Shrewsbury Watch Coordinator

Job Description - Shrewsbury Watch Coordinator

Reporting to: Executive Director

Salary: £25,000-£29,000 pro rata

Contract: 15-month fixed term contract

Hours: 3 days per week (0.6 FTE), flexible working pattern

Annual leave: 25 days pro rata, + bank holidays

Start date: Early February

Location: Shrewsbury BID office with in-town business engagement

About the Role

Shrewsbury BID is seeking a proactive and organised Shrewsbury Watch Coordinator to support and strengthen town-centre business safety networks, including Pubwatch, Shopwatch and the wider Safer Shrewsbury project stream.

This role supports the delivery of the Safer Shrewsbury project stream by building engagement with local businesses, supporting safety initiatives, administering key tools like DISC and the Shrewsbury Watch radio scheme, and contributing to partnership working across Team Shrewsbury (a group of engaged town centre partners working together to keep Shrewsbury safe and thriving).

In addition to core work on Shrewsbury Watch, the Coordinator will also assist with the Shrewsbury Town Ranger project and support Purple Flag activity, ensuring daytime and evening economy businesses feel confident, connected, and supported.

This is a people-focused role suited to someone who is collaborative, approachable, and comfortable working with local policing teams, hospitality venues, retail businesses and community partners.

This role also offers the opportunity to work as part of a small, friendly and supportive BID team that is committed to making a real difference to Shrewsbury's town centre. The postholder will play a meaningful role in improving safety, strengthening business relationships and enhancing the experience of those who live, work and visit the town.

As a varied, outward-facing position, it provides excellent scope to develop transferable skills in partnership working, stakeholder engagement, community safety, project delivery and town-centre operations.

Contract & Working Pattern

• 15-month fixed term contract beginning early February.
• 3 days per week (0.6 FTE).
• Working pattern is flexible, subject to agreement, for example:
• 3 full days per week, or
• shorter hours spread across 4-5 days.
• The role requires occasional evening work (approx 1 - 2 evenings per month) to support Pubwatch or partnership activity.
• Based at Shrewsbury BID office with time spent engaging businesses throughout the town centre.

Key Responsibilities

1. Shrewsbury Watch Coordination

• Act as the primary contact for Shrewsbury Watch members, including Pubwatch and Shopwatch businesses.
• Build strong relationships with businesses across the daytime and night-time economies.
• Provide guidance on reporting crime/ASB and using Watch tools such as DISC and Shrewsbury Watch Radios.
• Support businesses in keeping staff, customers and premises safe.

2. Pubwatch & Shopwatch Administration

• Organise, schedule and host Pubwatch meetings every other month, with the Pubwatch Chair.
• Support occasional Shopwatch/Shrewsbury Watch events, briefings, and training sessions.
• Prepare agendas, minutes and follow-up actions to ensure meetings deliver practical outcomes.
• Maintain membership records and communication lists.

3. Partnership Working (Team Shrewsbury)

• Represent Shrewsbury BID at Team Shrewsbury meetings, contributing business intelligence and feedback.
• Work collaboratively with partners including but not limited to West Mercia Police, Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council, Street Pastors, Rangers and CCTV.
• Support shared problem-solving around recurring issues in the town centre.

4. DISC Administration & Intelligence Sharing

• Manage day-to-day administration of the DISC system, ensuring incidents, alerts and exclusions are logged accurately and promptly.
• Support members in using DISC effectively, offering guidance and basic troubleshooting.
• Ensure GDPR and data protection compliance in all aspects of information handling.

5. Support to Wider BID Safety Projects

• Assist the Executive Director with delivery of the Town Ranger project, ensuring effective communication between Rangers and businesses.
• Contribute to Purple Flag data collation and evidence gathering as needed.
• Support the coordination of safety-related campaigns and initiatives in the town centre.

Person Specification

Essential

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Organised, reliable and comfortable coordinating multiple tasks.
• Confidence engaging with businesses, partners and the public.
• Willingness to learn about:
• Data protection and GDPR
• Licensing objectives
• Crime reporting processes
• Ability to work collaboratively within the BID team, with police, and with community safety teams.
• Comfortable representing the BID professionally at partnership forums.
• Confident user of standard office software, e.g. Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Experience in a similar role focussed on community safety. Experience in security. hospitality or retail environments may also be considered. Most important are core communication, relationship building and partnership working skills.
• Understanding of town centre operations and challenges.
• Experience using admin or case-management systems (e.g., DISC, Vicinity etc).
• Knowledge of Purple Flag or similar safety/accreditation schemes.

Additional Information

• This is an outward-facing role that requires time spent both in the office, and face to face with businesses and partners in the town centre and engaging with businesses.
• Occasional early evening meetings (e.g., Pubwatch) may be required, with time off in lieu.
• The postholder will be an employee of Shrewsbury BID and will uphold BID values and standards at all times.

Closing date: 10th January

Interviews: 15th/16th January

Start date: no later than 16th February (ideally earlier)

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: £25,000.00-£29,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 22.5 per week

Work Location: In person