Junior project manager
Type: Full time (12 month FTC)
Salary: £30-35k depending on your experience
Location: Edinburgh
About the role
The Junior Project Manager plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of our innovation ventures and business advisory projects. This role is ideal for someone early in their project management career who is eager to learn by doing, contribute to meaningful work, and take a fresh look at challenges to help develop innovative, evidence-based solutions.
They may lead smaller-scale projects or workstreams and provide support on larger, more complex initiatives led by Project Managers or senior team members. This includes planning, coordination, and execution of activities across the project lifecycle—research, design, testing, delivery, and evaluation. The role reports to the Head of Programmes or a designated Project Manager.
This role is expected to be based in Edinburgh and follows a hybrid model with the expectation to work collaboratively in the office 2-3 times per week.
To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter (maximum 300 words). For more information, please follow the instructions below.
Who we are
Elevate Great is a not-for-profit Equity Catalyst that strives for a society where everyone can flourish. We want to get to the root of the problem, so we follow the evidence and invest upstream. By getting early childhood right, we believe we can unlock human potential right now and for the future.
We partner with individuals, organisations, and communities that are driving innovative, evidence-based solutions rooted in early childhood - the foundation for a life full of potential. Elevate Great is not just our name; it’s what we do: We use methodological innovations in data science and combine them with entrepreneurial know-how to scale great research, solutions, and ideas that can change our future, one child at a time.
Key responsibilities
Project delivery
Lead or co-lead small projects or defined workstreams within larger programmes
Support project planning, timelines, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders
Monitor progress and risks, ensuring tasks stay on track
Support in facilitation of workshops, team sessions, and user testing
Data & evidence
Assist in designing and implementing feedback loops and testing frameworks
Work with the Evidence team as required to gather, organise, and analyse data
Use insights to iterate and improve project delivery
Product development & advisory
Conduct competitor and horizon scans
Contribute to prototype development and MVP testing
Help prepare materials for business advisory engagements, including research, presentation decks, and notes from partner interactions
Collaboration & learning
Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
Participate in project reviews and learning sessions
Provide insight and reflection to contribute to continuous improvement
People
Model organisational values and standards in their own behaviour, and ensure they are present within respective teams.
Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the organisation.
Foster strong communication and collaboration within the team and across other teams
What we’re looking for
Qualifications
Degree in business administration, economics, management, or a related field.
Postgraduate or professional qualification in a business-related subject (desirable).
Knowledge and experience
1–2 years of experience in project coordination or delivery.
Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
Basic understanding of project management tools and methods (e.g. Agile, Kanban)
Research literacy.
Good grasp of data and evidence.
Previous experience working in or with social enterprises, startups, or innovation labs (desirable).
Skills and abilities
Project /product management.
Presentation skills.
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Person attributes
Strong motivation to drive systems change.
Clear focus on evidence-led decision-making.
Curiosity-driven mindset and a willingness to learn.
Desire to make a difference for children and society.
Personal commitment to EG’s principles — to be bold, brave, energetic, human and evidence-led.
Benefits
We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a range of benefits for our employees, including 28 days' annual leave (excluding public holidays), an 8% pension, and learning and wellbeing allowances.