activities and working with multiple stakeholders; experience from employability, skills, public contracts or the voluntary/community sector is particularly relevant.
• Experience collecting and checking performance evidence, tracking actions and producing clear reports against agreed objectives.

Skills

• Working knowledge of social value in public sector procurement, including PPN 026 and relevant Social Value Model guidance, with the ability to interpret tender requirements and keep knowledge current.
• Ability to turn commitments into practical plans and meaningful KPIs, and to understand the difference between activities, outputs and outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including clear bid contributions, reports and accessible guidance for colleagues and partners.
• Effective organisation and relationship building; able to co-ordinate priorities across contracts, influence without direct authority and follow through on agreed actions.
• Confident use of spreadsheets and Microsoft Office to manage data and reporting; attention to evidence quality, confidentiality, inclusion and the needs of people facing barriers to employment.

Education

• A relevant qualification or equivalent practical learning and experience demonstrating the literacy, numeracy and analytical skills required for the role; willingness to undertake continuing professional development.

Desirable

Experience

• Supporting public sector bids, contract mobilisation or social value delivery within employability, skills, training, public services or voluntary/community organisations.
• Working with employers or community partners to deliver inclusive recruitment, apprenticeships, work placements or progression opportunities.
• Using client reporting systems or recognised social value measurement approaches, such as TOMs or Social Return on Investment, where appropriate to the contract.

Skills

• Ability to facilitate workshops, develop delivery case studies and present performance information through dashboards or visual reports.
• Understanding of local labour market needs, community engagement and evaluation methods, including the limitations of monetised social value estimates.

Education

• Relevant study or professional training in social value, community development, sustainability, procurement, business or project management; relevant professional accreditation is welcome.

Why Join IRARA?

We offer an opportunity to be part of a global support network, which aims to positively impact the lives of others. We have a culture and working environment that is friendly and fast paced, supporting personal growth within the organisation. You will have the chance to work and build relationships with people from around the world across multiple cultures and backgrounds.

We really value our people and offer a friendly, collaborative and purpose-driven environment.

Benefits include

• Hybrid working model
• 22 days annual leave, increasing with length of service + Bank holidays + the ability to buy up to an extra 5 days a year
• Online perk scheme

How do I apply?

To apply please send your CV and covering letter to careers@irara.org, subject line: Social Value Manager

Please do not hesitate to reach out to careers@irara.org, if you have any questions or would like to discuss the opportunity in more detail.

We welcome applications from individuals with transferable skills and diverse backgrounds. We are building a diverse and inclusive workforce, which involves hiring the best people for our roles. In order to do this we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates have fair opportunities. If we can make any adjustments to ensure that the process is accessible please let us know. We are proud to support care leavers, armed forces veterans, those at risk of homelessness and are Disability Confident. Please mention it in your application if any of these apply to you. We will treat all information confidentially.

You must be eligible to work in the Uk and able to pass a security check, including a DBS.

The closing date for applications is 8am on Monday 16^th November.