Community support officer jobs in whitehaven, cumbria

This role will play a leadership role in delivering our ambitious policy influencing programme, helping to shape and implement influencing plans to bring about the changes needed to reduce, prevent and eventually end the need for food banks in the UK.  It will provide management and oversight to some of our strategic projects.

Role responsibilities

· Developing and implementing Trussell’s influencing strategy

Working with teams across the organisation to ensure key groups, including our community of food banks, corporate partners, churches and church-related organisations have a clear role in our policy influencing approach.

· Planning and delivering impactful public affairs activity

Ensuring systems are in place to help plan, monitor and evaluate public affairs activity and maximise opportunities to engage with key audiences, including Parliamentarians, advisers, and UK Government Ministers; and support close working with colleagues in all UK nations and regions.  Managing the development and delivery of public affairs activity to support high profile influencing campaigns.

· Building and managing strong relationships with key external stakeholders

Developing relationships, partnerships and networks to help raise the profile, credibility and influence of Trussell and our policy positions, particularly in the UK Parliament.  Representing Trussell and promoting the organisation’s policy position to key audiences, including in meetings and events with Parliamentarians.

· Developing public affairs support to the food bank community

Working closely with a small team of Network Policy and Research Officers and the Organising and Local Mobilisation team to support our community of food banks to build and maintain strong relationships with their local MPs.  Ensuring public affairs activity is well aligned to campaign strategies involving the food bank network.

· Embedding participatory approaches across our public affairs and wider influencing activity

Supporting further development of a participatory approach to policy influencing to ensure it is rooted in the lived experience of individuals affected by poverty.  This includes ensuring an ethical approach in line with our values.

· Providing advice and line management

Have line management responsibility for individuals within the team, providing pastoral and development guidance along with task management on key projects.  This includes regular 1:1s, objective setting and collaborative monitoring, and support with development needs.

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:

· Track record of successfully influencing politicians and key decision-makers to achieve strategic goals at different levels of government.

· Track record of delivering strategic public affairs activity based on robust evidence, from development to evaluation.

· Can explain components of effective policy influencing, including knowledge of the machinery and structure of government (UK, devolved, local) and experience of informing campaigns activity to mobilise support for policy change.

· Demonstrates a good understanding of policies that affect UK poverty and hunger.  Can explain policy motivations of main political parties and can advise on how to influence them most effectively.

· Excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly in demonstrating enthusiasm and experience when communicating complex topics to non-specialist audiences.

· Experience of line managing, including dealing with performance issues and supporting team development.

Behaviours and competencies:

· Works collaboratively, managing challenges in a constructive manner

· Balances competing priorities and work to tight deadlines

· Demonstrates a dedication to the values of Trussell

· Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantages, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds

· Role models inclusive behaviour, values and leadership

One of our fantastic clients is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Head of External Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive external affairs strategy. This pivotal role will be instrumental in strengthening societies and changing lives, working closely with senior leadership to lead government relations across the UK and cultivate relationships with elected representatives, the Civil Service, and key partners within the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sectors.

The successful candidate will lead a team of public affairs, policy, and influencing professionals, contributing to the wider communications strategy. They will leverage an extensive network of stakeholders and a deep understanding of policy and public affairs to stay abreast of significant developments, ensuring the organisation remains proactive in its positioning and sensitive areas.

This role requires a leader who can inspire and develop a team of External Affairs professionals, devising and executing projects in a fast-paced environment while ensuring alignment with strategic goals. The External Affairs mandate is exceptionally diverse, spanning devolved governments across the UK and increasing regional devolution within England. Regular travel to attend meetings and spend time with colleagues across the UK will be required.

The Head of External Affairs will provide a professional, consistent, and expert service, supporting strategic activity across the organisation. They will oversee tailoring outputs to effectively reach key external affairs stakeholders and play a senior role in assessing areas of reputational risk.

Key responsibilities

• As a member of the communications leadership team, take ownership of, create, and implement a comprehensive external affairs strategy to deliver the organisation's missions and strategic objectives, including significant activity in the national portfolios, integrated and aligned to its communications strategy.

• Provide strategic oversight of government relations, public affairs, and strategic engagement across the UK, including relationships with sponsor bodies, working closely with the CEO Office and Portfolio Directors. Offer strategic guidance, sound judgement, and advice to senior leadership and other teams, driving a consistent organisational approach to relationship management.

• Take responsibility for strategic horizon scanning for external affairs activity across the mission areas, ensuring information and advice is shared directly with the CEO and senior colleagues, and opportunities for stakeholder engagement and influencing are maximised.

• Devise and lead a programme of external engagement with key policy, political, and mission-related stakeholders for the Chair, CEO, Board Members, and other senior leaders. This includes owning and coordinating key messages and briefings, attending meetings as appropriate, and ensuring actions are followed up.

• Oversee the design and delivery of engagement programmes that measurably increase engagement with key political and other audiences. Identify and manage risks, trends, or opportunities to protect and enhance the organisation's reputation and ensure successful influencing among key stakeholders.

• Plan and deliver a continuous review and evaluation of activities, including external benchmarking, measurement of engagement levels, and performance standards to ensure effective delivery of the External Affairs strategy across the four nations.

• Lead and develop a high-performing team, delegating work effectively, ensuring appropriate use of resource across the team, and providing and commissioning external suppliers and internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality plans.

Person Specifications

• Substantial experience leading government relations, public affairs, policy, and advocacy in a large, matrix organisation, ideally interacting with devolved administrations (national and mayoral).

• Experience in building and maintaining relationships with senior political and other stakeholders, fostering collaboration across diverse communities and perspectives.

• Experience of planning and executing strategic engagement across a range of high-profile audiences and activities, including responsibility for Chair/CEO/Board-level engagement.

• Experience of strategic planning and decision-making at a local, regional, and national level, including with peer organisations and local governments.

• Excellent interpersonal, networking, and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences with clarity and inclusivity.

• Experience of briefing and working with senior leaders in support of organisational and engagement objectives, often at short notice, including providing counsel in times of reputational risk and navigating complex organisational dynamics.

• Demonstrable leadership and project-management ability, with experience developing high-performing teams, resource management, and working in a matrix-management and collaborative environment.

• Experience commissioning agencies and third-party suppliers to work with internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality plans.

• Experience of continued professional, managerial, and personal development within the relevant discipline.

• If this role is based in Wales, or supports customers or colleagues in Wales, an understanding of Welsh language legislation and the Welsh Language Standards of the organisation is required.

What’s on Offer:

• Salary of £54,277-£60,000 outside London or £59,000-£66,500 inside London 

• Full time role 

• 12 month contract

• Immediate start 

How to Apply: To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the “apply now” button via our website.

The process: If your experience aligns with what we're looking for, a member of our team will be in contact to discuss the role with you in more detail before presenting your profile to the client. We will also ensure that all applicants receive an email to inform them of the outcome of their application.

To avoid any potential delays or your application being missed, please apply solely via the 'Apply Now' button.

Commitment to Diversity: The Talent Set and our partner organisation are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, age, or gender. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

Marie Curie is the UK's leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they're likely to die from.

You'll be joining a passionate and collaborative Estates & Facilities team at Marie Curie, working closely with colleagues across health, retail, fundraising, and central operations. Our team is committed to sustainability, safety, and compliance, ensuring our environments reflect our mission of compassionate care.

As the Estates Compliance & Sustainability Lead, you'll be the driving force behind our sustainability strategy and compliance performance across the estate. Your work will support vital environmental goals - like energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and sustainable practices - while ensuring we meet statutory and internal compliance standards. This is a high-impact role, perfect for someone ready to influence culture, champion innovation, and embed sustainability into everything we do.

Main responsibilities:
- Lead and deliver Marie Curie's Sustainability and Energy Strategy.
- Oversee and enhance environmental compliance (SECR, ESOS, EPC, etc.).
- Monitor and manage energy performance, providing reporting and analysis.
- Maintain and improve waste management and carbon management policies.
- Chair the sustainability working group, promoting cross-team engagement.
- Support delivery of cleaning efficacy audits and business continuity planning.
- Support Hospice teams with audits, ensuring actions are remedied and closed in a timely manner.
- Keep compliance systems (e.g., Info Exchange) and dashboards up to date.

Key Criteria:
- Solid knowledge of environmental legislation and sustainability frameworks.
- Proven experience in facilities management and environmental compliance.
- Strong analytical skills with a data-driven approach to solution design.
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills. Ability to present new ideas and influence cultural change.
- Demonstrates a sense of ownership and confidence when working independently, while also effectively collaborating as part of a team.
- Possession of IEMA membership or a relevant qualification in environmental or facility management disciplines will be an asset.

Please see the full job description .

Application & Interview Process
- As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV and Cover Letter. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role.
- Close date for applications: 8 June 2025. We encourage early applications as we may close the application process once we have received a sufficient number of qualified candidates.

Salary: £35,530 - 39,474 per annum, depending on experience
Contract: Permanent, full-time (35 hours per week)
Based: Home-based with occasional travel across the UK.

Benefits you'll LOVE:
- Flexible working. We're happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage.
- 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays)
- Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%)
- Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets
- Continuous professional development opportunities.
- Industry-leading training programmes
- Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes
- Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits
- Access to Blue Light Card membership
- Subsidised Eye Care

Marie Curie is committed to its values, which underpin our work. We take stringent steps to ensure that the people who join our organisation through employment or volunteering, are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. This includes our staff, volunteers and all those who use or come into contact with our services. We are dedicated to creating not just a safe place to work but also a supportive and rewarding one.

We are committed to a world where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. We are devoted to the social justice imperatives and organisational benefits of full diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace, and are a Stonewall champion. We actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.