Next Steps South West Somerset Outreach Officer

University of Plymouth; Taunton; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave 25 Days Annual +

Generous pension scheme

Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Development opportunities

Enhanced family leave

Flexible working

Retailer discounts

On-site nursery

Job summary

University of Plymouth is seeking an Outreach Officer for the Next Steps South West Somerset project, based in Taunton. The role involves delivering outreach activities to secondary schools and FE colleges across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, in collaboration with partner universities and HE colleges.

The post requires strong planning, stakeholder liaison, and the ability to work on-site with flexible arrangements. DBS checks and travel to various university sites are expected where needed.

Qualifications

• Educational attainment at further education level (or demonstrable equivalent experience).
• Experience working with the target age group or within a higher education or further education environment.
• Experience of planning and organising.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills including presentational skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Represent NSSW within the partnership working alongside partner teams to ensure collaboration and avoid duplication.
• Be fully conversant with the partner institutions operating processes to enable autonomous working.
• Contribute to the delivery of an effective and flexible outreach service, offering support, training and guidance as appropriate, taking strategic direction from the central NSSW team.

Skills

Planning & organising

Verbal & written comms

Teamwork

Education sector experience

Education

Further education level or equivalent

Job description

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work_outline Basis FT Temporary Fulltime All Year

Job profile for Next Steps South West Somerset Outreach Officer

Next Steps South West Somerset Outreach Officer

Taunton / Somerset 01/11/2026 Next Steps South West Somerset Outreach Officer The job details are shown below. For further information click on the link for the job description.

Job details

Salary £26,707 - £29,588 per annum - Grade 4 Contractual hours 37

Basis FT Temporary Fulltime All Year

Interview date Wednesday 18 November 2026

Job category/type Professional/Support Services

Date posted 09/10/2026

Job reference B1424

Attachments B1424 Job Description.pdf

Description

A proactive and enthusiastic individual is required to join the Next Steps South West (NSSW) Project.

About the role

This is a unique opportunity to be involved in the delivery of outreach activities to secondary school and Further Education college students through a collaborative project of key stakeholders, comprising universities and Higher Education (HE) colleges in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. NSSW is part of the national Uni Connect project and is funded by the Office for Students (OfS) to encourage awareness of, and access to, Higher Education for identified individuals from target groups in schools where progression to HE is low.

You will liaise with colleagues across NSSW and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This role will have strategic guidance and reporting requirements from the NSSW Somerset County Team Leader and will be based within the Careers & Pathways Team, part of the Education Department at Somerset Council. This will provide exciting opportunities to coordinate and develop NSSW activities with those being undertaken by the Somerset Careers Hub, the Somerset EBP and the Supported Employment team.

This post is based at Broughton House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton. Flexible working arrangements available, required to work onsite 2 days a week. Although we can accommodate working from home for this role, flexibility to be on-site will be expected due to business needs.

You will:

• Represent NSSW within the partnership working alongside partner teams to ensure collaboration and avoid duplication.
• Be fully conversant with the partner institutions operating processes to enable autonomous working.
• Contribute to the delivery of an effective and flexible outreach service, offering support, training and guidance as appropriate, taking strategic direction from the central NSSW team.

Due to the nature of this role, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check plus a Children’s Barred List and Adults Barred List check will be required.

There is an essential requirement within this role that you will be required to travel to and work at different University sites and/or other business locations that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Please refer to the job description for further information.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Tazmyne Carruthers: by email at [e-mail]

We’re currently unable to sponsor this role under the Skilled Worker visa route. However, we welcome applicants who already have the right to work in the UK, including those on visa routes we can accept (e.g. Graduate visas).

What we’re looking for

• Educational attainment at further education level (or demonstrable equivalent experience)
• Experience working with the target age group or within a higher education or further education environment
• Experience of planning and organising
• Effective verbal and written communication skills including presentational skills
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

Our Offer

A successful external candidate for this position would be employed by the University of Plymouth Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. Employees of the University of Plymouth Services Limited work alongside the University of Plymouth colleagues in delivery of Plymouth’s strategic vision, and will adopt the University of Plymouth’s HR policies and procedures in full unless otherwise stated.

We have a wide range of staff benefits available to employees, depending on eligibility:

• Generous annual leave: 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here .

Additional Information

The University of Plymouth is building an inclusive and equitable university where everyone feels represented, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is guided by the Inclusive Institutions Framework, a strategic and externally validated approach that embeds these principles across the entire institution. To find out more please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages