Project Manager

School Library Association

Hours
37 hours per week

Length of contract
1 year

About the Organisation

School Library Association (SLA) is an independent charity and membership organisation that believes every pupil is entitled to effective school library provision. The SLA supports all those working in school libraries. We have been representing the school library sector for more than eighty-five years, with membership in the Association thought of as essential to all those who work in and around school libraries.

Membership in the SLA provides training, support in advocating with senior leadership teams, incredible discounts, and collegiate networking opportunities for everybody working in and with school libraries.

About the role

We are seeking a Project Manager to support the delivery of our new programme, Reading Reboot, funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust, and to support the SLA to grow its reach and impact. Reading Reboot is being developed to address the reading crisis and restore a love of reading for young people in Year 8, in communities facing the greatest disadvantage. This is an opportunity to lead a flagship national programme with the potential to shape future investment in school libraries, in a supportive, mission-driven team culture within a small but influential charity.

The Reading Reboot programme will establish librarian-led social book clubs in over 100 underfunded secondary school libraries across the UK and reach more than 6,000 young people directly, alongside librarians, senior leaders, and wider school communities. Reading Reboot places school librarians at the heart of delivery, combining new book stock, inspiring author engagement, appealing library spaces, and a robust evaluation to evidence impact and inform future national roll-out.

The Project Manager will lead on development and delivery, working closely with the CEO, the Project Board, and the external evaluation team to ensure the programme meets its objectives on time, within budget, and to a high standard. They will recruit and coordinate schools and librarians, work with partners and funders, and ensure that learning and impact are captured and shared across the sector. Building strong relationships with all stakeholders, the Project Manager will be the main point of contact for the programme and will support the CEO and Project Board with timely updates, papers, and participation in meetings.

Responsibilities

Programme & Project Management:

• Lead the day-to-day management of Reading Reboot, maintaining a detailed project plan, risk register, and delivery timeline
• Coordinate school recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing engagement, ensuring SLT buy-in and completion of MOUs
• Oversee the termly delivery cycle of book clubs, training, resource distribution, and events across all participating schools
• Monitor progress against agreed KPIs and outcomes, producing regular internal and external reports, working with the external evaluation team throughout
• Monitor budget and manage financial project reporting

Training and Resources:

• Plan and coordinate in-person training, webinars, and online sessions for librarians and school staff
• Support the development and dissemination of the programme, training, and resources
• Facilitate online forums, drop-in advice clinics, and peer-learning opportunities to sustain engagement and share best practices
• Work with colleagues to schedule and deliver author visits (in person and online) and celebration events

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• Coordinate the collection of quantitative and qualitative data from programme participants
• Support a test-and-learn approach, trialling and documenting variations in delivery (student selection, book gifting, training modes)
• Contribute to interim and final reports, as well as the production of a programme film capturing impact and insights

Communications:

• Work with the Publicity & Partnerships Manager to implement the communications plan, including campaigns around the National Year of Reading
• Gather and curate case studies, quotes and stories from pupils, librarians and school leaders
• Support the delivery of regional celebrations and a final sector insights event, helping position Reading Reboot as a model for investment in school libraries

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential:

• Extensive experience in project management focused on education, literacy, youth and school programme delivery
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, deliver to tight deadlines, on time and to agreed budgets
• Strong IT skills, including project management tools and CRM systems
• Experience developing projects and programmes from inception to evaluation
• Experience developing training and resources, with the ability to think creatively to deliver on specific outcomes
• Experience of working with a wide range of stakeholders (schools, partners, funders, freelancers) and maintaining positive relationships
• Understanding of the education sector, school libraries and literacy issues
• Experience in monitoring budgets, timelines and KPIs, and reporting to senior stakeholders or boards, working confidently to achieve success
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to adapt style for young people, educators, partners and funders
• Ability to work independently as part of a small, busy charity team, using initiative and sound judgement
• Willingness to travel to schools and events across the UK, including occasional evenings and weekends

Desirable:

• A project management qualification (Prince2 and equivalent)
• Experience of working on programmes focused on reading for pleasure, literacy, and youth wellbeing
• Experience of working with children’s publishers and authors writing for young people
• Experience of working with trusts and foundations
• Experience in producing communications outputs such as videos
• Experience of monitoring and evaluation in a charity and education context, including data collection and basic analysis
• Understanding of safeguarding, inclusion and equity issues in work with children and young people

Compensation & Benefits

• Employer pension contribution 6%

Working locations

• Home-based

How to apply

• To apply, please send a one-page covering letter and CV to [email protected] with the subject line "Project Manager" by 25th March 2026 at 5 pm. Applications without a covering letter will not be considered.
• Due to the volume of applications, we cannot provide individual feedback. We really appreciate your interest. If you haven’t heard from us within one week of the deadline, it means we’ve moved forward with other candidates on this occasion. We
• encourage you to apply again in the future.

Interviews

• Interviews will take place online the week commencing the 7th April 2026

Policies

We welcome applicants from all over the UK. We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. Each new role provides us with an opportunity for us to bring in a different perspective, and we are always eager to diversify our team. The SLA is committed to building an inclusive, supportive place where you can do brilliant and rewarding work.

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