Engagement officer jobs in Belfast

The overall purpose of the role is to lead and coordinate meaningful participation and engagement opportunities for children, young people and adults to shape services, influence decision-making and ensure the voices of lived experience are central to organisational development. The postholder will support in designing, delivering and evaluating initiatives that build trust, inclusion and empowerment.

Main Responsibilities

• To co-ordinate and provide safe spaces for children, young people and adults to participate in user- led activities and projects.
• To be a key link between children, young people and adults within our participation service and staff, making sure their voices and experiences are heard.
• To recruit and engage children, young people, and adults, to enable them to feel comfortable to join our Participation service.
• To support the Head of Voice, Participation & Engagement to develop opportunities for children, young people, and adults to be actively involved throughout the organisation.
• Lead and facilitate small scale participation projects.
• To maintain records of all interactions with stakeholders, using Salesforce.
• To be able to work flexibly, including regular evening and occasional weekend work in response to participants availability.
• Support the Head of Voice, Participation & Engagement in planning and facilitating forums.
• Work with people with lived experience of bereavement to create meaningful content and service recommendations.
• Work across the organisation sharing, promoting and training in best practice in participation.
• To assist in planning, organising and delivering participation events (virtually and in-person).
• Ensure that a range of voices are heard, with particular focus on EDI.
• Ensure the safety and wellbeing of members of the participation service through adherence to the organisation’s safeguarding policy and practice.
• Maintain accurate records throughout all services, complying with the organisation’s recording and reporting requirements.

Communication and Relationships

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with children, young people, families, adults, and stakeholders to create safe and inclusive spaces for participation.
• Facilitate group and one-to-one engagement sessions using creative and accessible methods to ensure diverse voices are heard and valued.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including service delivery, communication, marketing and fundraising to embed participation principles across all areas of work.
• Represent the organsiation externally at meetings, events and networks, sharing insight from lived experience to inform sector-wide learning.
• Translate feedback and participation outputs into clear reports, presentations or creative formats that inform decision-making.
• Demonstrate empathy, confidentiality and active listening when engaging with individuals or groups who may have experience loss and trauma.
• Establish excellent internal working relationships with peers and colleagues.
• Model the values and culture of the organisation in interactions and relationships at work.
• Adapt communication style and approach to suit the needs, preferences, and emotional states of children, young people and adults, including those with neurodiverse profiles or communication difficulties.
• Provide clear, compassionate explanations of support options, safeguarding procedures, and next steps to children, young people, adults and families.
• Maintain professional boundaries while fostering a safe and supportive environment for children, young people and adults.
• Respond to challenging or emotionally charged situations with sensitivity, professionalism, and a focus on empathy and support.
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation of communications and decisions in line with organisational policies and data protection regulations.

 Knowledge, training and experience

• Proven experience in youth participation, community engagement, co-production, or related areas, ideally within charity, education or health and social care sector.
• Understanding of participation frameworks, rights-based approached and trauma-informed practice.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of grief, loss, trauma, child development, and the psychological and social impact of bereavement on children, young people, families and adults.
• Experience in facilitating groups, workshops, and creative engagement activities both in-person and online.
• Ability to translate engagement insight into practical feedback and recommendations
• Adhere to legislation and statutory guidance related to Safeguarding Children and Young People, Safeguarding Adults, and the Mental Capacity Act.
• Participate actively in clinical supervision and reflective practice to ensure safe, ethical, and effective service delivery.
• Contribute to the development and sharing of knowledge within the team by supporting training, mentoring, and peer learning opportunities.

Analytical and judgment skills

• Ability to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback and identify key themes, trends, and areas for improvement.
• Exercise sound judgement in managing sensitive information, ethical boundaries and participant confidentiality.
• Assess engagement risks and implement appropriate boundaries and referrals in line with safeguarding policies.
• Critically evaluate participation initiatives and contribute to evidence-based practice through reflection, evaluation tools and reporting.
• Balance organisation priorities with participant needs, ensuring representation remains authentic rather than tokenistic.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and meaningful data recording and reporting to inform practice, service evaluation, and organisational performance monitoring.

Planning and organisational skills

• Plan, coordinate and deliver participation activities, forums and events with clear objectives, timelines and outcomes.
• Support the development of annual participation calendars or frameworks as needed.
• Manage competing priorities across multiple projects, ensuring timely communication with internal teams and external partners.
• Maintain accurate records, consent forms and participation data using appropriate digital systems.
• Support logistical arrangements including venue booking, accessibility adjustments, transport and safeguarding measures.
• Contribute to strategic planning by identifying emerging themes, opportunities for partnerships and areas for innovation.
• Provide cover and support for participation and engagement team members during periods of absence or high demand.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and reflective capacity, using supervision and peer support to sustain personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness.
• Contribute to the development of efficient, evidence-based practices by supporting team planning, service evaluation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Person Specification

Essential

• Minimum 3 years’ experience of working with children and young people or adults in health, social care, youth, community or education setting
• Experience of advocating for the interests of children, young people or vulnerable adults or individuals from ethnically diverse communities
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with experience of tailoring these to a wide range of audience
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage sensitively with children, families, and professionals while maintaining professional boundaries at all times
• Experience of facilitating participation groups both in person and online
• Knowledge of different facilitation approaches and methods
• Demonstratable experience of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and an ability to practice in a way that promotes this
• Experience of building trusting relationships with children, young people, and adults creating safe space
• Passion for the power of Voice and Lived Experience
• Understanding of the challenges that participation work can present, and experience of how to overcome this
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and with external organisations
• Emotional maturity, stability and resilience with a strong commitment to self-care and the ability to seek support and guidance when difficulties arise in the course of work
• Strong IT skills, including confidence in using multiple IT systems

Desirable

• Experience of working in bereavement sector

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata if applicable) with increase for long service.
• TOIL for our hours work.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Company sick pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life assurance.
• Training loans.
• Enhanced family friendly policies.

Recruitment Timetable

Application deadline: 16th June 2026 at midnight

Winston’s Wish reserves the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications for the role before the closing date.

Please refer to our recruitment pack for further details on the interview process.

The National Flood Forum (NFF) is seeking a dynamic, motivated individual for the role Flood Engagement Officer – Thames Valley. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about working with communities, especially those at risk of flooding.

Key Details:

• Location: Home-based (Thames Valley), with regular travel across the Thames Valley including evening meetings and occasional overnight stays.
• Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
• Salary: £24,784.56 per annum rising to £27,840.90 travel expenses covered
• Contract: Permanent
• Benefits: 30 days annual leave including bank holidays, a day off for your birthday, auto-enrolment pension scheme, learning and development opportunities.
• Closing Date: Sunday 14th June 2026 (Midnight). Early application is encouraged as the position may close earlier if sufficient applications are received.

Role Overview:

The Flood Engagement Officer will support the Thames Valley community engagement team, reporting to a Community Engagement Manager. Your primary responsibility will be to work closely with communities to support them in tackling flooding risks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Community Project Delivery: Lead and support the implementation of projects focused on flood risk management.
• Community Engagement: Engage and empower at-risk communities, ensuring they have the tools and information to co-create solutions to flood risks.
• Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain relationships with key community stakeholders and partners.
• Data Management: Provide data to help evaluate and support engagement activities.
• Support the Senior Team: Assist in broader tasks and activities as required by the senior team.

About You:

The ideal candidate will be:

• Empathetic: Understand the challenges faced by those at risk of flooding and help to work with communities and agencies to provide practical solutions.
• Organized and Flexible: Able to prioritize tasks and travel extensively across the region, including evenings and occasional overnight stays.
• Collaborative: A team player with a solution-focused mindset.
• Skilled in Engagement: Experience or an interest in community engagement and building relationships.
• Driving Licence: Full driving licence and access to a car are essential due to the travel requirements.

You must also be a resident of the UK with the right to work in the UK.

About the National Flood Forum:

The NFF is a national charity founded by those affected by flooding, working to support and represent individuals and communities at risk. The organization focuses on empowering flood-affected communities to recover and improve flood resilience. The NFF encourages applications from individuals with lived experience of flooding, and from diverse backgrounds.

Are you a confident communicator who enjoys building relationships and creating engaging content for a wide range of channels?

Are you passionate about the power of community organisations to improve lives?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity in our Communications & Engagement directorate, where you'll play a key role in delivering impactful communications focused on our Dormant Assets funding in Northern Ireland.

In addition to National Lottery funding, The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding through the Dormant Assets scheme. Dormant Assets funding in Northern Ireland supports community organisations to become more sustainable and resilient, strengthening areas such as governance, digital capability and organisational development.

Background on Dormant Assets NI

In addition to being a distributor of National Lottery funding, The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money released for social purpose as laid out in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 and the Dormant Assets Act 2022.

This legislation enables funds from dormant bank accounts and other financial products to be channelled towards good causes in the United Kingdom through an independent body called the Reclaim Fund.

Funds are distributed to The National Lottery Community Fund, which in turn makes them available for good causes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each devolved administration issues policy directions on how these funds are to be used.

The policy directions issued by the Department of Finance in September 2019 directed The National Lottery Community Fund to establish Dormant Assets NI to build capacity, resilience and sustainability in the third sector across Northern Ireland.

Responsibilities

​Working within the Communications Strategy team, you’ll lead communications activity for Dormant Assets NI. You will focus on raising awareness of the programme, engaging with organisations and sector networks, and sharing learning and impact through a range of channels.

The role combines proactive communications, relationship building, and close working with Policy and Engagement colleagues to support meaningful engagement with the voluntary and community sector. Responsibilities will include:

• Working with the Communications team, lead on communications activity for Dormant Assets NI, including regular funding announcements and programme milestones, ensuring messages reach the right audiences through appropriate channels
• Building and maintaining relationships with sector bodies, networks and specialist media, working closely with colleagues across the organisation, including Policy and Engagement, to amplify awareness of Dormant Assets funding.
• Working closely with the Dormant Assets NI team and the NI Customer Engagement team on the planning and delivery of grant-holder and learning events (in-person and virtual).
• Working with the Fund’s media team, you will lead on announcements, handle dormant-assets-related press requests, and contribute to reactive communications where required.
• Developing impact-focused content, including case studies, newsletters, and web content to demonstrate programme outcomes and learning.
• Planning, writing and scheduling social media content to proactively promote Dormant Assets funding, impact and learning.
• Working directly with grant holders to gather stories of impact, quotes and visual content, including site visits to supported organisations.
• Liaising with the Department of Finance, Reclaim Fund and partners to support programme visibility, stakeholder communications, project visits and photo opportunities.
• Contributing to reporting and accountability requirements, including quarterly updates for the Reclaim Fund, reporting to the Department of Finance, and using internal systems and CMS tools to maintain accurate records and project summaries.

About you

You are a confident and engaging communicator with strong written and verbal communication skills.

You enjoy building relationships and working with a wide range of people and organisations.

You may already have experience working with, or communicating with, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, or be keen to deepen your understanding of the sector and the context in which it operates in Northern Ireland.

You can plan and deliver communications activity using a variety of channels and adapt your approach to suit different audiences.

You are organised and proactive, with strong project management skills and the ability to manage a busy and varied workload.

You are collaborative, approachable and motivated by supporting the work of organisations that contribute to stronger communities.

Interview Details:

Interview Date: 29 June 2026

Format: Virtual

Location: Northern Ireland, Hybrid with office based in Belfast

If you would like an informal conversation about the role specifically, please contact the recruitment team.

For any questions about the recruitment process, please email the recruitment team.

How to apply:

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application. 

Essential

• Strong communications skills, both written and oral.
• Experience in delivering integrated communications activity, using a variety of channels and methods.
• Ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders and to develop strong relationships.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A good understanding of Northern Ireland’s voluntary and community sector, public policy environment and the context in which Dormant Assets NI operates.

Desirable

• Experience of working in or communicating with the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
• An understanding of third sector networks, media and stakeholders in Northern Ireland.
• Experience organising both in-person and virtual external meetings and networking events.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ​

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)