Community Communications and Engagement Officer

Location: Essex based, with regular travel to community venues and events

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part time, 15 hours per week

Salary: £12,328 (£30,000 FTE)

Programme Context

Essex’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) is vital to strong communities and better public-health outcomes. Through Your Essex Community, Essex County Council and partners provide universal and targeted support that builds VCS capacity, resilience, connection and sustainability.

This role will promote the offer, connect communities and partners, and make opportunities, learning and evidence of impact accessible across Essex.

Job Purpose

Lead clear, inclusive communications and engagement for Your Essex Community across digital, print and face-to-face channels. You will grow the programme’s reach, inspire active citizenship, support VCS participation and show how community action contributes to prevention, wellbeing and wider public-health outcomes.

• Plan and deliver a coordinated communications and engagement programme across social media, podcasts, webinars, newsletters, print and community events.
• Create accessible, engaging content that explains active citizenship, the Your Essex Community offer and its contribution to prevention, wellbeing and public-health outcomes.
• Produce and distribute short podcast, video and webinar content, working with residents, VCS organisations, professionals and delivery partners.
• Grow an active online Community of Practice and promote universal and targeted support, learning, peer networks and volunteering opportunities.
• Co-produce activity with communities and VCS partners so it reflects local priorities, reaches diverse audiences and removes barriers to participation.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and represent the programme at networks, forums and community events across Essex.
• Maintain an organised content calendar and respond appropriately to enquiries, safeguarding, reputational and sensitive issues.
• Use qualitative and quantitative insight to improve activity, demonstrate reach and impact, and support reporting to partners and funders.

How will you know you're being successful? These are the key outcomes

• Greater awareness and take-up of Your Essex Community and active-citizenship opportunities.
• Consistent, high-quality content with growing reach and engagement across agreed channels.
• Broader participation from Essex residents and VCS organisations, including underrepresented communities.
• Stronger connections, collaboration and shared learning between residents, the VCS and delivery partners.
• Clear evidence of how communications and community action support wellbeing, prevention and public-health outcomes.

We need someone who definitely has:

• Experience of delivering multi-channel communications or engagement campaigns, ideally in a community, VCS, public-health or public-service setting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to turn complex information into clear, accessible content.
• Experience creating social, web, newsletter, audio or video content and supporting online or in-person events.
• Strong organisation and project-management skills, with confidence managing schedules and competing priorities.
•  Ability to build trusted relationships and work collaboratively with residents, VCS organisations, delivery partners and stakeholders.
• Understanding of co-production, asset-based community development and inclusive engagement.
• Confidence using data, analytics and feedback to improve activity and demonstrate impact.
• Sound judgement on accessibility, consent, data protection, safeguarding and sensitive public communications.

and the following would be a bonus:

• Knowledge of Essex’s VCS landscape, communities and local networks.
• Experience of podcast or video production, online community management or commissioning creative suppliers.
• Understanding of public health, prevention, wellbeing, volunteering or active citizenship.

It is essential you have the following values and behaviours and are able to demonstrate them

Community focused: listens to residents and removes barriers to participation.

Creative: finds compelling ways to make information memorable and useful.

Inclusive: welcomes different perspectives and communicates accessibly.

Collaborative: builds effective partnerships and shares ownership of outcomes.

Evidence led: uses data, feedback and learning to improve delivery.

Reliable: follows through on commitments and maintains consistently high standards.

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include: 

• 9 Day working week - every other Monday is Non-working!
• Annual Leave – up to 38 days ( Pro Rata ) which is comprised of 25 days Annual Leave (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays. 
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available 
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution. 
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day). 
• Volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Application Details

Please submit a cover letter, along with your CV demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the role.

Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP. We will only contact those applications who have been shortlisted. This will be by the end of October.

Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.

Our community come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.

Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.

If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help.