Engagement Officer

Engagement Officer

Salary: £27,029 to £29,159 (pro rata), with an 8% pension contribution

Contract: Fixed Term to 31 May 2025, possible extension. 0.5FTE (17.5 hours per week)

Location: Office in Guildhall, remote working, and outreach work

Responsible to: Thames Programme Manager

What does Thames21 do?

Thames21 is one of London's leading environmental charities and its work on rivers and landscapes across London and the Thames Basin builds climate resilience, biodiversity and connected communities. It supports the relationship between communities and their rivers while aiming to deliver powerful social impacts like improved wellbeing, community cohesion, and greater equality of access to good quality green-blue spaces.

Job Description

Purpose of the job

We are seeking a skilled engagement officer to work on our projects in London and the Thames Basin. This role offers an opportunity for the post holder to make a difference to diverse areas of London, with differing challenges and an array of ambitions.

The key skill for this role is being able to connect with and bring people together. The project relies on creating strong networks of local institutions, such as schools and local authorities; grassroots organisations and groups; community leaders and representatives from the public and private sectors, including councillors and politicians.

The key value for this role is curiosity. Being able to ask questions, listen and encourage people to get involved in whatever way they are able, will help you succeed.

You'll thrive in this role if you are able to see the strengths and assets of communities and individuals and find space for them to flourish. By working together with local people in diverse communities beside waterways you will establish a new and positive ongoing relationship between Londoners and their blue spaces.

A typical day is likely to involve keeping on track with what's happening across each area, meeting with key partners, being alert to upcoming network meetings, or delivering community events or activities. You might be working from home, or out of our offices in Bow or Guildhall, or working with a community group or local organisation or institution, including schools, co-producing an engagement event.

You might be posting on social media or updating the web page. You may be working on strategic long-term plans on how to share the learnings from the project. You'll be thinking both big and small on any given day

Diversity

We primarily serve a London community, and we would love our organisation to better reflect the diversity of this great city. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Being a diverse and inclusive organisation is very important to us. We actively encourage applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. This role is primarily about community engagement. For that reason, while an interest in environmental issues is a bonus, it is not required for the role.

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Plan, support and deliver a range of activities to engage local communities and build connections between them and blue spaces. Raise awareness and respect for the river and water environment, including Thames riverbank and foreshore, adhering to Thames21's health and safety policies.

2. Compile area profiles, identifying key stakeholders from public, private and third sectors. Work with stakeholders, including schools, to ensure understanding of the programme and the opportunities available.

3. Work with local community organisations and representatives to open dialogue with residents about local perceptions, connections and interest in the river and co-produce an engagement programme that will lead to a better understanding of the environmental issues that affect blue spaces; improve community wellbeing and explore cultural connections to rivers.

4. Carry out robust monitoring processes, including gathering feedback from partners and participants and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of projects. Collaborate with colleagues to inform a relevant programme of activities that will engage a wider diversity of Londoners with the Thames.

5. Work with Thames21's Comms Team to promote projects, celebrating achievements and learnings; and collate and contribute content for the webpage.

7. Contribute to internal quarterly reports and annual reports to funders.

8. Represent Thames21 at community events, activities and partnership meetings.

9. Maintain clear records of progress, ensure all administration and statistical information is kept, and regularly upload information onto the Thames21 database.

10. Attend Thames21 Team Meetings and liaise with Thames21 staff.

This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times. The post-holder will be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with other Thames21 activities and with those in this document.

Person Specification

It is essential that in your application you give evidence or examples of your proven experience in each of the following criteria.

Experience:

· Experience of working with a broad range of community groups, volunteers and private and public sector organisations.

· Experience of organising safe and successful events and activities with community groups and grassroots organisations from conception through to delivery and evaluation.

Ability:

· Excellent communication skills, using good listening skills, curiosity, empathy, and tact to build positive, trusted relationships with individuals, grassroots groups and community organisations.

· Ability to be resilient and manage a demanding workload with enthusiasm and self-motivation.

· Ability to work alongside residents to "work with", not "do to", following the principles of co-design or co-production of services.

· Current driving licence and willingness to drive a van to and from various sites across London, if required

Knowledge:

· A strong interest in the environment and an understanding of environmental issues.

· Knowledge of community engagement methodologies as a means to build social connections, confidence and local pride.

· Knowledge of using monitoring and evaluation techniques and methods in practice.

Ethos:

· Commitment to, and understanding of, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and when providing a service to the public.

· Commitment to the values of Thames21 as set out in our five-year plan

Additional Information

· The post holder must be willing to occasionally work in the evening and at weekends.

· 25 days paid annual leave are available pro rata plus public holidays. In addition, theThames21 office is closed between Christmas and New Year.

· Thames21 operate a flexitime system of working.

· Thames21 have an 'Auto Enrol' Workplace Pension Scheme with NEST.

· 24/7 access to our employee assistance programme.

· Laptop & Mobile phone for company use.

To apply for this position, please email a copy of your CV and a short covering letter and apply via the Charity Job button.

• Closing date: 5pm on 14 August

• Interviews: 22 August

We appreciate the time you will have taken to apply to this role, and we do appreciate that it is disconcerting when you don't hear back from a role you have applied for. However, due to the high number of applications we expect to receive, we are unable respond to or give feedback on individual applications, but we do want to be able manage expectations. Therefore, if you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE