Head of marketing and communications planning jobs

Community Builder (Community Development) – Leeds 

People-focused community engagement role supporting the armed forces community to connect, collaborate and lead local change

Salary: Up to £33,995 per annum   

Location: Remote in Leeds with travel within the UK. See the “Please Note” section below for further details.

Contract Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a COMMUNITY BUILDER to join our Community Development team, working to support local veterans to take an active role in their communities. 

This is a hands-on, relationship-led role focused on bringing people together, building trust, and enabling community-led action. You will work with veterans, local residents, community groups and organisations to strengthen connections and create opportunities for people to participate, contribute and thrive. 

If you are passionate about community engagement, relationship building, and supporting people to create positive local change, we would love to hear from you. 

About The Role  

As a Community Builder, you will work with members of the Armed Forces Community, particularly those who may face barriers to participation or engagement. 

This role may also be described in other organisations as a Community Development Officer or Community Engagement Officer. 

A Community Builder is a relationship-led professional who brings people together, builds trust, strengthens local networks and supports communities to take action on the things that matter most to them. 

In this role, you will be actively visible and present within your local community, building trusted relationships and supporting conversations that help people connect and collaborate. 

You will facilitate conversations with veterans, local residents and community groups to understand local strengths, interests and priorities. You will connect people with shared interests and ideas, helping to build collaboration and encourage community-led action. You will support community ideas to develop into practical activities, projects and opportunities, and you will work with local organisations and partners to strengthen community networks. 

This role brings together community engagement, facilitation and partnership working to create meaningful, long-term impact. 

What a Typical Two Weeks Might Look Like 

Community Development is a flexible role shaped by the needs of local people and communities, with some evening and weekend working required. 

To help you understand how the role operates in practice, we’ve included an example two-week working pattern attached. 

Please note this is for illustration only and will vary depending on community needs and priorities. 

About You  

We are looking for someone who is motivated by working with people and passionate about helping communities connect and thrive. 

You may already have experience in community development, or come from a background such as housing, social care, education, youth work or the wider charity sector. What matters most is your ability to build trusted relationships, engage people effectively and support collaboration that leads to positive change. 

You will be an excellent communicator, able to build trust, inspire action and work effectively with a wide range of people and organisations. You will also be comfortable working independently, managing a varied workload and developing strong working relationships across different groups.

We are looking for someone with:  

• A Community Development qualification and/or transferable Community Development skills and experience.

• An awareness of (or willingness to learn) Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) – an approach focused on building on the strengths, skills and connections already present in communities. 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships that drive action.  

• A track record of successful collaboration with internal and external partners and stakeholders.  

• Effective and efficient organisational and IT skills. 

PLEASE NOTE:  

• The successful candidate will need to be based within a 30-minute commute of their allocated locality and there is a requirement to travel regularly across the wider area (travel expenses covered).  The successful candidate must possess a valid full UK driver’s license and have access to a reliable vehicle with business insurance for work purposes.  

• There will also be a requirement for occasional travel to other UK locations for meetings and events depending on the charity’s needs such as our annual all colleagues in person event.   

• The successful candidate will work 35 hours per week over 5 days, Monday - Sunday. Core working days will be Monday to Friday; however, flexibility is essential, as regular evening and weekend work will also be required to meet the needs of the role. Working hours will vary to ensure a total of 70 hours is covered over a two-week period, so please take this into consideration before applying.  

• The successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check   

About the Team  

You’ll be joining a supportive and collaborative team of Community Development professionals working across local communities to build relationships, develop partnerships and support community-led activity. Community Development Managers and Community Builders work closely together, sharing learning and supporting each other to deliver meaningful local impact. 

Please see the job description for more details.  

In return we can offer you: 

• Belonging to a team who make a difference to our community and value equality, diversity and inclusion. 

• 29 days’ annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, regardless of service -plus your birthday off to celebrate! 

• Opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave per year. 

• Added to our free health scheme from day one, including discounts on dental, opticians, massages, and more - with the option to upgrade. 

• 3 volunteer days per year to support the Help for Heroes community.

• A generous salary sacrifice pension scheme with an 8% employer contribution and a minimum 3% employee contribution, plus life insurance up to 4× salary as an active member. 

Closing date: 23rd July 2026 

Please note: We may close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of strong applications.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.