Job Description & Person Specification: Click here to download.
Applications: Click here to apply.
The deadline to apply is 9am, Tuesday 22nd September with a provisional date of interview of Friday 25th September 2020.
Job Description – Are you an experienced wordpress developer, with a solution-focused mindset? Are you excited by the prospect of building digital tools to support young people?
Join an exciting, fast-paced and growing social enterprise as our Digital Lead. We are a passionate team, focused on developing the aspiration, skills and knowledge of young people – usually through in-classroom programmes on entrepreneurship, leadership, student voice and career pathways.
This role has responsibility for leading and implementing our digital roadmap; which is centred around our Unloc.online interactive e-learning platform, which is built using WordPress, the LearnDash LMS and various other plug-ins (see unloc.online/overview). Unloc.online provides a series of online short courses designed to encourage students aged 11-19 to explore entrepreneurship, employability, leadership and career pathways from the comfort of their own home. These courses are not deeply academic; instead, they encourage students to explore new topics, think critically and challenge their own thinking. There is a combination of free, un-moderated courses and moderated paid-for courses that schools and colleges can purchase.
Additionally, this new role will support our team of programme facilitators to design, build and develop digital tools, web content and resources to support both our in-classroom programmes and digital alternatives, where in-classroom programmes are affected by COVID restrictions.
The ideal candidate will have a combination of WordPress development experience and knowledge (both front and back end), along with an eye for designing and developing user-centred digital tools. Additionally, we are looking for somebody that is solution-focused and excited by the prospect of helping a team without digital expertise to come with them on a journey towards digital being at the heart of how the social enterprise operates. This role requires somebody that is equally willing to get creative and contribute to how we develop our digital products, as well as getting hands-on as a developer.
About Us
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed. This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tag-line. We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes in our network of 100+ schools and colleges.
We pride ourselves on being innovative, embracing new technology and ensuring that we have young people at the heart of everything we do. This approach is summarised in our 7 pillars:
- Developing young people’s confidence and aspiration
- Tailoring programmes to meet young people’s needs
- Investing in young people’s skills
- Engaging young people through innovative approaches
- Championing young people’s successes
- Working closely with partners
- Demonstrating youth leadership with a dynamic team
What we offer
- A fun, driven and passionate team.
- Technology including a MacBook and phone to make your working life easier.
- Growth: we invest in individuals and are an ambitious organisation.
- The opportunity to work with amazing young people.
- A flexible approach to working life and 28 days holiday plus a week at Christmas and all bank holidays (not already falling within the Christmas break); a total of 38 days holiday (full time equivalent).
- Access to PerkBox, an external employee benefits & rewards scheme.
All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks returning satisfactory results including an Enhanced DBS Check, a List 99 Check and Right to Work checks. We carry out these checks as an organisation that undertakes ‘regulated activity’ as defined by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (SVG) Act 2006. Please note that such checks will include both spent and unspent convictions. Any candidate with convictions relating to offences against children or other vulnerable people will be deemed as unsuitable to work at Unloc and any job offer will be made on this basis.
The recruitment process is outlined in Unloc’s Safer Recruitment Policy available at https://unloc.org.uk.
Specific Responsibilities
With support and oversight from the Operations Manager.
Lead and implement the Unloc.online Digital Roadmap
- To organise, plan and then undertake development sprints to implement the key priority areas outlined in our Unloc.online Digital Roadmap. The vision for the platform plus functionality and content development priorities for the next 12-months are summarised in Appendix 1.
- To meet the goals set out in the Roadmap, you will likely need to:
- Adapt existing and introduce new plug-ins to add functionality
- Develop our page menus and methods of navigating the platform
- Find creative solutions to convert our static resources (i.e a poster) into an interactive activity that can be used within a LearnDash e-course
- To meet the goals set out in the Roadmap, you will likely need to:
- Lead our Digital Roadmap Meetings, scheduled bi-weekly, with our Managing Director and Operations Manager. These meetings will track progress against the roadmap, as well as providing a creative outlet for the continued development of the roadmap.
Design, build and develop digital tools to support our programme facilitators
- To work with the Operations Manager and Programme Facilitators to develop digital tools, resources and micro-sites to assist with the delivery of our programmes. This includes both resources to assist in-classroom programmes, and building alternatives (such as a micro-site with embedded live stream) where we are unable to go into the classroom.
Liaise and coordinate with freelance videographers, designers and animators
- To coordinate the input of freelance videographers, designers and animators into our online course content. This includes working with programme facilitators that are writing course content to design a brief, tracking progress and ensuring the end product is consistently of a high quality and relevant for the target audience.
Work with our Content and Quality Manager to implement data-driven metrics that demonstrate impact
- To work alongside our Content and Quality Manager to build functionality into our platforms that track and measure the impact they have on our target beneficiaries.
To support the development of Unloc’s main website
- Working with the Managing Director to develop Unloc’s main wordpress website (unloc.org.uk), including improving the way in which users navigate from the main website to the Unloc.online platform.
Providing regular updates to the Operations Manager
- To provide regular (written or verbal) updates to the Operations Manager on current progress and achievements of individual sprints and projects you manage, this includes using and keeping the Unloc project management tracking software, Monday.com, up-to-date .
To support other Unloc projects and programmes
- To aid other Unloc projects and programmes as and when required by the team (in consultation with your line manager).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential:
- GCSE Maths and English at grade A*-C / 9-4 (or equivalent).
- Two A-Levels at grade A*-C (or equivalent).
Desirable:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent industry experience).
Experience and Knowledge
Essential:
- Previous experience of developing complex WordPress platforms and/or websites, including developing and adding functionality using plug-ins and other 3rd party technologies.
- Previous experience of designing, building and developing user-centred digital tools.
- Some experience and knowledge of coding languages; HTML, CSS, and Javascript/ JQuery.
Desirable:
- Understanding of WordPress security and safe data management.
- Knowledge of managing site optimisation.
- Knowledge of PHP.
- Understanding of the UK education sector.
- Some knowledge of hosting infrastructure.
Abilities and Skills
Essential:
- Ability to prioritise and manage own workload and development sprints.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- High-level communication skills including written and verbal communication.
Desirable:
- High level of skill when using G Suite (formerly known as Google Apps for Work).
- Ability to maintain a professional online image including social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. This includes promoting Unloc’s work and opportunities for young people.
Other
Essential:
- Willingness to undertake staff training and development as required.
- Willingness to travel to the Solent Region, including Unloc’s Portsmouth HQ, 2-4 days a month.
Desirable:
- A full UK driving licence.
