Rural Housing Enabler

Rural Housing Enabler 

Permanent contract 

Part Time: 28 hours per week  

Salary £30,500-33,250 pro rata (actual £24,400 – 26,600) dependent on experience 

Hybrid working – mainly from home but should be available to go into our office (Aylesbury area) and on site visits across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes  when required. 

Could you bring your excellent project management and community engagement skills to help rural communities identify housing need and increase the pipeline of rural affordable homes in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes? 

About us 

At Community Impact Bucks, we are passionate about helping people to get involved and make a difference in their communities.  

• We support local communities directly through a range of services which help people to stay connected and live independently. 

• We help Bucks charities and voluntary groups on all aspects of running their organisation, offering tailored support, guidance and training. 

• We run the Buckinghamshire Volunteer Matching Service which helps people find volunteering roles that suit their preferences. 

Our team is working on a hybrid basis - mainly from home, but with access to the office when needed. Our office in Weston Turville, Aylesbury has free parking and good bus links. 

About you 

You will bring passion and energy to make a difference to rural communities.  You will enjoy working with people and helping communities to achieve their goals. 

An excellent communicator, you will enjoy building partnerships and working with people from a variety of backgrounds, with a strong awareness of diversity and inclusion, and the ability to be diplomatic and take the initiative when needed.  

Your knowledge and experience might involve:  

• Asset-based community development  

• Developing and delivering activities in a community setting   

• Lived experience of the challenges Buckinghamshire’s rural communities face 

• Experience of working in the field of housing delivery and working with local authority planning and housing teams.    

Training and support will be provided so you don’t need to be an expert in everything. You will be part of a supportive staff team within the charity, and you will be part of a national network of Rural Housing Enablers offering peer support and shared learning.  

You will benefit from an interest in housing and must be able to work with Parish Councils, Housing Associations and Local Housing & Planning Authorities. 

Key responsibilities 

• Support, advise and steer communities, and town and parish councillors from their initial interest in providing affordable housing, through scheme inception and pre-development phases to completion, with the aim of increasing the speed of schemes through the pre-development phase. 

• Assist communities to identify the nature and extent of affordable local housing need in their community including, where appropriate, through a Housing Needs Survey.  

• Assist communities to identify a deliverable site for development of affordable housing and/or secure affordable housing as part of market led schemes.  

• Build collaborative partnerships with key partners to provide a clear pathway to a successful planning application and delivery. Partners may include, but are not limited to, local communities, parish councils, housing association staff, officers from the Local Authorities (including in their role as providers of affordable housing) and local developers.  

• Provide project management including regular reporting on project progress against workplan and housing pipeline. 

Key requirements 

• Experience of building and sustaining relationships within and across organisations and sectors, and working collaboratively. 

• A highly capable communicator in person and in writing. Able to engage the public, local politicians, and officials on their own terms, whilst remaining independent and trusted.  

• Experience delivering research, strategic assessment & planning, data analysis, and evaluation reports. 

• Excellent organisational, planning and management skills, with strong attention to detail. 

• Agile and proactive in approach to challenges and opportunities. 

• Able to work under pressure, multi-task and meet strict deadlines. 

• Competent user of databases and the Microsoft suite of software.  

• Either Full British driving licence and access to private means of transport or ability to demonstrate how you will meet this requirement. 

• Available to work evenings and weekends when necessary (in accordance with our Time Off In Lieu Policy) 

Diversity & Inclusion 

Community Impact Bucks is committed to challenging inequality and values the diversity of our communities in Buckinghamshire. We recognise that reflecting that diversity will only ever make our organisation better. We work to ensure an inclusive culture where colleagues feel welcomed and supported to succeed and thrive. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from under-represented communities.   

How to apply 

For more information please visit our website to download the Job Description and Person Specification. 

Please apply  with a CV and a cover letter explaining how your skills, experience and interests meet the Job Description and Person Specification by 9am on Monday 15th April 2023.  

Interviews will take place on Monday 22nd April via video call – Teams or Zoom.