Programme Development Officer (Maternity Cover

Location: Hybrid – Home-based with some regional travel in England

Reports to: Head of Programmes and Impact

Contract: Fixed-term/Temporary maternity cover, approx. 12-month secondment

Salary: £30,600 per annum

Final date to receive applications: Thursday 27th August at 9am

Interview information: We plan to hold online interviews from week commencing 7th September

The Girls' Network is a national charity with a mission to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a network of professional women role models and volunteer mentors. We believe no girl should have her future limited by her gender, ethnicity, background, or parental income. Our vision is a future where all girls are supported to realise their ambitions, discover their self-worth, and shape their own futures.

We partner with secondary schools and colleges across multiple regions in England, including London, Merseyside, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sussex, Tees Valley, Tyne & Wear and the West Midlands. We match girls aged 14–19 with trained volunteer mentors for one-to-one support. In addition to this core mentoring, workshops, and access to an Ambassador Community that provides continued opportunities for development, career support, and connection.

The Programme Development Officer is responsible for ensuring that The Girls' Network develops high-quality, consistent, and impactful programmes for girls and young women across all regions. Working closely with the colleagues in the Programme team, volunteers, and education establishments, the post-holder will support the development and continuous improvement of our mentoring, workshop, and ambassador offer. They will ensure that programmes are grounded in best practice and aligned to organisational strategy.

Key responsibilities include leading programme quality assurance, developing resources, and delivering staff and volunteer training, while embedding learning from delivery to strengthen outcomes.

Alongside programme development duties, the post-holder will also be a member of the safeguarding team, acting as a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO). In this capacity, they will support the organisation's commitment to providing safe and inclusive programmes to girls and young women. This role involves supporting delivery staff on day-to-day safeguarding issues, refining policies as required, carrying out risk assessments, and auditing procedures to guarantee that safeguarding frameworks are consistently understood, accurately recorded, and central to service delivery.

• Support the development and continuous improvement of The Girls' Network's programme offer, ensuring delivery aligns with organisational strategy and responds to the needs of the girls and young women we serve.
• Develop and maintain programme standards, frameworks, and guidance to drive consistent, high-quality delivery across all regions.
• Take ownership of The Girls' Network volunteering platform, ensuring it effectively supports volunteer engagement and delivery.
• Ensure mentoring, workshops, and wider programme activities are aligned with The Girls' Network Theory of Change.
• Work collaboratively with the wider programme team to identify opportunities to strengthen and evolve programme delivery.
• Stay informed of sector research and emerging practice on mentoring, youth issues, and girls' empowerment, embedding relevant learning into programme design.
• Collaborate with the Head of Programmes & Impact to ensure programme development activity reflects both operational needs and strategic priorities.

• Design and implement robust quality assurance processes that underpin excellence and consistency across programme delivery.
• Conduct programme reviews, fieldwork, and quality assurance activities, identifying strengths, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Work closely with the National Programme Manager to embed programme standards in day‑to‑day delivery and support the sharing of best practice across teams.
• Produce actionable recommendations and improvement plans to enhance…