Digital inclusion community connector jobs

Community Engagement Manager

Location: Portsmouth, hybrid between home and local office, with one day per month in London office

Contract: 3 days per week, 18-month fixed term contract

Salary: £33,670 - £35,490 per annum (FTE)

About the Blagrave Trust

Blagrave is a funder that works alongside young people, communities and partners to drive systems change towards social justice. As we launch our new strategy in 2026, we are expanding our place-based work in the Portsmouth area and seeking a Community Engagement Manager who can build strong relationships, elevate local insight and help us co-create new youth-focused initiatives.

Role Purpose

The Community Engagement Manager – Portsmouth will lead our engagement efforts across the city, ensuring Blagrave is deeply connected with local young people, community groups, grassroots organisations, local institutions and strategic partners. This role is pivotal to shaping our local programme as we enter a new strategic phase. A core requirement for this post is deep knowledge of and connection to the Portsmouth area. We are explicitly seeking someone rooted in the city—either by living locally, growing up locally, working within local networks, or with a demonstrable track record of community relationships.

Success in this role looks like:

• A stronger Blagrave presence and impact at a local level
• Growing networks of trust and solidarity in the city
• Established partnerships, financial and otherwise, that support and cement Blagrave’s strategic aims in the city
• Local young people facing injustice and their wider communities feel centred in our work

Key Responsibilities Include:

Community Engagement

• Conduct or commission structured mapping of youth and community services and infrastructure, networks, gaps in provision, influencing structures and decision-making spaces, opportunities for partnership, service provision and innovation.
• Produce concise, accessible reports on local findings for internal and external stakeholders, presenting them where appropriate.
• Design and lead other community engagement activities as required, ensuring safeguarding and ethical practices are embedded
• Engage with communities in ways that minimise harm and uphold the wellbeing of everyone we work with.

Communications

• Draft and share relevant information about Blagrave with local stakeholders, using a tailored approach to suit different audiences, and accessible inclusive media; including printed and digital

Events

• Design, coordinate and deliver vibrant community events that centre youth and community participation, including a strategy launch event in 2026
• Manage logistics, partner involvement, young people’s and community participation, and event promotion.

Establish and Support Steering Committee

• Convene and develop steering group to govern our work in the area
• Support the group to determine their own terms of reference and ways of working
• Ensure the voices of young people experiencing injustice are central in shaping purpose and priorities.
• Provide ongoing coordination, communication and relationship management.

Stakeholder Relationship Building

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with a wide range of local stakeholders, bringing a keen understanding of power dynamics, including youth organisations, community groups and grassroots leaders, local authority teams, schools, colleges and educational partners, funders and voluntary sector networks, young people and community members
• Represent Blagrave locally, increasing our visibility and ensuring our work is informed by community insight.

Person Specification

We’re looking for someone who lives and breathes Portsmouth - who has first-hand experience of its neighbourhoods, youth spaces, community leaders and institutions. You’ll be a natural connector who builds trust quickly and genuinely, with a deep commitment to anti-oppressive practice and to creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, safe, and equipped to tackle the injustice they experience. You’ll bring curiosity, humility and care; listening before you act, valuing diverse lived experience, and willing to be led by the community

Essential

• Experience in youth work or youth engagement with young people experiencing injustice / oppression.
• Strong alignment with our values and approach
• Deep understanding of social justice and power dynamics in relationships
• Deep roots in the Portsmouth area, demonstrated through residency, long-term work experience, cultural familiarity and/or strong connections to local networks.
• Proven ability to build and maintain meaningful, values-led partnerships.
• Exceptional community engagement and relationship building skills.
• Experience in convening groups, hosting conversations and creatively facilitating collaborative processes.
• Ability to design and deliver vibrant events with attention to inclusion, accessibility and anti-oppressive practice.
• Strong organisational, planning and project-management skills.
• Clear communication skills across written, verbal and digital formats.
• Independent working style with ability to self-manage.
• Understanding of safeguarding policies and practice, with experience of escalating safeguarding concerns.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• 5% pension contribution
• Employee assistance programme
• flexible working, among others

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Blagrave, please click redirect to recruiter for the full job description and how to apply.

Deadline: Sunday, 8th March at 23.30