Community and Voluntary Sector Manager

This role is a senior strategic leadership post responsible for leading Croydon Council's relationship with the voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) and strengthening how the Council works with communities and partners across the borough. At its core, the role is about ensuring that the Council's approach to community partnership working is joined-up, strategic, and outcomes-focused. The postholder would act as a key corporate lead, building strong relationships with VCFS organisations, community leaders, elected members, senior officers, and statutory partners such as the NHS and Police. They would help shape a shared vision for Croydon, support the development of new partnerships and initiatives, and ensure that community voice is properly reflected in Council decision-making. The role also has a strong capacity-building and advisory dimension. It involves supporting the local VCFS to become more sustainable and influential, including helping identify funding and investment opportunities, while also providing high-level advice to the Mayor, Cabinet, members, and senior officers on partnership and community issues. Alongside this, the role is responsible for improving coordination across Council services, overseeing performance and governance arrangements, and leading staff to deliver effective community and partnership work. Overall, this is a role for someone who can combine strategic thinking, political awareness, partnership leadership, and community engagement expertise to help the Council work more effectively with residents and partners and deliver better outcomes for Croydon.

• Ability to lead strategic partnership work with the voluntary, community and faith sector.
• Ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders, elected members, partners, and communities.
• Ability to develop policy, strategy, and service improvements in a complex organisation.
• Ability to engage communities and support co-production in policy and service design.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Ability to provide expert advice and constructive challenge on complex issues.
• Ability to coordinate work across services and partnerships to achieve shared outcomes.
• Ability to manage staff, performance, projects, and budgets effectively.
Strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive community engagement. Essential experience
• Experience of working with the VCFS and community partners at a strategic level.
• Experience of partnership development in local government, public sector, or a comparable setting.
• Experience of advising senior leaders and elected members.
• Experience of policy development, strategy delivery, or service transformation.
• Experience of community engagement, involvement, and co-production.
• Experience of identifying or securing funding and investment opportunities.
• Experience of leading cross-organisational or partnership-based projects.
• Experience of staff management, performance monitoring, and reporting.
  
  Croydon Council's priorities
The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon's diverse communities and businesses
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities
Key business plan outcomes:
• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we're proud to call home
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer
• Croydon Council's new ways of working
Equal Opportunities Statement Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.