Senior Community Partnerships Officer

SurreyJobs; Esher; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working

Wellbeing support

Excellent pension scheme

Thrive benefits

Free parking at the Civic Centre

Your birthday off

Job summary

Elmbridge Borough Council in Esher is seeking a Senior Community Partnerships Officer to build and strengthen relationships with the voluntary, community and faith sector. You will oversee grants and funding schemes, respond to local needs and help deliver outcomes for residents.

You will manage the Community Project Officer, support volunteering initiatives and contribute to council transformation projects in a flexible, hybrid working environment.

Qualifications

• Experience working with community organisations and building partnerships.
• Experience engaging stakeholders and bringing people together to meet objectives.
• Experience managing grants or funding programmes and related processes.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organisational, problem-solving and report-writing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead officer for developing relationships with the voluntary, community and faith sector.
• Oversee grants and funding programmes, including Elmbridge Lottery and other schemes.
• Lead on partnership responses to resident issues and cost-of-living challenges.
• Manage the Community Project Officer and collaborate on volunteering initiatives.
• Contribute to wider corporate projects and transformation programmes.

Skills

Community partnerships

Stakeholder engagement

Grants management

Communication skills

Report writing

Organisation & prioritisation

Job description

Senior Community Partnerships Officer

Make a difference to communities across Elmbridge

Salary: £48,581 - £53,461 (PO37-41)
36 hours per week
Based in Esher with flexible/hybrid working available

Elmbridge is a great place to live, work and do business, and our vibrant voluntary, community and faith sector plays a huge role in making that possible. We're looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Senior Community Partnerships Officer to help us strengthen those relationships and ensure local people continue to receive the support they need.

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a high-profile role at the heart of partnership working across the borough. You'll work closely with community organisations, health partners, local businesses, councillors and council services to help tackle local challenges, respond to emerging needs and deliver positive outcomes for residents.

What you'll be doing

You'll be the council's lead officer for supporting and developing relationships with the voluntary, community and faith sector, bringing partners together to address local priorities and helping ensure local organisations have the support they need to thrive.

A key part of the role is overseeing our grants and funding programmes, including Elmbridge Lottery and other community funding schemes, ensuring investment is targeted where it can make the greatest impact. You'll also lead on partnership responses to issues affecting residents, including cost of living challenges, and help shape how the council engages with communities across the borough.

Alongside this, you'll manage our Community Project Officer and work closely with colleagues delivering volunteering and community support initiatives. You'll also contribute to wider corporate projects and transformation programmes as required.

About you

We're looking for someone who is passionate about communities and partnership working, with the confidence and credibility to build strong relationships across a wide range of organisations and stakeholders.

You will have:

• experience of working with community organisations and building effective partnerships.
• experience of stakeholder engagement and bringing people together to achieve shared objectives.
• experience of managing grants, funding programmes or similar initiatives.
• excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• strong organisational, problem-solving and report-writing skills.
• the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Experience of working within, or alongside, the voluntary, community and faith sector would be an advantage, but most importantly you'll share our commitment to supporting strong and resilient communities.

Why join Elmbridge?

You’ll benefit from:

• flexible and hybrid working to support a healthy work-life balance
• wellbeing support, including a programme designed to help you thrive
• a generous benefits package, including an excellent pension scheme and Thrive benefits
• free parking at the Civic Centre
• your birthday off, and additional time off between Christmas and New Year (without using annual leave)

Closing date –27 October 2026 at 9am

Equal Opportunities

Elmbridge Borough Council - Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you require any adjustments to be able to engage in the recruitment process for this role, please let us know by emailing [e-mail]