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Community Link Worker

Status: Fixed Term Contract | Location: Cork | Reporting to: Programme Manager
Hours: 35 hours per week | Salary: €45,000 FTE, pro rata for 8 months (Oct-May)
Travel: Frequent travel across schools in Cork. Full clean driving licence and access to a car essential.

The Role

We are looking for an dedicated, highly organised and proactive Community Link Worker to support young people experiencing educational disadvantage across the Cork region.

At jumpAgrade, we believe potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Young people thrive when they have access to the right educational supports, relationships, resources and opportunities.

The Community Link Worker will work across our partner schools to identify and respond to the needs and aspirations of young people, providing access to additional educational supports and resources and helping to reduce the barriers that can prevent young people from engaging and progressing in education.

You will coordinate and promote jumpAgrade tuition programmes within schools while also building the wider network around young people — connecting them with employers, universities, further education providers, community organisations, mentors and other opportunities.

In short, you will build the village around young people.

You will also collect and share data, student voice and stories to demonstrate impact, identify emerging needs and build awareness of jumpAgrade across Cork.

Key Responsibilities

Support young people
Build trusted relationships with students and school staff across 20+ partner schools.
Identify students' strengths, needs, interests and aspirations and connect them with relevant supports and opportunities.
Coordinate 1-1 and group tuition programmes, supporting registration, engagement and attendance.
Develop and maintain a Cork Opportunity Register covering education, careers, mentoring, volunteering and other opportunities.
Make warm introductions and support students to overcome barriers to accessing opportunities.
Manage a discretionary budget to respond to identified student needs.

Build the village
Develop a strong network of employers, universities, further education providers, community organisations, mentors, professionals and volunteers.
Identify opportunities, resources and expertise that could benefit young people.
Develop partnerships that provide students with access to new experiences, networks and opportunities.
Identify gaps in local supports and proactively seek out new partners and resources.

Capture and amplify impact
Collect and maintain high-quality data on participation, attendance, engagement and outcomes.
Capture student voice, stories and case studies to demonstrate impact.
Use data and feedback to improve delivery and identify emerging needs.
Contribute stories, photographs, video and other content, where appropriate, to jumpAgrade communications.
Use social media confidently to raise awareness, celebrate students and partners and build community connections.
Coordinate a regional event showcasing student voice and impact.

What Success Looks Like
Strong relationships with 20+ partner schools.
High levels of student participation and engagement in jumpAgrade programmes.
More young people accessing educational supports, resources and opportunities beyond school.
A growing network of Cork-based partners contributing opportunities, expertise and support.
An active Opportunity Register connecting students with meaningful opportunities.
Strong data and student stories demonstrating impact.
Increasing awareness of jumpAgrade and a growing community around our mission.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential
Relevant qualification or equivalent experience in youth work, community development, education, social care, guidance or a related field.
2–3 years' experience working with young people and/or communities.
Experience building relationships with a range of stakeholders and organisations.
Experience coordinating programmes, projects or activities.
Experience collecting and using data or feedback to monitor activity or demonstrate impact.
Excellent communication, interpersonal and organisational skills.
Confidence using social media and digital communications.
A genuine commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunities for young people.
Full clean driving licence and access to a car.
Willingness to undergo Garda vetting.

Desirable
Experience working in a DEIS or disadvantaged school/community setting.
Community development or partnership-working experience.
Experience working with employers, universities, further education or community organisations.
Experience in youth voice, impact measurement, social media or digital storytelling.

The Person We Are Looking For

Qualifications are important, but who you are and how you work are just as important.

We are looking for someone who is:

A natural connector – you enjoy meeting people and building relationships.
A community builder – you can see the people and resources that could become part of a young person's village.
Student-centred – you listen to young people and respect their voice, strengths and choices.
Confident and personable – you can move comfortably between a teenager, school principal, university representative and local business.
Highly organised – you can manage multiple schools, relationships and priorities without losing sight of the detail.
Proactive and resourceful – you spot opportunities, solve problems and make things happen.
Data confident – you are comfortable collecting, interpreting and sharing evidence of impact.
Values-led – you care deeply about making education fairer and expanding opportunity for young people.

At jumpAgrade, we are building a village around young people. Help us build it.