Place Lead

The Guildhall Northampton; Northampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking a Place Lead to drive and coordinate place-based programmes across Kings Heath and Spencer, aiming to raise physical activity levels and reduce health inequalities in local communities.

You will build trusted relationships with residents and partners, shaping inclusive opportunities that reflect local priorities and deliver lasting wellbeing improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate place-based programmes within Kings Heath and Spencer to increase physical activity levels.
• Build relationships with residents, community groups and partners to inform inclusive activity initiatives.
• Collaborate with NHS teams, schools, leisure providers and other partners to boost participation and wellbeing.

Job description

Place Lead

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering the Council’s ambition to create more active, healthier communities across West Northamptonshire. You will lead the development, coordination and promotion of a wide range of sport and physical activity initiatives, encouraging residents of all ages and backgrounds to become more active and improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and coordinate place-based programmes within Kings Heath and Spencer, helping to increase physical activity levels and reduce health inequalities across local communities. Working with a particular focus on children and young people, families, older adults and ethnically diverse communities, you will develop and deliver initiatives that encourage more residents to lead active, healthier lives.

You will build strong, trusted relationships with residents, community leaders, voluntary and community sector organisations, and local groups to develop a deep understanding of community strengths, needs, barriers and motivations relating to physical activity. Using this insight, you will help shape and deliver inclusive opportunities that reflect local priorities and create lasting positive change.

Working collaboratively with a wide range of partners, including NHS teams, schools, leisure providers, businesses, Public Health, Communities teams, Northamptonshire Sport and other system partners, you will play a key role in connecting people, organisations and resources to increase participation in physical activity. Through partnership working and community engagement, you will help deliver sustainable improvements in health, wellbeing and community resilience across West Northamptonshire.

About You

The successful candidate will have proven experience of working in partnership with a wide range of organisations to design and deliver sport, physical activity and health programmes that achieve positive outcomes for diverse communities. You will be confident building effective relationships with stakeholders across the public, voluntary, community and private sectors, working collaboratively to increase participation, improve wellbeing and tackle health inequalities.

You will have experience of engaging directly with local communities, community leaders and residents to co‑design and develop physical activity initiatives that reflect local needs, strengths and aspirations. Using a community‑centred approach, you will be skilled at listening to and involving people in decision‑making, ensuring programmes are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of different groups.

Our benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like‑minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

Please note

We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.

Attached documents

• JDPS Place Lead .pdf

Job Details

• Salary £29,716 - £31,251
• Salary Frequency Annual
• Working Hours 37
• Contract Type Full Time
• Closing Date 1 November, 2026
• Job Category Culture and Leisure
• Location Northampton, United Kingdom
• Job Posted Date 19 October, 2026