Community Link Officer Community Link Officer

You will be joining us on an ambitious journey to transform the way we engage with our residents, get closer to our communities, hold conversations and listen to concerns, while supporting their ambitions. You will help us find ways to make it easier for communities to engage with Surrey County Council as an organisation and work alongside our partners, businesses and residents to help communities to shape the places in which they live.
About the role
You will be part of a team of Community Link Officers focused on empowering communities, understanding the ambitions of local people, joining in with what is happening and joining up people, funding, resources and assets to enable positive action to be taken forward in their communities.
You will learn the story of each community, utilising asset-based tools, techniques and local engagement to identify community strengths and opportunities. You will assess how we can work alongside communities to make things happen.
Working with local councillors and managers, you will help to further our approach, gather community insights and share the stories from our communities internally and externally to help shape local services.
Shortlisting criteria
We would love to hear from you if you are passionate about building active and participatory communities where people feel a genuine sense of ownership of the environment around them and where a voice is given to new and under-represented groups, interests and ideas. You will be confident in building rapport with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, with a strong focus on fairness and integrity.
To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• Highly developed networking, interpersonal, engagement and facilitation skills


• You are confident, creative and comfortable working in an agile way in response to community wishes


• You are a skilled writer and teller of stories, able to pull out the "so what" from the work you are doing and using everyday language to ensure accessibility for all


• Have knowledge of Asset Based Community Development (A.B.C.D) or strength-based practise and experience of its practical application


• Have an awareness of working in a political environment and experience of working alongside elected councillors


As part of your application you will be asked to submit a CV and answer the following five questions:
1. Please tell us about a piece of work you have delivered that required a combination of networking, interpersonal, engagement and facilitation skills?
2. Please tell us about your experience of using Asset Based Community Development (A.B.C.D) or other strength-based practise?
3. Please tell us about a piece of work or project that you were involved with that had an impact and how you raised the profile of this project?
4. Please tell us about a time where you worked creatively to deliver a community-based project or piece of work and how you addressed any challenges that you faced?
5. Please tell us about your experience of working in a political environment and/or with councillors?

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
Our values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our commitment

The starting salary for this position is £40,296 per annum for working 36-hours per week.
This is a full time, fixed term (maternity cover) contract for up to one year (July 2024 to June 2025).
Are you passionate about engaging with communities and supporting them to transform their neighbourhoods? We are excited to be hiring a Community Link Officer to join our fantastic Thriving Communities service.
This is a community-focused role where you will need to work flexibly within and across several local neighbourhoods, at home, as well as from the office. We care about building strong relationships and establishing meaningful local connections with residents, communities, and partners, and would welcome a conversation with the successful candidate about what hybrid working in this way would look like for them.
Rewards and benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service


• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave


• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing


• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year


• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave


• A generous local government salary related pension


• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more


• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year


• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources