Senior Project Officer – Community Development and Training

                                                         

SALARY: Circa £22,100-26,000 FTE per annum (FTE £15,600 -£17,680)

HOURS: 22.5 hours per week

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed Term to October 7th 2021, with possible extension for further 2 years

OPERATIONAL AREA: West of England (with national travel)

LOCATION: Bristol or home working considered

REF:  SPO21

 

ROLE DESCRIPTION

The highly successful National Lottery funded Communities Prepared programme places people and communities at its core with a ground-breaking step forward for community resilience towards emergencies by empowering and mobilising community emergency volunteers (CEVs) across England.

Communities Prepared CEVs support communities to be more resilient by preparing for, reacting to, and helping with the recovery from flooding events and other emergencies. With an action plan based on their local knowledge, they assist the emergency services and support the community, as well as serve a vital purpose in early warning, reassurance and support for vulnerable people. For more information see the online community resilience hub, www.communitiesprepared.org.uk.

MAIN DUTIES

We are looking for an enthusiastic part-time (3 days per week) Senior Project Officer to join our well-established team in order to lead the training and development element of the programme. The Senior Project Officer will work closely with the programme team, communities and partners nationwide to design and deliver tailored training and support packages that aim to assist communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from a range of emergencies.

Our current funding is due to end in October but given the achievements of the programme to date and the ongoing need for work in this area, we are putting plans in place with a view to extending the project by a further two years. The successful candidate will play a key role in planning for, and transitioning to, this next phase alongside the rest of the programme team.

About you

As Senior Project Officer for Community Development and Training, you will have the confidence and skills to engage with people from a range of backgrounds and have proven experience in delivering training within a community setting. As the lead for training delivery, you will be comfortable in managing your own projects, whilst also working collaboratively, deputising for the Communities Prepared Programme Manager and supporting other Senior Project Officers.

As Senior Project Officer for Community Development and Training, you will have the confidence and skills to engage with people from a range of backgrounds and have proven experience in delivering training within a community setting. As the lead for training delivery, you will be comfortable in managing your own projects, whilst also working collaboratively, deputising for the Communities Prepared Programme Manager and supporting other Senior Project Officers.

Essential:

  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Confident in using a range of training styles, with the ability to adapt to fit the needs of the audience
  • A broad understanding of the factors that contribute to strong community resilience and the potential barriers
  • Strong leadership, motivational and organisational skills
  • Excellent listening skills and confidence in talking to people in groups and on a one-to-one basis
  • Experience of collaborative working with statutory and voluntary agencies

Desirable

  • Experience of leading or being a member of a community volunteer group or community activities
  • Knowledge of the emergency response sector
  • A basic working knowledge of Adobe InDesign (used to create the Communities Prepared training resources)

Key tasks include:

  • Directly deliver training sessions to communities (including some evening and weekend sessions), utilising a broad range of disciplines and teaching styles
  • Deliver Train the Trainer training sessions to partners and clients
  • Provide information, advice and support to people who are facing emergencies and natural disasters within their community, such as flooding, pandemics, snow and heat utilities and community leadership
  • Develop and execute community development strategies to remove potential barriers to community resilience, including establishing and/or supporting existing proactive community emergency volunteer groups
  • Project manage the set-up, organisation and delivery of Communities Prepared training nationally (currently all delivered online)
  • Identify and engage volunteer groups and their coordinators within target communities, in partnership with other organisations
  • As part of the Communities Prepared team, significantly contribute to the collective learning around community resilience, community emergency planning and response
  • Develop training materials and other resilience resources which can be used on the Communities Prepared online hub and various other platforms
  • Monitor progress against agreed targets and outcomes in relation to community development and training, contributing to reports to the funder and partners
  • Represent the programme at conferences and events, both online and in person depending on COVID-19 restrictions. This can include presenting to varied audiences on Communities Prepared topics
  • Travel nationally to meet the above duties (when COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted)

In return we offer:

  • 25 days FTE per annum plus English Bank Holidays
  • A contributory pension scheme
  • Scope to continuing development of your professional skills

Groundwork South is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable groups.  Inline with our Safer Recruitment & Selection Policy and Procedure, successful applicants are subject to references and an enhanced with barred lists disclosure check.

A job application pack can be downloaded below. Please send to Laura Dyke on ldyke @groundwork.org.uk or post to Riverside Community Centre, Dickens Road, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2JY. For more information regarding the post, please contact Zoey Ayling at zoey.ayling@groundwork.org.uk.

Closing Date: midnight on Friday 7th May 2021

Interview Date: w/c 17th May 2021

APPLICATION PACK:

Senior Project Officer (Community Development and Training)_March21

Senior Project Officer – Application_Form

How_To_Apply

CVs will not be accepted. No agencies please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please note that we reserve the right to close applications early in the event of a large response.

Groundwork South is committed to transforming people’s lives and places through social, economic and environmental action. In terms of development and delivery of these projects we work across three business themes, Parks & Open Spaces, Youth & Employment and Greener Living & Working.

We are committed to the employment and career development of disabled people. To demonstrate our commitment, we have been awarded the Disability Confident Scheme Symbol, which is awarded by the Employment Service. We guarantee an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the post. If you consider yourself to have a disability and would like to apply under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme please complete the Guaranteed Interview Scheme form (at the top of our current vacancies page) and submit this with your application. We shall ensure fairness and equal opportunities throughout our workforce and in service delivery.

Groundwork South is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates regardless of ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality, religion or age. A copy of our Equality and Diversity policy may also be made available to candidates on request.