Community Projects Officer

St John Ambulance; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension scheme

33 days holiday

Cycle to work scheme

Electric Vehicle Scheme

Health and Wellbeing portal

NHS/BH discounts

Discounts on mobile phones

Gym membership discounts

Cinema tickets discounts

Restaurants discounts

Holiday discounts

Job summary

St John Ambulance in the South West invites applications for a Community Projects Officer. Based in Truro or Exeter with hybrid working, you will lead local volunteer projects across Youth, Fundraising, Events and Education, translating national priorities into practical local plans.

You will monitor KPIs, manage risks, collaborate with volunteers, County Councils and partners, and drive high-impact outcomes that strengthen community safety and health training.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering and managing projects or initiatives, ideally in volunteer-involving organisations.
• Skilled at working with diverse stakeholders, building trust and collaborating effectively.
• Strong understanding of the volunteer lifecycle and local needs, with practical, tailored solutions.
• Excellent project management skills, able to prioritise multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Confident communicator with equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility principles.

Responsibilities

• Project Leadership: Plan, deliver, and evaluate local projects aligned with national strategy.
• Cross-Pillar Delivery: Work across Youth, Fundraising, Events, and Education to improve impact.
• Volunteer Engagement: Involve volunteers through project lifecycle, supporting development and recognition.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Build relationships with volunteers, staff, and partners.
• Adaptation & Implementation: Tailor national initiatives to local needs and ensure accessibility.
• Performance & Quality Assurance: Monitor KPIs, manage risks, ensure measurable impact.
• Continuous Improvement & Values: Share learnings and promote St John values in all activities.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Volunteer lifecycle knowledge

Project planning

Effective communication

Job description

Community Projects Officer - Full time/permanent

Truro or Exeter - Hybrid (Please note travel will be required across Devon & Cornwall, with an office location of Truro or Exeter)

Interview date - 6 November 2026

Our offer to you

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive:

• Competitive salary and pension scheme
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
• Cycle to work scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme (subject to terms)
• Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping

About Us

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,100 employees and over 20,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, and Young Responders programmes).

Job Summary

As a Community Projects Officer at St John Ambulance, you will play a key role in delivering high-impact projects that meet local needs while advancing our organisational priorities. Working closely with your County Commissioner, Deputy County Commissioner, County Council, and Volunteer Impact Partner, you will support initiatives that enhance the volunteer experience, strengthen operational delivery, and improve outcomes across the volunteer lifecycle.

Your projects may span any of our Four Pillars—Youth, Fundraising, Events, and Education—and tackle local challenges in areas such as recruitment, training, leadership, recognition, communications, culture, or operational delivery. Acting as a vital source of additional capacity, you will translate national priorities into locally tailored solutions, applying agile and structured project management approaches to achieve meaningful, measurable impact.

About You

• Experience delivering and managing projects or initiatives, ideally in volunteer-involving organisations, with the ability to plan, monitor, and achieve measurable outcomes.
• Skilled at working with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers, community leaders, and operational teams, building trust and collaborating effectively.
• Strong understanding of the volunteer lifecycle and local needs, with the ability to develop tailored, practical solutions and clear project plans.
• Excellent project management skills, able to prioritise multiple tasks and meet deadlines across different operational areas.
• Confident communicator with knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility principles, applying these in all project work

About the Role

• Project Leadership: Plan, deliver, and evaluate local projects aligned with national strategy, using data and feedback to shape priorities and outcomes.
• Cross-Pillar Delivery: Work across Youth, Fundraising, Events, and Education to address challenges and improve community impact.
• Volunteer Engagement: Involve volunteers throughout the project lifecycle, supporting development, recognition, leadership, and inclusive participation.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships with volunteers, staff, County Council, and partners to foster a ‘One St John’ culture and ensure project success.
• Adaptation & Implementation: Tailor national initiatives for local needs, ensuring accessibility and alignment with volunteer and community requirements.
• Performance & Quality Assurance: Monitor KPIs, manage risks, and ensure projects deliver measurable impact using organisational systems and tools.
• Continuous Improvement & Values: Share learning, resolve issues, sustain successful initiatives, and consistently promote St John values in all activities.

St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have seven networks including The Armed Forces Network, The Disability & Accessibility Network, The Family & Carers Network, The Heritage & Ethnicity Equity Network, LGBTQIA + Equity, The Multifaith Network & The Women’s Network. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.

St John Ambulance is proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We are committed to supporting current and former members of the Armed Forces, reservists, veterans, cadet force adult volunteers, and military families, ensuring they are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged in their recruitment or employment with us.

St John Ambulance is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice. Therefore, all successful applicants will undergo pre-employment checks, including DBS Clearance, as part of the onboarding process, if applicable to the nature of the role

Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy.