Community Engagement Officer
| Posting date: | 27 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £29,535 to £33,158 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 April 2026 |
| Location: | Sittingbourne, Kent |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Swale Borough Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: |
Summary
About the Role
Are you passionate about strengthening communities and engaging with local voices?
We’re looking for a motivated and people focused Community Engagement Officer to help shape positive change across Sheppey East. This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with residents, young people, community groups and local organisations to ensure the Pride in Place Programme truly reflects what matters most to the community.
About the role
As our Community Engagement Officer, you will play a key role in building strong, meaningful connections across Sheppey East. By listening to local experiences, understanding community priorities and creating inclusive spaces for dialogue, you’ll help ensure residents’ voices actively shape the work taking place in their area.
What you’ll be doing
• Developing targeted engagement activities within Sheppey East as part of the Pride in Place priority area. Using a wide range of engagement methods that are inclusive, accessible and representative of the diverse communities of the area.
• Facilitating community conversations, events, forums, walkabouts and workshops—spending time in the heart of the community to build trust and engage directly with residents.
• Acting as a vital link between communities and wider borough initiatives, ensuring voices are represented accurately and respectfully.
• Promoting Pride in Place activities, events and opportunities through creative and effective communication channels.
• Capturing and analysing feedback, presenting insights in clear, meaningful ways to a range of audiences.
This is a full-time position working 34 hours per week Monday to Friday, on a fixed term contract for approximately 12 months (to 31st March 2027). There will also be the requirement for occasional evening or weekend work where necessary
About Swale Borough Council
Swale Borough Council is a progressive and ambitious Local Authority, located less than an hour from Central London in an attractive and diverse part of Kent involving urban, rural, and coastal areas. We believe that staff are our most valuable asset and we’re committed to attracting and retaining the very best. In recent times we have adapted and evolved to meet the current world by introducing a highly flexible hybrid working policy, along with a 34-hour week, recognising that staff wellbeing and work life balance is high on our agenda.
Our Offer
A range of benefits including:
• 34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• 7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most role
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
• Free parking
• Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role
About You
You will be a qualified to a good standard of education, Level 2 (GCSE) with sound IT skills.
You will have experience of working in a community engagement or customer facing role. With experience of organising and facilitating events and building trust and rapport with diverse communities.
Additionally, you will have excellent communication skills and the ability to tailor communication to a wide range of stakeholders.
Selection Process
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please email: Sarah-JaneRadley@swale.gov.uk , Community & Partnerships Manger
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/423525/Community-Engagement-Officer-Pride-in-Place-SBC-JDPS-March26.pdf
Interview Date: 6th/7th/8th May 2026
Are you passionate about strengthening communities and engaging with local voices?
We’re looking for a motivated and people focused Community Engagement Officer to help shape positive change across Sheppey East. This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with residents, young people, community groups and local organisations to ensure the Pride in Place Programme truly reflects what matters most to the community.
About the role
As our Community Engagement Officer, you will play a key role in building strong, meaningful connections across Sheppey East. By listening to local experiences, understanding community priorities and creating inclusive spaces for dialogue, you’ll help ensure residents’ voices actively shape the work taking place in their area.
What you’ll be doing
• Developing targeted engagement activities within Sheppey East as part of the Pride in Place priority area. Using a wide range of engagement methods that are inclusive, accessible and representative of the diverse communities of the area.
• Facilitating community conversations, events, forums, walkabouts and workshops—spending time in the heart of the community to build trust and engage directly with residents.
• Acting as a vital link between communities and wider borough initiatives, ensuring voices are represented accurately and respectfully.
• Promoting Pride in Place activities, events and opportunities through creative and effective communication channels.
• Capturing and analysing feedback, presenting insights in clear, meaningful ways to a range of audiences.
This is a full-time position working 34 hours per week Monday to Friday, on a fixed term contract for approximately 12 months (to 31st March 2027). There will also be the requirement for occasional evening or weekend work where necessary
About Swale Borough Council
Swale Borough Council is a progressive and ambitious Local Authority, located less than an hour from Central London in an attractive and diverse part of Kent involving urban, rural, and coastal areas. We believe that staff are our most valuable asset and we’re committed to attracting and retaining the very best. In recent times we have adapted and evolved to meet the current world by introducing a highly flexible hybrid working policy, along with a 34-hour week, recognising that staff wellbeing and work life balance is high on our agenda.
Our Offer
A range of benefits including:
• 34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• 7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most role
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
• Free parking
• Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role
About You
You will be a qualified to a good standard of education, Level 2 (GCSE) with sound IT skills.
You will have experience of working in a community engagement or customer facing role. With experience of organising and facilitating events and building trust and rapport with diverse communities.
Additionally, you will have excellent communication skills and the ability to tailor communication to a wide range of stakeholders.
Selection Process
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please email: Sarah-JaneRadley@swale.gov.uk , Community & Partnerships Manger
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/423525/Community-Engagement-Officer-Pride-in-Place-SBC-JDPS-March26.pdf
Interview Date: 6th/7th/8th May 2026
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.