Partnerships and Engagement Officer

**East Suffolk Council, Lowestoft NR33 0EQ or Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1RT**:

- **£36,648 - £40,221 per annum**:

- **37 hours per week**:

- **Fixed Term until December 2026**

Coastal Partnership East brings together coastal expertise across three local authorities to build expertise, capacity and resilience and meet the challenges and opportunities of working on the coast. We have a great track record for delivery and are considered national exemplars for coastal work. We are innovative in our approaches and form strong collaborative ways of working with our communities and partners.

We have an opportunity to join the Coastal Partnership East team as a Partnerships and Engagement Advisor.

Resilient Coasts, the successful project as part of the national programme, will create a range of innovative solutions and tools to help our communities, businesses and environment to transition to a more resilient coast.

In this new role you will deliver the ambitious Resilient Coasts project, supporting critical partners such as the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group (LGA Coastal SIG) - a group with the authority to convene all Party Parliamentary Groups, bringing together key Members of Parliament and Ministers to round table discussions, hearing evidence and cases for change. You will develop and deliver a holistic approach to communications and engagement across the LGA Coastal SIG, encompassing all aspects of the Group’s work, with particular focus on resilience and adaptation.

As an engagement specialist, you will cement relationships and create opportunities for greater collaboration, benefitting work across our coast both locally and nationally. You will provide advice and recommendations for partner authorities, working with in-house communications teams in each relevant member authority and with collaborative partners.

With a relevant qualification to HNC level or an Engagement related diploma, (or extensive experience through on the job training and working within the Public Relations (PR) field), you should have a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of Public Relations and a proven record of managing relationships.

You should be self-motivated with a pro-active approach with the ability to work alone or alongside other members of the Partnerships and Engagement team. You will have a proactive approach to problem solving and possess excellent communication skills.

**Why work for us?**

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, **take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work (YouTube)**.

**Here are some of the main benefits**:

- Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)
- Local government pension scheme
- Flexible working arrangements
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes.
- Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.

Find more information about what we offer in our **benefits brochure (pdf)**.

**For more information**

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact **Sharon Richardson** on** **07920 411956.

**Closing date: 1.00 pm, 5th December 2023**

**Interview date: w/c 18 December 2023.**

**How to apply**

**Step 1 - **Read the advert and the **Job Description and Person Specification (docx)**

**Step 2 - **Complete the **Supporting Statement template (docx)**. Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted).

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people’s lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.

We hugely value our staff and know that in order for us to remain successful, it is essential for us to recognise talented employees, developing and retaining them within the organisation. We are therefore committed to investing in our staff and providing first-class support to ensure a positive culture and rewarding careers.