Community Engagement Officer
£30,000 - £34,000 (dependent on relevant skills and experience) plus generous benefits
Location: Home-based, with occasional travel to Football Foundation offices and other sites
We are the Football Foundation - the Premier League, the FA and government’s charity that delivers outstanding grassroots facilities, more and better places to play, transforming lives and communities where it is needed most.
To help us with this important mission, we’re looking for a Community Engagement Officer to join the team and play a key role in ensuring we achieve our objectives of engaging with and increasing physical activity levels amongst the four key priority groups facing the greatest inequalities: low socio-economic groups, women and girls, disabled people and people with long term health conditions, and culturally diverse communities.
This is an exciting time to be joining the Football Foundation and this is a great opportunity to use your knowledge and experience of place-based working and community engagement to make a real difference through community sports.
About the Football Foundation
Over the last 22 years, the Foundation has awarded more than 23,000 grants to deliver outstanding grassroots facilities across England worth more than £877 million. This year, the Foundation will be investing more money than ever into facilities across England and is committed to improving the experience of playing football for everyone.
The Foundation’s goal is to unlock the power of pitches ensuring everyone has a great place to play regardless of gender, race, disability or place
The role
As Community Engagement Officer you will play a key role in ensuring the Foundation achieves its objectives of engaging with and increasing physical activity levels amongst the four key priority groups facing the greatest inequalities: low socio-economic groups, women and girls, disabled people and people with long term health conditions, and culturally diverse communities. This will predominantly be achieved through the critical support you will provide to our ambitious PlayZones Programme, as we continue to roll the programme out across priority areas of the Country.
We have an ambition to deliver in excess of 200 PlayZone facilities by 2025. To realise this ambition, we’re going to focus on investing in safe, inclusive, and accessible facilities in communities with the greatest need. We will tackle inequalities in physical activity levels and create inclusive opportunities for our priority groups to become active through recreational formats of football and other sports and activities.
With a great deal to do, the role will be pivotal in working with local groups to support them through the application process, and to ensure high quality projects are being developed based on local community need.
The role sits within the Football Foundation’s Delivery Team, the team responsible for strategic identification and capital project delivery, reporting to the Community Engagement Lead and with responsibility for a portfolio of PlayZone programme areas within one of the Delivery Team geographical regions.
You will provide critical support to applicants and work extremely closely with our network of Delivery Managers & Officers to advise and agree community engagement plans for a range of Over £25k projects – helping to ensure their engagement is robust, but that applicants also receive support and guidance as required throughout the development of their application.
Community Engagement Officers will champion the benefits of great engagement, capturing good practice, identifying successful approaches, and share knowledge and learning across the Foundation and other stakeholders.
What are we looking for?
You don’t need to follow football to apply, but it is expected that you appreciate the power of sport to change lives and have a genuine interest in using your skills and experience to help the Foundation achieve our charitable and strategic objectives.
You must be educated to HND/Degree standard, or with the equivalent experience, with knowledge of how sports development can be used for community benefit. You must have strong communication and interpersonal skills with experience of communicating with and supporting a diverse range of colleagues and customers remotely.
Your knowledge of place-based working and how to best reach and engage with local communities will be key for this role, as well as your understanding of the inequalities that exist in supporting active lives across socio economic groups, women & girls, individuals with a disability or a long-term health condition, and culturally diverse communities. You will be aware of and have experience of dealing with the operations and challenges faced by community organisations, charities, and the voluntary sector.
You must be highly organised, with working knowledge of different project management techniques and experience of managing multiple projects at the same time. While not essential, experience of producing robust reports and of using dashboards to monitor the progress of projects would be useful.
How we achieve our goals is equally important to us. We are striving to be an inclusive and diverse organisation which reflects the diverse communities, users and beneficiaries of our work and the outcomes we deliver. Becoming part of the Football Foundation team, will give you the chance to deliver a positive impact in every community in England; to help transform lives and communities through great places to play; and to be part of a supportive and inclusive staff team that works hard and plays fair to achieve its goals.
For full details of the role and requirements, please download our recruitment pack below.
What can we offer you?
The salary for this role is £30,000 - £34,000 per annum (dependent on relevant skills and experience). You will start on 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (which increases after 2 years), plus additional time off to volunteer. We also offer a generous pension scheme (8% employer contribution), collective bonus scheme, free health care provision, a monthly gym subsidy, interest-free season ticket loan, death in service benefit and access to selected match tickets
We are committed to helping our team members maintain a healthy work-life balance, so offer flexible working around core hours to help achieve that.
Equality and Diversity Commitment
The Football Foundation is committed to, and values the principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all our team feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential. We encourage and welcome applications from all, regardless of background and are particularly interested to hear from individuals belonging to under-represented groups including diverse ethnic communities, individuals with a disability and those from the LGBTQI+ community.
Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview stage, please contact us at jobs @ footballfoundation. org .uk
How do I apply?
To apply, please follow the steps outlined below:
1. Please send the following to jobs @ footballfoundation. org. uk
o CV
o Cover letter - please highlight briefly and clearly how your skills, abilities and experience equip you for the role, together with your reasons for applying.
The closing date for applications is: Wednesday 22 May 2024 at midday
Interviews are currently scheduled for 30 May 2024.
Due to the volume of applications received for most roles, the Foundation only contacts candidates if they are shortlisted for interview. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, you should assume your application has not been successful.
Please note that you must be eligible to work in the UK to apply.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Us
Outrage + Optimism is a leading weekly podcast dedicated to producing high-quality content that informs, inspires, and engages audiences worldwide, hosted by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson. Across 3 seasons each year, the podcast delves into the climate crisis by uncovering the stories behind the headlines, with a focus on shifting mindsets, inspiring action, and highlighting change-makers who transform challenges into opportunities.
Over the past 5 years, Outrage + Optimism has experienced consistent growth amongst and loyal and engaged audience, many of whom use what they hear on the podcast to drive change in their respective communities. In our most recent Listener Survey, the majority of listeners surveyed reported that they had taken some kind of action as a result of listening to our content over the past 2 years.
About You
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Executive Producer, with strong climate credentials, to lead our small, dedicated production team. As the Executive Producer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the editorial direction in close collaboration with the hosts; oversee the production process end-to-end, including acting as Producer on episodes; and ensure the podcast maintains its high standards of quality and impact. Working closely with the hosts, content creators, and other stakeholders, you will drive the strategic vision of the podcast and spearhead efforts to grow its audience and influence.
Given the size of the team, this is a hands-on role, combining storytelling and editorial excellence, alongside strong climate knowledge and a commitment to driving action and impact.
This Role
Title: Executive Producer, Outrage + Optimism
Start date: Summer 2024
Contract: Fixed term (1 year), minimum 4 days per week
Location: Remote, with occasional travel
Salary: Based on experience
Closing date: Midnight on 7 June 2024, though applications will be considered on a rolling basis
Responsibilities
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Responsibilities:
- Content Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy aligned with the podcast's mission and objectives. Stay informed about global issues, emerging trends, and audience preferences to ensure relevance and timeliness of content.
- Production Oversight: Manage all aspects of podcast production (weekly and deep dive episodes), including planning, scheduling, recording, editing, and distribution. Coordinate with hosts, guests, and production team members to ensure smooth and efficient workflows.
- Creative Direction: Provide creative leadership and direction to ensure each episode delivers compelling storytelling, insightful analysis, and engaging conversations. Foster a collaborative and innovative environment that encourages experimentation, creativity and a culture of learning in public.
- Audience Engagement: Develop strategies to grow and engage the podcast audience across various platforms, including social media, email newsletters, and live events. Monitor audience feedback and analytics to inform content decisions and optimize performance.
- Climate Knowledge and Network: Identify themes and topics for future episodes and series. Develop guest strategy, ensuring the podcast is representing a diverse range of voices and viewpoints
- Partnerships and Collaborations: Identify and pursue opportunities for strategic partnerships, collaborations, and sponsorships to expand the podcast's reach and revenue potential. Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the media industry.
- Budget Management: Manage the podcast budget effectively, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently to support production needs and strategic initiatives.
- Editorial judgement: Assess editorial risks across individual episodes, topics or series, working with colleagues and external resources (e.g. research, legal) when needed
- Quality Control: Maintain high standards of quality and professionalism across all aspects of production, including audio production, storytelling, and content accuracy. Conduct regular reviews and evaluations to identify areas for improvement.
- Funder Relationships: Attend meetings and co-produce regular reports for our philanthropic funders, in addition to collaborating on new fundraising initiatives.
Skills and Experience
Essential
- Proven experience as an executive producer or senior producer in the podcasting or broadcast media industry.
- Strong editorial judgment and storytelling skills, with a keen understanding of narrative structure and audience engagement.
- Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Adaptable and calm under pressure, with the ability to be responsive and reactive to internal and external changes .
- Strategic thinker with a track record of developing and implementing successful content strategies and growing audience engagement.
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
- Passion for global issues, sustainability, and social impact, with a commitment to creating meaningful content that drives positive change.
Desirable
- Proficiency in audio editing software (e.g., Adobe Audition, Pro Tools) and familiarity with podcast hosting platforms (e.g., Libsyn, Podbean).
- Strong network which you can activate to secure high-profile guests or technical experts
- A working understanding of the podcast marketing landscape, in terms of the different approaches for audience growth
Join our team and be part of a mission-driven organisation dedicated to creating meaningful content that inspires, informs, and empowers audiences around the world. If you're passionate about storytelling, social impact, and making a difference, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now and help us shape the future of podcasting!
About Global Optimism
Outrage + Optimism is part of Global Optimism, which operates as a family of projects and partnerships to elevate leadership, transform mindsets and accelerate action to protect and regenerate the web of life.
Global Optimism was co-founded in 2016 by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac upon leaving the UN, having overseen the delivery of the landmark Paris Agreement. Global Optimism’s mission is to ensure that by 2030 we all - business, civil society, government and citizens around the world - will have taken necessary and decisive action to restore and regenerate the web of life.
As Founding Partners Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac learned during their stewardship of the Paris Agreement, how we show up in the world defines how we work with others, how we interact with our surroundings and ultimately the future we co-create. It is in this spirit that Global Optimism activates the stubborn optimists of the world, inviting and inspiring people to face the climate crisis head on and take action towards a regenerative future. We do this through trusted partnerships, an award-winning podcast, public engagements and convenings. In all our projects and partnerships, we believe that mindset matters most - we model stubborn optimism and joyful curiosity as necessary inputs to achieving our goals and encourage the same in others.
“Our future is unwritten. It will be shaped by who we choose to be now. As we learned during our stewardship of the Paris Agreement, if you do not control the complex landscape of a challenge (and you rarely do), the most powerful thing you can do is change how you behave in that landscape, using yourself as a catalyst for overall change. All too often in the face of a task, we move quickly to ‘doing’ without first reflecting on ‘being’ – what we personally bring to the task, as well as what others might. And the most important thing we can bring is our state of mind.” - Christiana Figueres
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.