Community engagement project manager jobs

At Oasis we aspire to work in partnership with sanctuary seekers to deliver holistic services and activities that support their flourishing in Wales

We work each day to meet increasingly complex challenges and amplify our community’s voice to ensure all people seeking sanctuary can influence the systems that affect them, have access to crucial information, a safe space, and a warm, welcoming community.

Job Title: Participation Worker

Hours: Full-time

Contract length: 4 year funded post

Salary: £26,208

Reporting Manager: Project Lead and CEO

About the role

As a participation worker, you will work with The Dreamers, a co-produced project that aims to improve the mental health of young (16-25 year old) refugees and asylum seekers.

The project is delivered through a partnership between Oasis, TGP Cymru and Cardiff and Vale Health Inclusion Service (CAVHIS) along with the young people. The partnership project is hosted by Oasis and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

This job is for you if…

You are a committed and passionate individual. This participation role will provide participation and mentoring opportunities to young people aged 16-25. Via participation you will enable and empower them to ensure their voices are heard and bring about positive change, to increase levels of confidence, and to encourage their ability to self-advocate. You will seek and promote new and diverse participation opportunities for young people, to encourage inclusion and personal development. You will help young people understand processes and systems which affect them and support engagement in a range of activities to improve wellbeing and resilience, combat isolation and encourage integration.

To apply, please fill in the application form by the 26th May 2025. Please note, we will not accept CVs in lieu of a form.

We welcome applications from those with lived experience of the asylum system.

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for a Policy Manager to join our External Affairs team.

You'll work closely with autistic young people, their families, and our specialist settings, to develop and influence policy on our priority areas. You will be accountable for achieving the wider policy aims in our new strategy, so that autistic young people can achieve at school, be healthy, and live and work as independently as possible.

You'll collaborate with autistic young people, their families, colleagues across Ambitious about Autism, and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies that influence practice in our priority policy areas. You'll plan and manage regular engagement activities with autistic young people, their families, and other key stakeholders, to ensure our policy influencing is beneficiary- led and reflects the needs of our settings.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Proven experience of developing and delivering policy positions to effect social change
• Proven track record of using social and traditional media to generate engagement in campaigns for change
• Knowledge and understanding of at least one priority policy area affecting autistic children, young people and their families (education or employment policy)
• Proven ability to develop and manage research and policy projects within agreed timescales and budgets.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Project Background

Come and join our award-winning place-based volunteering programme that works with residents living across Hackney and the City of London.

You will be based out in the community - the programme is based at GP practices - to engage, support and enable local residents and patients to deliver local services for themselves, to meet local needs. We support residents to come together, to share their skills and experience for the benefit of each other, to deliver local groups and activities such as a book group, film club, exercise classes or cooking group. Residents from diverse backgrounds and demographics attend these activities together and make new connections, building strong local communities, all working together to make their area a better place to live. People, many of whom are isolated across all ages, and who have difficult life circumstances, are brought together, providing each other with mutual support and encouragement to develop new skills and pursue life goals, and to feel better able to voice their concerns to services.

You will be joining a nationally recognised project - having won an award from the Royal Society of Public Health in November 2024 - to support residents to fulfil their personal goals, make connections with others, and design activities and services that meet local needs. You will also be supporting people to improve their mental and physical health through signposting them to appropriate services and encouraging them to talk to their GP if they have concerns; and will be working in partnership with GP practice staff to co-create volunteer roles to make the practice more efficient and a better place to visit.

Who are we?

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a medium sized charity (currently 30 staff) based in the London borough of Hackney, working to support local residents to realise their skills and passions through volunteering and social action, and to share these for the benefit of others.

Our mission is to build and strengthen communities across Hackney through supporting residents of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer and build projects together.

In 2021, we were awarded the Freedom of the Borough Award by Hackney Council for our efforts to support residents during COVID, which included mobilising over 2000 volunteers to deliver food, prescriptions and essential items, provide emotional support to isolated residents and support the vaccine rollout. 

We work with hundreds of diverse community organisations and deliver various programmes to help residents share their skills and deliver their own social action projects to improve people’s lives. These include a befriending programme, volunteering brokerage matching local people to volunteer roles based on their skills, interests and goals, a specialist mental health programme, peer research and multiple resident engagement programmes at GP surgeries and estates across Hackney.

Post holders need to be enthusiastic and engaging, bringing energy to the role, be self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, albeit with some support from the team members based at other sites.

Can you help a community organisation reach its potential?

This is an exciting opportunity for a trusts and foundations fundraiser with some experience to shape a new role. The post offers an attractive balance between having the autonomy to work on your own initiative, whilst working closely (and receiving full support from) the CEO,  who is also an experienced fundraiser and member of Chartered Institute of Fundraising. 

You will be responsible for applying for grants for the varied work of the charity and managing relationships with a portfolio of existing funders.  You will work with the CEO to contribute to and shape the organisation’s fundraising strategy, which is likely to involve diversifying our funding strategy into additional types of fundraising. This post would suit a competent trusts and foundation fundraiser with a few years’ experience, who is looking to diversify their fundraising experience into other areas of fundraising (e.g. individual donations, community and event fundraising, or corporate) and grow with this new fundraising department. 

Ascension Community Trust (ACT) is a busy and much-loved local charity. Our current focus is on reducing poverty and improving the health, education and opportunities for the residents of our community.

As a Trusts & Foundations fundraiser you will be responsible for fundraising for a range of ACT’s community projects including Newham District Foodbank (A Trussell Trust foodbank delivered by ACT and two community partners), welfare benefits advice, immigration advice, ESOL classes, work with adults with learning difficulties,  as well as  work with children, young people and their families. 

The role is based in Custom House, Newham, but would be open to homeworking/ hybrid working by negotiation.

We are seeking a passionate, connected and well-organised leader, to manage and develop our Church Engagement team and mission with UK churches, networks, community groups and volunteers. The role requires someone who is motivated by their Christian faith and has a passion to inspire and influence the UK Church to show love, strengthen faith and bring joy to millions of people across the Middle East and North Africa.

As we look towards our 30th anniversary, we want to inspire a new generation of churches and individuals to engage with global and local mission; to raise awareness and understanding of the Church in the MENA and to increase engagement, giving and prayer.

The Church Engagement team sits within the External Engagement Department, which covers areas including communications, publications and resources, press and media, digital content and marketing, fundraising appeals, church engagement, events and volunteers. Teams work closely together on shared activities to ensure that the strategy is connected and delivers a coherent public message, maximising every potential opportunity to increase income and deepen understanding and engagement. Other office staff include those focused on operations and finance, as well as a small Development Team engaging with major donors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

This role will allow you to make a real difference to the lives of millions of people in the Middle East and North Africa.  You will help to manage, maintain and increase income and engagement through the following key responsibilities:

·Work with the team to implement strategies for growing key areas of income and engagement with churches and individuals, maintaining prospect lists, communicating with churches to resource and increase engagement.

·To manage, motivate and support a diverse team in different geographical locations and working patterns.

·To assist with delivering the church partnership and media projects programme, inviting church leaders and churches to join, helping research, prepare and send project proposals, reports and associated resources.

·To analyse current church giving patterns and identify pathways to increase engagement, levels and forms of giving (including individual giving in conjunction with other team members).

·Support with high-level giving church relationships and work with the Engagement Officer to mobilise ambassadors and volunteers within churches to encourage prayer for the MENA and church giving.

·Oversee SAT-7’s presence at events and conferences to maximise opportunities for engagement and increased reach with existing and new supporters.

·To assist with identifying current and future engagement resources to inspire and mobilise supporter churches and wider opportunities with denominations and Christian networks.

·Lead regular one to ones and promote the process of SAT-7 UK’s personal development plans for team members throughout the year e.g. conducting appraisals and mid-year reviews.

WHAT NEXT?

If this sounds like the right role for you and you would like to find out more, please see the Application Pack and apply via the SAT-7 UK website.

Due to a recent restructure within the organisation, BVSC are seeking a Children & Young Person Community Connect Wellbeing coordinator, who is passionate about improving health and wellbeing within Bexley.

In this role, you will work within a team to empower residents to access local charities, community groups, and services. Working alongside healthcare professionals and local organisations, you’ll help create personalised action plans, provide ongoing support, and ensure that everyone receives the care and guidance they need.

Are you passionate about clients having a voice on how organisations provide services and support?

Whether it’s due to homelessness or poor mental health, the number of people experiencing a crisis is on the rise. Connection Support believes in a future where people are free from crisis. But for the times when crises do happen, we’ll be there to help every step of the way.

Does this sound like something you want to be a part of?

The impact you will have

Client involvement is at the heart of everything we do. You will be responsible for developing and enhancing our involvement with clients and the communities we work alongside, to give them influence, a voice and control in how we provide our services across the organisation.

We are also just as passionate about our volunteers. Part of this role will develop and enhance our work with volunteers, peer mentoring and student placements to maximise the impact of volunteering across our services, enhancing the support we deliver.

This is an exciting time to join Connection Support as we celebrate our 30th anniversary and turn our focus to preventing homelessness long before it happens, as well as continuing to provide support for those in crisis.

Contract: 12 month fixed term contract. Maternity cover

Hours: Between 22.5 and 37.5 hours per week. This post requires a minimum 30% of the time face to face.

Salary: £42,322 - £47,949 per annum (pro rata for part time), dependent on experience

Location: Based in one of our main offices across our areas of operation (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes) with flexibility to travel between offices and work from home.

Closing date: Tuesday 10th June at 10.00am.

Interview dates: Week commencing 16th June

About you

Your experience involves working in client engagement within the social care or similar sector. You are an excellent communicator who thrives on driving organisational change and forging relationships with clients, colleagues and stakeholders.

You are passionate about the value volunteers bring to client services and will have experience in supervising/managing volunteers and developing volunteer programmes/systems.  

You have excellent research, analytical and problem solving skills and the project management skills to translate your ideas into reality.

You will be passionate about the impact you can have by being part of Connection Support, and your values align with ours.

Due to the nature of this role a driver’s licence and access to a vehicle is essential.

What we offer in return

Connection Support is committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive and ensuring everyone is treated is valued, treated with respect and has a positive experience.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented candidates, including but not limited to Black, Asian, ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, LGBTQIA+, men, women, and people with lived experience.

We have been named as one of the top 10 charities to work for in the UK by Best Companies and offer fantastic benefits including 30 days annual leave (pro rata for part time), plus bank holidays, sick pay, and an enhanced benefits package which includes cover on health benefits, eco travel incentives, childcare discounts, retail discounts and much more. 

Should you need additional support with your application or require adjustments to any part of our recruitment process please don’t hesitate to ask. We are more than happy to help, drop us an email or call direct to discuss your requirements.

Connection Support is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Community Volunteer Officer

35 hours per week, temporary contract until September 2028

We are Chester Zoo

We’re not just an amazing, award-winning visitor attraction that’s home to over 37,000 incredible animals inside 128 acres of stunning gardens. We’re not just the UK’s most popular zoo. We’re a major wildlife charity that’s committed to the recovery of endangered species, globally. And, as the world faces an extinction crisis, we’re making a hugely significant contribution to conservation at a time when it’s needed most. We are Chester Zoo and we prevent extinction.

The Role

We now have an exciting new role for a Community Volunteer Officer to join our Conservation Education and Engagement Directorate. This role is part of the Networks for Nature project team.

Networks for Nature spans c60 square miles from the River Dee to the River Mersey, including Chester and Ellesmere Port. This is a collaborative partnership project working with Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Land Trust, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Canal and River Trust, and Sustrans with the aim to drive nature recovery in a mixed-use landscape, creating diverse habitats for species to thrive now and for years to come. We will empower communities to have an active role in conservation action and stewardship and will focus on making nature more accessible to and inclusive for everyone to enable connection and improve wellbeing. To find out more about Networks for Nature visit Networks For Nature | Conservation at Chester Zoo.

As a Community Volunteer Officer, you'll work closely with the Community Volunteer Assistant Manager and Networks for Nature project staff to engage and empower volunteers to make a real impact on conservation efforts. You’ll be responsible for day-to-day volunteer administration, recruitment, and support, while helping to deliver exciting activities, including hands-on conservation projects and training sessions. This is your chance to be at the heart of the Networks for Nature project, contributing to positive change in nature while gaining valuable experience and skills.

Due to the working rota of 10 days in 14 and working every other weekend, there will be some cross-over between the activities delivered within this role and the Wildlife and Wellbeing Officer role.

We’re looking for someone who can:

• Event Planning & Delivery: Help plan and run volunteer events, training, and networking opportunities for community volunteers and Wildlife Champions.
• Logistical Support: Provide support for activities like networking, micro-volunteering, and conservation action days, from small coffee mornings to large events for up to 250 participants.
• Engagement Monitoring: Track participant feedback through surveys and regular check-ins. Collate data about participation in community activities, share data with funders and internal teams.
• Daily Volunteer Engagement: Manage volunteer communications such as emails, newsletters, recruitment, rosters, and event sign-ups. Provide support, encourage engagement, and offer pastoral care as needed.
• Safety & Risk Assessments: With support from the Community Volunteer Assistant Manager, ensure all activities are safe and well-planned, creating personal risk assessments with volunteers if required.
• Training & Development: Assist with training sessions for volunteers and Wildlife Champions to enhance their skills, leading parts of the training when needed.
   

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start? Here goes…

We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office – where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?

The Package

• Fixed term contract until September 2028
• 35 hours per week
• Salary £23,893.59 per annum pro rata
• The postholder will work 10 days over 14, working every other weekend and with two regular days off in the week
• 33 days annual leave plus the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (pro rota)
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family
• Cycle to work scheme
• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%

Our Requirements

• An understanding & affinity to the organisation’s mission, vision & values, with a strong interest in the conservation of UK nature.
• Experience in working with volunteers
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, with some experience organising events and training
• Experience of delivering activities/training with a wide range of audiences
• Sound working knowledge of computer software systems e.g. Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication and literacy skills including by phone, face to face and via email/online discussion boards
• Excellent time management, administration and planning skills.
• Experience of working in a busy office environment as part of a team & on own initiative
• Full driving licence

Although not essential, the following would be desirable:

• Working knowledge of volunteer management systems
• Experience monitoring and evaluating volunteering activities

Due to the nature of the organisation and the role, this post is subject to a DBS check.

The closing date for applications is midnight 1st June 2025

Shortlisting of applications and interviews for the role will take place while the advert is live; the advert will close once the successful candidate is found and it is possible this will be prior to the advertised end date. Candidates are therefore encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible.

Networks for Nature is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

In the ever-changing landscape of youth work, it is vital that young people in Berkshire have access to safe spaces where they can build positive, trusting relationships and develop their talents, skills, and aspirations.

Berkshire Youth has been supporting youth organisations and delivering a range of youth services across Berkshire for over 85 years. This role will expand and enhance Berkshire Youth’s existing work, ensuring a dynamic and responsive youth offer at the Waterside Centre in Newbury.

This is an exciting opportunity to join St John and play a key role in helping to continue to rebuild our youth programmes post-Covid. The purpose of the role is to engage with new and diverse communities and take ownership of our strategy to increase membership to 20000 young people. The Project Development Officer will be responsible for driving work within these new communities, recruiting new adult volunteers into youth unit teams, promoting SJA youth programmes and building positive relationships with partners and local communities. This is an initial 11 month FTC with the possibility to extend subject to funding.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. The role benefits from a competitive salary, generous pension, hybrid, flexible working, 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years, options to buy and sell holiday, free first/mental aid first aider courses, Blue Light and NHS online shopping discounts, cycle to work scheme, life assurance, flu jab, eye care, mental health and wellbeing tools and volunteering days. 

Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply)

About You:

• Experience of working with young people
• Experience of working with volunteers
• Experience of supporting teams of people to deliver agreed outcomes
• Experience of community development and evidence of working to engage diverse communities
• Experience of managing a project within a set geography and inputting into a project budget

About The Role:

• Supporting local volunteer teams to write and deliver project plans that promote successful and sustainable growth within their local areas
• Planning, facilitating and delivering forums and working groups ensuring engagement with young people and/or volunteers in all activities to ensure the effective delivery of the project
• Developing, maintaining and reviewing partnerships and networks within the target areas to identify and pursue opportunities for expanding St John Ambulance’s work with young people.
• Consulting with young people, internal and external to St John Ambulance, to promote youth voice at all levels of decision making
• Proactively seeking to recruit new adult volunteers and young people by undertaking recruitment activities including; holding welcome evenings, attending recruitment fairs, and supporting screening.

About Us:

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,700 employees and over 30,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning.  As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response, Falls response, Night Time Economy and Homelessness outreach) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes).

If you are a current St John Ambulance employee, please apply here: Click here

For all other candidates, or St John Ambulance volunteers wishing to apply: please apply below

St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have several networks including Multi Culture, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Family and Carers and Women’s groups.  We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.

Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy.

Recruitment Agencies: We are not utilising the services of recruitment agencies for this vacancy and will accept direct applications only.

Disability Sheffield is currently reviewing how we deliver our Community Advocacy work to ensure it is joined-up, fully user-led, representative, accessible and accountable to the community; and ultimately delivers positive change on behalf of our community. To do this effectively we are recruiting a new, senior post that oversees all of Disability Sheffield’s Community Advocacy work on a day-day basis to ensure that our work is as high-quality, consistent and impactful as possible.

This role will directly oversee both the established Sheffield Voices project and the pan-disability / non-LD community advocacy work. It will be a key role in Disability Sheffield’s newly formed senior management team (SMT) and will be the recognised deputy for the CEO in their absence. Some of this is still a work in progress, so initially the role will be about ensuring Sheffield Voices continues to deliver high quality, impactful work whilst starting to develop a more coordinated, effective and visible approach to our pan-disability / non-Learning Disabilities and Autism work.

For more information and to download the Cover Letter, Job Desctiption and Application, please click the "Redirect to Recruiter" button.

Want to be part of something transformational for Southampton?

We’re recruiting a Strategic Partnerships Manager to lead long-term, community-driven change across the city. This is a permanent role with real purpose-working at a strategic level to bring together senior leaders from business, the voluntary sector, and public services to deliver meaningful, lasting impact through Southampton’s Place programme.

You’ll play a key role in forging and managing high-value relationships with funders, ensuring performance targets are met, and securing new investment to expand and strengthen the programme. You’ll be a credible, driven, and collaborative leader-someone who can build trust, influence across sectors, and turn big ideas into action.

This role is supported by Business in the Community’s UK-wide Place Team, giving you a strong National network to draw on.

Based from home, you'll have the flexibility you need-along with regular travel across Southampton (minimum 3 days per week) to stay connected and lead from the front.

If you're passionate about place-based change and want to shape a stronger future for Southampton, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing date:  Monday 26 May 2025 at 9 am

Interview dates:  1st interview:  Monday 2 June 2025 in person in Southampton, 2nd interview: Tuesday 10 June 2025

Salary: £38,000 – £40,000 per annum
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Location: London – Hybrid (2 days per week in office)
Closing Date: ASAP
Benefits: 8% Employer pension contribution regardless of employee contribution, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Are you passionate a passionate community fundraiser looking for your next exciting challenge? We’re working with the Ruth Strauss Foundation as they seek a dynamic Community Fundraising Manager to join their team.

In this pivotal role, you will lead the development and delivery of community fundraising initiatives, fostering meaningful relationships across diverse communities to support their mission.
This is a great opportunity to lead and grow the 'Turn Cricket Red' campaign, develop new community events, and manage key third-party fundraisers, such as the London Marathon participants. You'll build strong relationships with schools, sports clubs, and community groups, providing excellent supporter stewardship to maximise engagement and long-term support.

To be successful as a Community Fundraising Manager, you will need:

• Proven experience in designing and delivering successful community fundraising events and activities.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, including budget and project management.
• Strong relationship-building abilities, with experience engaging diverse community groups and stakeholders.

If you would like to have an informal discussion, please give Jake a call, otherwise, we look forward to seeing your application. 

Ashby Jenkins Recruitment are a specialist charity recruitment agency, we use our extensive sector knowledge and experience to match candidates to the most suitable roles. We take a relationship-led approach to recruitment, working ethically, supporting people to find their perfect role within the not-for-profit sector. 

We are passionate about improving equality across the sector, you can read more about our commitment to diversity here. 

If enough applications are received the charity reserve the right to end the application period sooner. 
 

The Community Engagement Officer is an essential role in fostering strong relationships with current and prospective members of the School Library Association community. The postholder will provide frontline support, drive online and in person engagement through outreach initiatives, and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the membership base. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about school libraries, education, and community-building.

With a particular focus on coordinating and supporting our Branch network, you will collaborate on initiatives for development, delivery and new projects as they come online. You will be the first port of call for advice and expertise relating to school libraries and enabling our members to more effectively support their school communities. Supporting the delivery of online and in-person networking events and workshops for members, you will work with your SLA colleagues, in particular the Training and Events Officer, to deliver a high-quality member offer and to ensure member needs are reflected in all offerings. The ability to travel to training and events across the UK is essential. Duties include:

Branch network and member support

• Work with the CEO to develop the SLA Branch Network and accompanying strategies
• Identify opportunities for developing initiatives to grow and develop the Branch network community, that will deliver on the SLA mission
• Develop strong relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders to support network growth and enable members to take full advantage of all relevant opportunities available to them
• Provide advice for SLA members on all aspects of school libraries, ensuring they are supported and can be as effective as possible in their school communities 
• Drive engagement and development of online communities as part of the branch network

 Training and events

• Work with the Training and Events Coordinator to support and deliver a calendar of exciting, engaging and informative events
• Support the delivery of online and in-person networking events and workshops with a focus on the Branch network community
• Represent the association at relevant events and for programmes (e.g., conferences, webinars, book awards) to promote membership and services
• Support training and event delivery (online and in-person), engaging and inspiring audiences as needed
• Support development of training programmes, toolkits and resources using member insight to inform

Outreach and communications

• Coordinate the mentoring scheme and ensure it is promoted effectively, with necessary support and development available to mentees and training for mentors
• Use your sector insight to identify opportunities for development of research and other initiatives, maintaining links and horizon scanning
• Provide SLA consultancy aligned with strategic approaches, supporting schools with development of their libraries, reading and information literacy provision to help children and young people reach their full potential
• Contribute to SLA communications such as TSL, newsletters, updates, and promotional materials
• Oversee the book review process in support of TSL, our quarterly journal
• Supporting management of the SLA resource library, working with colleagues to ensure alignment
• Support outreach to new audiences

Building relationships and an ability to foster collaboration and community engagement will be an important part of this role. All team members contribute to office admin, maintaining member data and general office support.

To be successful in this role you should ideally be able to demonstrate:

· experience of working in school libraries, the education sector and a strong understanding of the education landscape

· clear understanding of the curriculum and teaching and learning outcomes

· knowledge of children and young people’s literature

· experience developing and delivering inspirational training, to small and large groups, both online and in person

· experience creating training resources, toolkits and teaching and learning resources

· ability to galvanise and inspire others with flair and creativity

· the ability to manage own workload, prioritise and meet competing deadlines

· the ability to work hours flexibly around event and training delivery

An expert communicator, you will be experienced in developing relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels. Experience of consultancy, schools’ engagement and outreach would be advantage.

The salary for this position is £19, 594.59 (FTE £29,000) for 25 hours per week, and comes with a 6% employer pension contribution.

We are open to discussing flexible working patterns, condensed hours or other arrangements we may not yet have thought of. This is a remote working role, with monthly all team meetings which you will be required to attend, in addition to training and events across the UK. Working patterns can be negotiated. 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.

Why work for the School Library Association?

We are in an exciting period of growth in the history of the SLA, with a new CEO, coinciding with the opportunity to influence a new government. Plans to redevelop our offer are in progress and you will have the opportunity to influence new approaches and ways of working. We are a small, friendly team who support each other to deliver an excellent service to our members and passionately believe in the power of school libraries to transform children and young people’s personal, social and educational outcomes.

Annual Leave is 25 days plus bank holidays. We offer free mental health support and counselling sessions and brilliant discounts with a variety of retailers including up to 40% off Vue cinema tickets through our HR partner.

About the School Library Association

The 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 to the Association thought of as essential to all those who work in and around school libraries. Membership to 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.

How to apply

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter (no more than one page) detailing the experience you have in relation to the job description, that you can bring to this role, and how your skills align with what we are looking for. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We truly appreciate all applications, but due to the volume we receive, we will not be able to provide individual feedback. No agencies please

Deadline: Monday 2nd June, 9am. Please note we will be actively interviewing for this role; if you are interested apply as soon as possible as we may close recruitment early if the right candidate is found.